Books and magazines shall circulate for a period of 21 days (3 weeks).

DVDs, Play-a-Ways, and BCDs shall circulate for 7 days (1 week).

All other audiovisual equipment and machines shall circulate overnight.

Reference material does not circulate outside of the libraries except by the following situation:

• The librarian or Administrative Librarian allows the patron to check out the item overnight.

There is a limit of 33 items per library card as the maximum that can be checked out.

Patrons shall be limited to 4 DVDs per library card.

St. John the Baptist Parish Library selects materials for its collection on the basis of literary, educational, informational and recreational value. The responsibility of selection rests with the Library Director or designee, who operates within the framework of policies determined by the Board of Library Trustees. The Library makes all decisions as to the retention, location, cataloging treatment, and other considerations relating to the selection, use, and disposition of the collection.

The Library offers free access to ideas and information encompassing all areas of knowledge and opinion to all citizens in an open, non-judgmental atmosphere. The Library reflects within its collection differing points of view. The Library does not promulgate particular beliefs or views, nor does the selection of a resource express or imply endorsement of the viewpoint of the author or publisher or vendor. No title is excluded on the basis of moral, racial, religious, or political belief. Library materials will not be marked to show approval or disapproval of the contents, nor will items be sequestered or access denied, except for the purpose of protecting resources from damage or theft.

Titles are selected, within the limitations of the budget, in various formats. Among the criteria considered when selecting are critical consensus among recognized subject authorities, literary merit, enduring value, accuracy, authoritativeness, social significance, importance of subject matter to the collection, timeliness, popular demand, cost, scarcity of material on the subject and availability elsewhere, quality and suitability of the format. Customers’ suggestions are encouraged and will be given due consideration.

The Library provides to the citizens of St. John the Baptist Parish free access to books, magazines, the Internet, electronic databases, videos, DVDs and BCDs, downloadable e books and audio books. As formats continue to evolve the primary formats collected may change.

The resources of the Internet are provided free to library patrons. The Library provides this access as an adjunct to the educational and informational materials of the Library. 

In order to provide an equality of access within the bound of limited resources, it is necessary for the library to institute restrictions on the use of individual terminals. Such restrictions are:

• One-hour time slots
• Institution of sign-in processes: sign-in reservation
• Prohibition of recreational use during peak research time, such as after-school; afternoons and evenings
• Limits to maximum time allowed each day, at the discretion of the supervising staff

Children under 12 must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian when using the workstation and electronic resources. 

All workstations should be used for:

• Research and educational information
• Printing from full text and journal databases
• Downloading of public domain software on flash drives
• Working using Microsoft Office products
• General surfing of the internet to locate sites of interest, when workstations are not limited to research uses
• Checking e-mails are allowed when workstations are not being used for researching or educational purposes

The Administration Librarian is authorized to accept gifts, donations, and endowments to the Library.

No one on the staff may accept a gift except for small food items for immediate consumption by the staff member.

When a gift, donation, or endowment is made to the library, a receipt will be given that states the gift is accepted with no conditions and will not be returned on any date in the future.

Circulation records and other records identifying the names of users and materials used are confidential, regardless of the source.

The Library complies with all Louisiana Revised Statutes regarding parent’s rights to information and records of minor children.

Records will not be made available to any agency of federal, state or local government, or to any group or individual, for whatever purpose except pursuant to such process, order, or subpoena as may be authorized by law.

St. John the Baptist Parish Library provides an array of services to children from preschool age to middle school age. The library offers story times, internet access, tours, homework help, and advice on books to read, along with other educational and entertaining programs. The children's collections at all four library locations hold a wide assortment of fiction, folktale, picture books, nonfiction, audiovisual materials, reference materials, and public computers. Library children's rooms are reserved for children, their parents, guardians, teachers, and caregivers, and people researching children's literature.

The library encourages frequent visits by children and their families. However, library staff cannot provide childcare or assume responsibility for children's safety. Parents, guardians, teachers and caregivers, not library staff, are responsible for the behavior and safety of children visiting the library. Staff cannot be placed in the position of supervising unattended children.

Children are expected to behave in a manner conducive to maintaining an appropriate atmosphere in the building for all patrons. Children must know how to reach an adult in case of an emergency, and both children and adults need to be aware of library hours.

An unattended child is a child of any age who is apparently unaccompanied by a responsible adult. Parent, guardians, teachers and caregivers may not leave children alone or in the care of other children who are unable or unwilling to provide adequate care. Supervising adults must be close at hand.

As in all public places, “stranger danger” is a real concern. Library staff cannot prevent children from interacting with or leaving with persons who are not the appropriate chaperone.

If the Library is closing, at a regular time or in an emergency situation, and a parent or guardian of a child cannot be located in the building, the St, John the Baptist Parish police Department will be called to take the child.

The Library is not responsible for any consequences of parents forfeiting their responsibilities.

St. John the Baptist Parish Library strives to provide a safe and welcome environment for everyone. Therefore, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), service animals are allowed to accompany their handlers anywhere individuals with disabilities are allowed to enter. Service animals are defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act as being trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a person with a disability. Pets, therapy dogs, and emotional support animals are not considered service animals under the ADA.

Only service animals are allowed in the library.

• Service animals are only dogs and miniature horses (see below). Therefore, any other type of animal is not allowed in the library.
• Pets, therapy animals, and comfort animals are not allowed in the library.
• Animals in carriers are not allowed in the library.
• Animals in bags or purses are not allowed in the library.

Also, animals brought into the library for an authorized program is allowed for a limited time.

Objective

St. John the Baptist Parish Library strives to create and maintain a work environment in which people are treated with dignity, decency, and respect. The environment of the library should be characterized by mutual trust and the absence of intimidation, oppression, and exploitation. The Library will not tolerate unlawful discrimination or harassment of any kind. Through enforcement of this policy and by education of employees, the Library will seek to prevent, correct, and discipline behavior that violates this policy.

All employees, regardless of their positions, are covered by and are expected to comply with this policy and to take appropriate measures to ensure that prohibited conduct does not occur. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against any employee who violates this policy. Based on the seriousness of the offense, disciplinary action may include verbal or written reprimand, suspension, or termination of employment.

Managers and supervisors who knowingly allow or tolerate discrimination, harassment or retaliation, including the failure to immediately report such misconduct to the Assistant Library Director, are in violation of this policy and subject to discipline.

Prohibited Conduct Under This Policy

St. John The Baptist Parish Library, in compliance with all applicable federal, state and local anti-discrimination and harassment laws and regulations, enforces this policy in accordance with the following definitions and guidelines:

1. Discrimination

It is a violation of the Library’s policy to discriminate in the provision of employment opportunities, benefits, or privileges; to create discriminatory work conditions; or to use discriminatory evaluative standards in employment if the basis of that discriminatory treatment is, in whole or in part, the person’s race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or marital status.

Discrimination of this kind may also be strictly prohibited by a variety of federal, state and local laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination Act of 1967 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. This policy is intended to comply with the prohibitions stated in these anti-discrimination laws.

Discrimination in violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary measures up to and including termination.

2. Harassment

It is St. John the Baptist Parish Library’s intent to provide a work environment free of sexual and other harassment. To that end, harassment of the Library’s employees by management, supervisors, coworkers, or non-employees who are in the workplace is absolutely prohibited. Further, any retaliation against an individual who has complained about sexual or other harassment or retaliation against individuals for cooperating with an investigation of a harassment complaint is similarly unlawful and will not be tolerated. St. John the Baptist Parish Library will take all steps necessary to prevent and eliminate unlawful harassment.

Definition of Harassment. “Unlawful harassment” is conduct that has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment; has the purpose or effect of substantially and unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance; or otherwise adversely affects an individual’s employment opportunities because of the individual’s membership in a protected class.

Unlawful harassment includes but is not limited to, epithets; slurs; jokes; pranks; innuendo; comments; written or graphic material; stereotyping; or other threatening, hostile, or intimidating acts based on race, color, ancestry, national origin, gender, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or other characteristic protected by state or federal law.

The following examples of harassment are intended to be guidelines and are not exclusive when determining whether there has been a violation of this policy:

• Verbal harassment includes comments that are offensive or unwelcome regarding a person’s national origin, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, body, disability, or appearance, including epithets, slurs, and negative stereotyping.
• Nonverbal harassment includes the distribution, display, or discussion of any written or graphic material that ridicules, denigrates, insults, belittles, or shows hostility, aversion, or disrespect toward an individual or group because of national origin, race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, pregnancy, appearance, disability, sexual identity, marital status, or other protected status.

Sexual Harassment

“Sexual harassment” is generally defined under both state and federal law as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature where:

• Submission to or rejection of such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of any individual’s employment or as a basis for employment decisions; or
• Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.

Other sexually oriented conduct, whether intended or not, that is unwelcome and has the effect of creating a work environment that is hostile, offensive, intimidating, or humiliating to workers may also constitute sexual harassment.

While it is not possible to list all those additional circumstances that may constitute sexual harassment, the following are some examples of conduct that, if unwelcome, may constitute sexual harassment depending on the totality of the circumstances, including the severity of the conduct and its pervasiveness:

• Unwanted sexual advances, whether they involve physical touching or not;

• Sexual epithets, jokes, written or oral references to sexual conduct, gossip regarding one’s sex life, comments about an individual’s body, comments about an individual’s sexual activity, deficiencies, or prowess;

• Displaying sexually suggestive objects, pictures, or cartoons;

• Unwelcome leering, whistling, brushing up against the body, sexual gestures, or suggestive or insulting comments;
• Inquiries into one’s sexual experiences; and
• Discussion of one’s sexual activities.

Sexual harassment may take different forms. The following examples of sexual harassment are intended to be guidelines and are not exclusive when determining whether there has been a violation of this policy:

• Verbal sexual harassment includes innuendoes, suggestive comments, jokes of a sexual nature, sexual propositions, lewd remarks, and threats; requests for any type of sexual favor (this includes repeated, unwelcome requests for dates); and verbal abuse or “kidding” that is oriented toward a prohibitive form of harassment, including that which is sexual in nature and unwelcome.
• Nonverbal sexual harassment includes the distribution, display or discussion of any written or graphic material, including calendars, posters and cartoons that are sexually suggestive or show hostility toward an individual or group because of sex; suggestive or insulting sounds; leering; staring; whistling; obscene gestures; content in letters, notes, facsimiles, emails, photos, text messages, tweets and Internet postings; or other forms of communication that are sexual in nature and offensive.
• Physical sexual harassment includes unwelcome, unwanted physical contact, including touching, tickling, pinching, patting, brushing up against, hugging, cornering, kissing, fondling, and forced sexual intercourse or assault.

Courteous, mutually respectful, pleasant, noncoercive interactions between employees that are appropriate in the workplace and acceptable to and welcomed by both parties are not considered to be harassment, including sexual harassment.