Ransom District Library

How to Get a Library Card
Most Anyone Can Get a Card at Ransom

You can obtain a Ransom Library card if you live in our library district. You are in our library district if you live within the City of Plainwell or Gun Plain Township in Allegan County, or in that portion of Cooper Township in Kalamazoo County that is within the Plainwell or Gull Lake School Districts. (Those who live within the Parchment School District in Cooper Township are in the Parchment Library District.)

For patrons who live out of our district please see the information below about Reciprocal borrowing and Michicard to find out how you can get a card.

When applying for a card you must present proof of identification when you register for a library card. Proof of identification is usually a valid Michigan driver's license that shows your current name and address. We can also accept property tax receipts and Michigan State i.d. cards.

Once you have obtained a library card from us, you may use it to obtain library cards from most libraries in the state of Michigan! See Reciprocal Borrowing.

Reciprocal Borrowing

Reciprocal Borrowing agreements between libraries allow patrons from one library to obtain a library card from another library.

We participate in three types of Reciprocal Borrowing agreements:

· Michicard (a statewide program)

· Individual Libraries

To obtain a free card from any of the above libraries, just take your current and unrestricted Ransom District Library card and a current I.D. (such as a driver's license) to the library of your choice. If you wish to obtain a card from a Michicard library, you must also have a Michicard sticker on your library card—these are free and are available at the front desk.

MICHICARD

The Michicard program includes most of the public and academic libraries in the state of Michigan. (Not all the libraries in the state have chosen to participate, however!) We have free Michicard brochures available at the front desk which list all the participating libraries. You must present both your Michicard library card and your Michigan driver's license when you register for a reciprocal library card. You must have a Michicard sticker on your library card in order to get a card from a Michicard library. These stickers are free, and you may obtain one just by asking at our front desk.

Individual Library Reciprocal Agreements
We have separate reciprocal borrowing agreements with the Kalamazoo Public Library, Portage District Library, Allegan Public Library, and Otsego District Library. You must present both the library card from your home library and your Michigan driver's license when you register for a library card.

If All Else Fails

In rare instances, a person wishes to obtain a library card from us who isn't in our library district, or in the district of any of the above libraries. In this case the person may purchase a one-year non-resident library card for $55.00.

Circulation Policy

DUE DATES
3 weeks: Books, Magazines, Audiobooks, and Playaways.
1 week: DVDs/VHS, CDs & 7-day (high-demand) books.

LIMITS
No limits on any item!

OVERDUES
5 cents per day per item, all items except DVDs/VHS and CDs.
25 cents per day per item for DVDs/VHS and CDs.

Fines will not be assessed for the first day an item is overdue.

OVERDUE NOTICES
1^st notice sent out when items are 2 weeks overdue.
2^nd notice sent out when items are 4 weeks overdue.
Final notice sent out when items are 8 weeks overdue.
Patron's card will be restricted until materials are returned or paid for.

CHECKOUT
You must present your current and unrestricted library card every time you wish to check out materials.

RETURNS
All items may be returned at the front desk or in the outside book drop, located next to the ramp on the west side of the building. Please return DVDS/VHS and CDs inside.

Loan Periods, Fines, & Overdue Materials

Material	Loan Period	Renewal Period	Late Fee	Maximum Late Fee	Limits
7 Day Books*	7	Renewal Not Allowed	$0.05 per day	$2 per Item	1
Adult Books	21	21	$0.05 per day	$2 per Item	Unlimited
Teen Books	21	21	$0.05 per day	$2 per Item	Unlimited
Juvenile Books	21	21	$0.05 per day	$2 per Item	Unlimited
Audiobooks, Playaways, & Readalongs	21	21	$0.05 per day	$2 per Item	Unlimited
CDs, DVDs, & VHS	7	Renewal Not Allowed	$0.25 per day	$2 per Item	Unlimited
All Magazines	21	21	$0.05 per day	$2 per item	Unlimited
Story Time Kits	21	21	$0.05 per day	$2 per item	1
Book Kits	56	Renewal Not Allowed	$1.00 per day	$100 per item	1

*7 Day Books:
Books that are in high demand will be temporarily placed in the 7 Day Book status. The book is distigunished as a 7 Day Book by a "7 Day Loan" sticker. If you are unsure if your book is a 7 Day Book please ask library staff, review your due date receipt, or check your library account online for the due date.

Overdue Notices and Fines:
If you keep materials beyond the due date, a daily fine will occur for each item. The library will attempt to contact you by email (if applicable), phone, and mail. You will receive only ONE mail notice. However, the mail notice is considered your THIRD notification as the first two notifications are email/phone calls. The maximum late fee will be charged for each item when they are returned.

Borrowers with $10 or more in late fees will not be allowed to check out any more material.

Damaged or Lost Materials:
Borrowers will be charged for damaged or lost materials. This charge will include a $4 processing fee (for each item), plus the amount needed to replace the lost or damaged item.

Collections:
Ten days after the mail notice is sent to a patron the account may be sent to a collection agency.

MEL/Interlibrary Loan

Through MELCAT (Michigan Electronic Library Catalog), patrons can request materials from other libraries that are not available at Ransom. MEL, the Michigan Electronic Library, allows patrons access to 170+ statewide libraries. The Mel Catalog (MelCat), includes most items held in participating libraries including millions of books, CDs, DVDs and other materials. Once ordered patrons may pick up and return those items at Ransom. For help searching Melcat visit: http://mel.org/index.php?P=MeL--HelpPage or call the Library.

Visit www.mel.org today and browse MelCat. Or log in to your MEL Account via MyMel to check for due dates, renew your MEL materials, and see the status of your requests. Just select your library (Ransom District Library) from the drop down list and login with your name and library card number.

If you are unable to locate the title you need or do not have access to a computer to order books through MEL, please contact us at 685-8024. In the case of newly released titles, we may be able to purchase the title to add to the Library's collection.

Reserves, Renewals, Requests

RESERVES:You may place a reserve on any item which is checked out to another patron, or which is on order. You must have a valid Ransom Library card in order to place a reserve. Just stop by the library, or call us at 685-8024, and tell us which title(s) you wish to reserve. You may even place a reserve yourself using our card catalogs at the library. Ask any staff member to show you how!

RENEWALS:
You may renew each item once, and you may renew items by phone.
If an item is on reserve for another patron, it may not be renewed.

If you have an InterLibrary Loan item you would like to renew, call us at least five days in advance of the due date, and we will check with the lending library to see if a renewal is possible. Or you may renew your InterLibrary Loan item yourself online through MyMel. Just select your library (Ransom District Library) from the drop down list and login with your name and library card number.

REQUESTS:
You can suggest titles for the library to purchase. Use the forms at the Suggestion Box on the front desk or fill out the Suggest A Book. We can reserve your suggested title for you if you include your name and phone number on the suggestion form. Of course, we can't guarantee we'll order every request. If we do not order your request, we'll try to obtain it for you via InterLibrary Loan.