OtsegoCounty Library
Policy manual
TABLE OF CONTENTSPage
- Library information………………………………………………………4
General Objectives
Mission Statement
Primary Roles
Location and Hours……………………………………………………….5
Board of Trustees
Friends of the Library……………………………………………………..6
- Personnel…………………………………………………………………7
Employee selection
Employee status
Salary scale……………………………………………………………….8
Employment conditions
Sexual harassment
Holidays……………………………………………………………………9
Vacation
Sick leaves and other leaves of absence
Longevity pay……………………………………………………………..10
Hospitalization/Medical coverage……………………………………….11
Retirement program
Professional leave
Tuition reimbursement
Grievance procedures……………………………………………………12
Evaluations
Appendices
Family and Medical Leave Act Policy………………………………13
Sexual Harassment Policy…………………………………………..16
Tuition Reimbursement Request Form…………………………….19
- Collection Development ………………………………………………20
Introduction
Selection of materials
Materials format………………………………………………………….21
Juvenile materials……………………………………………………….22
De-selection
Gifts……………………………………………………………………….23
Memorials…………………………………………………………………23
Appendices
Freedom to Read Statement……………………………………….24
Library Bill of Rights…………………………………………………25
Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form………..26
Patron’s for Purchase Form……………………………………….27
- Circulation guidelines………………………………………………..28
Open access
Cardholder privileges
Resident
Michicard
Nonresident
Temporary
Identification
Loan periods…………………………………………………………….29
Limits
Resident
Nonresident
Reserves…………………………………………………………………30
Overdues
Lost or damaged items…………………………………………………31
Confidentiality of patron records………………………………………32
Appendices
Average replacement costs……………………………………….35
- Interlibrary Loans…………………………………………………….36
- Physical facilities…………………………………………………….39
Equipment use
Use of equipment by staff…………………………………………….40
Meeting room…………………………………………………………..41
Displays…………………………………………………………………43
Appendix
Library Exhibit Release……………………………………………44
- Public relations/Programming……………………………………..45
Goals
Story hours
Class visits……………………………………………………………..46
- Gifts…………………………………………………………………….47
- Internet…………………………………………………………………48
Internet services
Internet use policy……………………………………………………..49
Lab rules and procedures…………………………………………….50
MichNet acceptable use policy……………………………………….52
Confidentiality for access id registrations……………………………53
- Library Information
General Objectives
- To assemble, preserve and administer, in organized collections, books and related educational and recreational material in order to promote, through guidance and stimulation, the communication of ideas, and enlightened citizenship, and enriched personal lives.
- To serve the community as a center of reliable information
- To provide a place where inquiring minds may encounter the original, sometimes unorthodox, and critical ideas so necessary as correctives and stimulants in a society that depends for its survival on free competition in ideas
- To support educational, civic, and cultural activities of groups and organizations
- To provide opportunity and encouragement for children, young people, men and women, to educate themselves continuously
- To seek continually to identify community needs, and to cooperate in any way feasible to provide services of programs to satisfy such needs
- To provide opportunity for recreation through the use of literature, music, films, and other art forms
Mission Statement
The Otsego County Library provides access to resources and services to support evolving lifelong personal interests and information needs.
Priority Roles
Reference Library: The library actively provides timely, accurate, and useful information for community residents in their pursuit of job-related and personal interests.
Popular Materials Library: The library features current, high-demand, high-interest materials in a variety of formats for persons of all ages and actively promotes and encourages the use of its collection.
FormalEducationSupportCenter: The library assists students of all ages in meeting educational objectives. The library does not assume the role of school or academic libraries as the primary source of research help, information and materials for their students, but public library users may find materials to supplement what is available in other libraries and library staff will facilitate the process of finding information.
Location and Hours
Headquarters:
700 S. Otsego AvenueMonday 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Gaylord, MI 49735Tuesday9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
(517) 732-5841Wednesday9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
(517) 732-9401 faxThursday9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
iday9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Sunday1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Johannesburg Branch:
10900 East M-32Monday3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Johannesburg, MI49751Tuesday9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
(517) 732-3928Wednesday3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
(517) 732-3928 faxThursday1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
iday1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Vanderbilt Branch:
8170 Mill St.Monday3 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Vanderbilt, MI 49735Tuesday1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
(517) 983-3600Wednesday1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
(517) 983-3600 faxThursday1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
iday9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Board of Trustees
A five-member Board of Trustees appointed by the CountyCommissioners governs the Library. Trustees must reside in OtsegoCounty and should be interested in community affairs and in the library. All trustees shall have a current library card.
Janice Lampert, Chair
Virginia Judge, Vice-Chair
Nancy Glasser, Secretary
Philip Curtiss
William E. Fury
Friends of the Library
The Friends of the Library group was organized to support the Otsego County Library in its efforts to provide quality service to patrons of all ages by promoting and publicizing the interests, usefulness and resources of the library; volunteering time and talents for special programming; and raising funds for materials, equipment and library events.
Annual dues are: Individuals - $5 Family - $10 Patron - $50
Applications for membership are available at circulation desk and display area.
- Personnel
This Personnel Policy is intended to provide general information regarding employment with the Library. It is understood, however, that the Library, through its Board of Trustees, retains the right to change, modify or amend, in whole or part, any of the personnel policies or to institute new policies. Further, only the Library, through its Board of Trustees, possesses such authority to change, modify, etc. Issues not covered in these policies will be brought before the Library Board for determination of the policy.
Scope
Where policies conflict with an approved contract or agreement between the Board and employee, the provisions of the approved agreement shall prevail.
Employee Selection
The library director shall be hired by the Library Board of Trustees. All other employees shall be hired by the library director and approved by the Board of Trustees. All positions should be filled by mentally and physically competent persons and meet requirements outlined in the job descriptions.
Employee Status
a. Probationary employee - All newly hired employees shall complete a probationary period of not less than six months. At any time during this period, the library director, with the advice of the Board of Trustees, may terminate an employee whose performance is deemed deficient. Upon completion of the probationary period, the employee will be eligible for benefits outlined in this policy.
b. Full-time employee - Full-time employees work 36 or more hours per week. They are eligible for all Board approved benefits.
c. Regular part-time employees - These employees are regularly scheduled to work less than the normal department work week. They will be covered by social security and workman’s compensation. In addition, if they work more than 20 hours per week, they will accumulate and be paid for vacation, sick leave and holidays prorated to the number of hours worked.
d. Irregular part-time employees - These employees do not have regularly scheduled hours. They are on call and work only as needed. They are covered by social security and workman’s compensation, but are not eligible for any other fringe benefits.
e. Provisional employees - These are employees who are paid from a source other than the library fund. When the funding is no longer available such employment will terminate. The employee will be covered by those rules set by the funding agency involved and receive only those benefits provided by same agency.
Salary scale
a. All salaries are set by the Library Board of Trustees.
b. Salaries shall be presented on or before the December meeting of the
Board of Trustees for revision or change.
Employment Conditions
a. Hours of work - Work schedules will be set by the library director to adequately cover the hours of operation and may be altered as need dictates. Evening and weekend hours may be included. Sunday hours will be paid at a premium wage of 1½ times the regular wage except when overtime pay is in effect for that work week.
b. Overtime work - It may occasionally be necessary to ask an employee to work more than his/her regularly scheduled hours to meet staffing needs. If the number of hours worked exceeds 40 during that week, the employee will receive overtime pay (equal to 1 ½ times the regular wage) for the hours over 40 worked. No employee may work overtime of his/her own accord; all overtime must be approved by the supervisor in advance. For example, an employee may not work through lunch hour or come into the office prior to the start of the workday without written consent. If an employee works both Sunday hours and overtime hours in the same week, the employee will not be paid both overtime and premium time in the same pay period.
Exempt employees will not receive overtime and are expected to work the number of hours needed to complete their work assignments. The Library Board will determine which employees are exempt based upon the guidelines in the federal law.
c. Paydays - Paychecks are issued by the county on a biweekly basis. Payday will be every other Thursday and checks will be available after 4:00 p.m.
Sexual harassment
The library has adopted the Sexual Harassment policy of the County of
Otsego (see policy on page 16).
Holidays
a. The Library Board recognizes the following holidays:
New Year’s DayGood Friday AfternoonChristmas Day
Memorial DayLabor DayNew Year’s Eve Day Independence Day Christmas Eve Day Floating holiday
In addition, the Library Board may approve closing the library during other times for staff continuing education needs.
b. An employee shall be paid for holidays on a prorated basis based on the average number of hours worked in the previous year or, if newly hired, an estimated average.
c.When a holiday falls on a day that a staff member is not scheduled to work, he/she will receive another paid day off during the previous or following week.
Vacation
a. Each full-time and regular part-time (on a pro-rated basis) employee shall earn vacation time as follows:
After 6 months 5 work days
1-4 years10 work days
5-9 years 15 work days
10 years +20 work days
b. Vacation time not used will be paid during the last pay period of the year unless other arrangements are approved by the director to carryover into the next year.
c. Holidays are not counted against annual leave falling within a vacation period.
d. Additional time will be available without pay at the discretion of the librarian and with the approval of the Board of Trustees.
Sick leaves and other leaves of absences
a. Full-time employees shall earn one sick day per month. Regular part-time employees will accumulate on a prorated basis. Sick time may accumulate to 90 days.
i. Employees will not be compensated for banked sick time upon termination of employment.
ii. Once an employee has accumulated the maximum number of sick days, the library will pay the employee for ½ the number of sick days unused on the last pay period of the year.
b. Sick leave shall not be allowed in advance of being earned. If an employee has insufficient sick leave or vacation time to cover a period of illness, a payroll deduction for lost time shall be made.
c. Sick time may be used only for an illness and not for other purposes except as noted in section f. Any sick time that exceeds five days will require a doctor’s statement.
d.The library has adopted Section XI of the Otsego County Personnel Policies pursuant to the implementing of regulations for the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) (29 C.F.R. 825.301) (See policy on page 13). Personal leaves not covered under the FMLA policy will be handled by the library director with the approval of the Board of Trustees.
e.An employee who is eligible to serve on jury duty will inform the library director as soon as possible. He/she will be paid the difference between regular work pay and payment from the court for jury duty.
f. An employee will be granted a 3-day funeral leave with pay upon the death of an immediate family member (mother/father, mother-in-law/father-in-law, spouse, child, and sibling). Up to three additional days may be taken using sick time if needed.
Longevity pay
To show appreciation to full-time employees who have given many years of service, longevity pay will be paid on the last payroll prior to Christmas by the following schedule:
Years of service AmountYears of serviceAmount
6$110.0013 180.00
7 120.0014 190.00
8 130.0015 200.00
9 140.0016 210.00 10 150.00 17 220.00
11 160.0018 230.00
12 170.0019 240.00
20+ 250.00
Hospitalization/Medical Coverage
a. The Library Board will provide coverage for full-time employees and their families under the plan provided by the county.
b. An employee that has hospitalization/medical coverage from another source may, at their option, withdraw from the county plan. Any employee that withdrawswill receive an amount up to ½ of the premium value (but not to exceed $2000) had the insurance been in effect.
Retirement Program
Employees who work the equivalent of ten full-time days a month are eligible to participate in the countyM.E.R.S. retirement plan. At this time the plan is totally employer paid.
Professional Leave
a. Employees may attend workshops, conferences, and library meetings with the approval of the Board.
b. Fees and costs of workshops and similar library training courses to be attended by the staff will be paid from library funds with the approval of the Board.
c. Dues to the Michigan Library Association will be paid for administrative/professional staff. Dues to the American Library Association will be paid forthe library director.
d. Employees will receive remuneration for their regular working hours while attending training courses.
e. Mileage is reimbursed at the county rate for all authorized travel.
Tuition reimbursement for personal development
a. Full-time staff members who have been employed at least two years can receive ½ of the cost of tuition for library-related coursework up to a maximum of $2000 per year. All courses and projected time off must be approved by the library director and the Board of Trustees in advance of registering for courses to be eligible for reimbursement by submitting a Tuition Reimbursement Request Form (see page 19).
b. Tuition will be reimbursed upon the successful completion of each course. The employee must submit a receipt showing payment of tuition and an official transcript or grade report.
c. All coursework must be completed on the employee’s own time and
any time off must be approved by the library director. The employee must use at least 75% of accrued vacation time before any leave without pay will be approved.
Grievance procedures
a. Employees should first bring their grievances to the library director.
b. If the grievance is not resolved within two weeks, the employee should next bring the grievance to the Board of Trustees in writing. The Board will set up a separate hearing to address the grievance.
Evaluations
Each employee shall be evaluated by the library director on an annual basis. The director will review the evaluation with the employee and place an approved copy in the employee’s personnel file. The Board of Trustees will evaluate the library director annually.
Family and Medical Leave Act
This addition to the leave of absence policy is incorporated into the existing
Leave of absence policy pursuant to the implementing regulations for the
Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) (29 CFR 825.301).
This policy is not meant to be all-inclusive and merely highlights the
Provisions of the FMLA which are subject to detailed and specific
Implementing regulations. This policy is not meant to conflict with either the FMLA or its implementing regulations, the statue and the regulations control.
Eligibility
Employees are entitled up to twelve (12) weeks unpaid job protected leave for certain family and medical reasons if they have worked for at least one (1) year and for 1,250 hours over the previous twelve (12) months.
Reasons for taking FMLA leave
- To care for the employee’s child after birth or placement for adoption for state supervised foster care;
- To care for the employee’s spouse, son or daughter or parent who has a serious health condition; or
- For a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the employee’s job.
Advance notice and medical certification
The employee is required to provide advance leave notice and medical certification should FMLA leave be desired by the employee. An FMLA leave may not be denied if the notice and certification requirements are not met.
- The employee must ordinarily provide thirty (30) days advance notice when the leave is “foreseeable.”
- If thirty (30) days notice is not practical, taking into account of all facts and circumstances in the individual case, then notice must be given within one (1) or two (2) business days of when the need for leave becomes known to the employee.
- Leave requests must be in writing and must set forth the reasons, anticipated duration, and anticipated start of the leave with medical certification attached. The County may require an employee to obtain a second medical opinion at County expense, from a health care provider mutually agreed upon by the employer and employee.
- Medical treatment must be scheduled so as to minimize loss of work time. Appointments scheduled during work hours must have written verification from the provider of the health care service that such provider does not offer appointment hours which do not conflict with the employees shift hours and does not offer Saturday hours.
Benefits
- For the duration of FMLA leave, health insurance coverage will be maintained.
- Employees will be returned to their original or equivalent position upon return from FMLA leave.
- Employees paid time off such as sick days, personal days, and vacation time will be charged for FMLA leave pursuant to the statutory option granted to the employer.
- Accrued benefit time, no matter when earned will be charged for FMLA leave time taken.
- The FMLA does not require that an employee actually ask for FMLA leave in order that the employer be permitted to charge paid time off programs if the purpose for the leave program is a purpose contemplated by the law.
- Because FMLA leave time is otherwise unpaid, benefit time on FMLA does not accrue except as may be required under applicable collective bargaining agreement.
- FMLA leave will be based on a calendar year.
Attendance Rules