Use Policy

The By-Laws of the Board of Trustees of the Cape Girardeau Public Library provide that the Cape Girardeau Public Library shall be forever free to the use of the residents of the Cape Girardeau municipal library district, subject to such reasonable rules and regulations as the Board of Trustees may adopt in order to render the use of the Library of the greatest benefit to the greatest number. The Board of Trustees may extend the privileges and use of the Library to persons residing outside of the municipal library district, upon such terms and conditions as the Board of Trustees, from time to time, by its regulations, may prescribe.

Borrower’s Card Eligibility

• Residents of Municipal Library District:
  • Any person who has established legal residency within the Cape Girardeau municipal library district may be issued a borrower’s card, without cost, subject to the completion of all application and processing procedures.
• Corporations:
  • Any corporation which owns real property within the Cape Girardeau municipal library district may be issued a borrower’s card, without cost, subject to completion of all application and processing procedures.
  • Borrowers cards may be issued in the name of the corporation owner and any relative residing in the same household who does not reside in the municipal library district of Cape Girardeau and who requests a card.
  • A day care is defined as a corporation and, as such, may have one corporate card which may be used by all its personnel with permission from the owner.
     
• Non‐Residents of the Municipal Library District
  • The following persons, and all persons living in their households, who are not legal residents of the Cape Girardeau municipal library district may also be issued a borrower’s card, without cost, subject to the same application and processing procedures:
    • All persons employed fulltime by the City of Cape Girardeau
    • All retired persons who were employed by the City of Cape Girardeau for 10+
    • years
    • All persons who own real property located within the Cape Girardeau municipal
    • library district
    • All persons who pay personal property taxes to the municipal library district
    • All students enrolled in a k-12 Cape Girardeau public school and/or any k‐12
    • private or parochial school located within the municipal library district
    • All personnel employed by a k-12 Cape Girardeau public school and/or any k–12 private or parochial school located within the municipal library district
• Reciprocal Borrowers through Riverside Regional Library System
  • All residents of Cape Girardeau County may be issued a borrower’s card, without cost, subject to the same application and processing procedures. 
  • Active cardholders of the Riverside Regional Library System, who reside in Cape Girardeau County, may use their Riverside Regional Library System library card in place of a Cape Girardeau Public Library card. Borrowers using their Riverside Regional Library card are subject to the borrowing and circulation rules of the Cape Girardeau Public Library.
• Those persons who do not reside in the Cape Girardeau municipal library district and who are not among the classes of other persons who may be issued a borrower’s card without cost, may be issued a 12-month borrower’s card for $60.00 or a 3‐month card for $15.00, subject to the completion of all application and processing procedures. These fees will also allow other members of the applicant’s household to be issued a borrower’s card.

Use Policy General Provisions

1. Legal residency may be demonstrated by the address listed on a state-issued photo I.D., a lease with a remaining term of 6 months or more, a current income tax return, voter registration card, property tax bill or utility bill, or if a person has none of these items, library staff may independently verify a person’s legal residency.
2. All borrower’s cards will expire 12 months from the date of registration. At the time of renewal, users will be required to re-verify their eligibility for a borrower’s card as stated above.
3. Any borrower’s card issued to any person under the age of 18 shall require the knowledge, consent, and written authorization of at least one of the applicant’s parents or legal guardians with whom the applicant resides, stating that the parent understands that Library staff, directors, or other official persons affiliated with the Library do not have supervisory duty over their child and that it is the parent’s responsibility to monitor the child’s behavior and consumption of content, in any and all forms. If the parent is unwilling to sign the agreement, a library card will not be issued to the minor applicant.
4. Each borrower shall be required to have a valid Cape Girardeau Public Library borrower’s card in order to use the Interlibrary loan services.
5. Each borrower shall be responsible for any lost, damaged, or overdue books or materials. A borrower’s card will be blocked when it has accrued $5 or more in fines/fees. The parent or guardian authorizing the issuance of a child’s borrower’s card shall be responsible for lost, damaged or overdue books and materials. If a child’s card is blocked due to lost materials, the parent/guardian’s card will also be blocked until restitution is made. All unresolved accounts of $25 or more will, after 20 days, be turned over to a collection agency. A non‐refundable service charge of $10 will be added to the balance.
6. Any person who makes an application for a borrower’s card to be issued without cost and who does not meet the eligibility requirements for such a card may present such a request, in writing, to the Director of the Library for further review and consideration by the Director. If the request is denied by the Director, the applicant may then request that the Director present the request to the Board of Trustees. The Director shall then deliver the request to the Board of Trustees for review and consideration at its regular monthly meeting.
7. The Board of Trustees or Library Director may exclude from the use of the Library any person who violates this Use Policy.
8. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to amend this Use Policy at any time. The Board of Trustees may adopt such other regulations to implement this Use Policy.

Approved by the Board of Trustees of Cape Girardeau Public Library on September 5, 2019; Amended 06/06/2023