Circulation Policies
Last revised August 18, 2025, by the Library Board of Trustees
Eligibility to Borrow
All residents of the city of Clinton are eligible for a free Clinton Public Library (CPL) card. Clinton property owners residing outside the city of Clinton are eligible for a free library card after providing a copy of their current Iowa property tax statement. Children 17 and under must have a parent or legal guardian co-sign their card application. Parents or legal guardians are responsible for all fees and bills accrued on a minor's library card.
Individuals issued a CPL card are eligible to borrow materials from the Clinton Public Library when the following conditions are met:
- No materials which are more than 30 days overdue on their card.
- No outstanding charges more than $5.00 have accrued to their card.
Juvenile Cards
Children 17 and younger must have a parent/guardian's permission to get a library card. 14-17 years may get a library card with an ID that will stay in "New Borrower" status, with a limit of 5 items out at a time, until the account is confirmed by the parent/guardian. If a parent is calling for information on the child's card, the barcode number must be provided.
An ID can be:
- State issued ID
- Driver's License/Permit
- School ID as long as it has name and photo, along with proof of address.
- Proof of Address can be a report card or student registration paperwork with address on it, recent mail or bills with name on it.
- Married minors – In Iowa, anyone under 18 who is married is considered an adult under law, so they don’t need a parent or guardian to sign the application for them. They must present their marriage license and proper ID to get a card.
Children without a library card:
Children can still check out even without their own library card. They can use parents/guardians' cards with permission. The caregiver needs to come into the library with their card and ask to add the child to the account. If the child is at the library without the adult, they can check out the materials. If an adult signs up for e-receipts, they can receive an email of items checked out to keep a record of what materials are at their residence.
Organizational Cards
If an organization is interested in obtaining a library card, an official request must be made on the organization's letterhead from the head of the organization specifying the person(s) responsible for materials loaned. The organization will adhere to the library rules and policies, including charges.
Conditional or Temporary Housing Cards
Residents of Clinton who are currently living in housing provided by the following agencies are eligible for a Clinton Public Library card:
- New Directions (including Hightower and King House)
- Pathways
- YWCA
- Victory Center
- Other similar housing organizations
These residents may receive a conditional library card, which allows them to check out up to 10 items at a time. To obtain a card, the resident must provide a letter on official letterhead from the organization confirming their current residence.
If the resident moves out of the housing unit, they must provide proof of their new address to update their library account.
Clinton County Cards
Rural residents of Clinton County may register for a library card at any one of the six libraries in the county. These libraries include Calamus Public Library, Camanche Public Library, Clinton Public Library, DeWitt Community Library, Lost Nation Public Library, and Curtis Memorial Library in Wheatland. There are no service restrictions.
Open Access
Open Access enables eligible Iowans to check out physical materials at over 600 participating Iowa public and academic libraries. As a result, Iowans have greater access to more library resources, more choices in library service and the convenience of using a library where they work, shop or visit.
Eligible Patrons must be a resident of Iowa; live outside the local library jurisdiction; and meet one of the following criteria:
- Lives in a community that provides a public library
- Lives in an unincorporated area that provides, or contracts for, library services
- Lives in a community that contracts for library services
- Attends an Iowa public or private university, college, or community college
Eligible Transactions:
- Physical items in all formats except for equipment.
- Items must be from our collection and for use outside the library.
- Playaways or similar devices.
Ineligible:
Transactions are ineligible for Open Access if they are:
- Downloadable audio, video, e-Books or other electronic items.
- Database usage.
- Equipment including laptops, tablets, projectors, game consoles, eReaders, wireless hotspots, or other types of equipment.
Non-Resident Fee-Based Cards and Visitors
- Illinois residents can pay an annual subscription fee of $50, which encompasses all members of the household. Only items that belong to the Clinton Public Library are available for checkout. This card is not accepted at any other libraries.
- Individuals residing within the City of Clinton, for a period limited to one to six weeks, may be issued a short-term Visitor library card upon application, without fee. Only items that belong to the Clinton Public Library are available for checkout. This card is not accepted at any other libraries.
Identification to get a library card
Library cards can be issued with photo identification containing your current address. If your photo ID doesn't have your current address, please bring your ID with an item containing your current address:
- Utility bill (electric, gas, phone, cable TV)
- Car registration
- Cancelled letter addressed to your name at the address in question
- Bank statement or checkbook
We will make accessibility accommodations on a case by case basis. Please contact library staff for more information.
Fines and Fees
As of January 2023, the CPL is fine free for all regular materials. The general rule is that fees do not exceed the cost of replacement (listed in the item record).
Eligible items on your account will be automatically renewed
An item is eligible for auto renewal if:
- there are no holds on the item on the original due date
- the user has not exceeded the allowed number of renewals on that item
- the item is from a RiverShare Library.
Interlibrary Loans, kits, equipment, and eContent are not eligible for auto-renewal.
Notices
An initial notice of almost overdue is sent 3 days before the due date. The 1st overdue notice is sent 5 days after the due date. The 2nd overdue notice is sent 15 days after the due date, and the bill notice is sent 30 days after the due date. Patrons are also responsible for any costs incurred by the library in its efforts to secure the return of the material.
Fees
The library reserves the right to adjust the fee schedule as needed. Fees are not refundable once collected.
- Photocopy & Printers Fee: $0.15 per page for black and white; $0.35 for color. If enlargement or reduction is required by the patron, the “per page fee” applies to each step in that process. Enlargement and reduction are not an exact science and may take several pages.
- Faxing fee: $1.00 per page
- Notary Service: $5 per visit.
- Lost Library Cards Fee: $1.00 for each card. Patrons may have only one active card at a time.
Length of Loans
CPL circulates materials in a variety of formats including books, magazines, audio-books, kits, and video formats. The following terms of loan are applicable only to CPL material.
Item |
Length of Loan |
Renewals Allowed | Reserves Allowed | Notes |
| Books & Audio Books | 21 Days | Yes | Yes | |
| Magazines | 21 Days | Yes | Yes | |
| Music CDs | 21 Days | Yes | Yes | |
| Videos | 7 Days, Limit 10 | Yes | Yes | |
| Kits | 21 Days, Limit 1 | No | Yes | |
| Equipment | Depends on item | Yes | Yes | |
| Playaways | 21 Days | Yes | Yes | |
| Vacation Loan | 60 Days (4x/year) | No | -- | No equipment |
Lost and/or Damaged Materials
Borrowed library materials of any kind are the responsibility of the library patron. Replacement cost(listed in the item record) is the responsibility of any patron who borrows and loses or damages any library material. We do not accept replacement items. Damaged items can only be repaired by library staff.
In the case of children under the age of 18, it is the PARENTS' RESPONSIBILITY to pay for lost or damaged items.
- Bindery repair: Actual Cost (minimum $14.00)
- Minor in-house repair (tape, glue, covers etc.): Actual Cost (minimum $3.00)
- Major in-house repair (CD, DVD, VIDEO and other special containers): Actual Cost (minimum $6.00)
Materials borrowed through interlibrary loan which are lost or damaged are charged to the patron according to the bill provided by the lending library.
Interlibrary Loan
Interlibrary loan (ILL) is the process of requesting material, not available within the CPL or Rivershare Consortium, from another library. Materials borrowed through interlibrary loan have a circulation period which is determined by the lending library, not CPL. Most ILLs can be renewed. If ILLs are not returned on time, future loans may be restricted and could result in CPL losing borrowing privileges from those libraries. As of November 2019, the Board of Trustees has opted not to recoup the interlibrary loan costs.
Tablets and Kits
The library has different kits available for check out. These include: STEAM to Go! kits, Kindermusik, Social Emotional and Motor Skills Kits, and Memory/Stay Sharp Kits. The learning tablets include reading skills for youth, English learning for adults, and test prep for young adults.
- Limit of 1 kit per card
- Limit of 1 tablet per card
Cake Pan & Cookie Cutters
- Checkout is for 1 week or 3 weeks depending on the item.
- Limit of 2 cake pans, and 2 cookie cutter sets per library card.
- Items cannot be renewed.
- Items are holdable to all Rivershare libraries.
- All items must be washed before returning to the library.
- Please return items to the circulation desk. Do not put these items into the book drop.
- A damage fee of $2 will be charged for items that are returned dirty.
- The replacement fee for lost or damaged items is based on the price of a new replacement.
Handling Instructions
Before and after usage, wash the items in warm, soapy water and dry it thoroughly. Most of our items are dishwasher safe, but not all.
Show Us Your Cake & Cookies
We would love to see your creation! Please share a picture on our Facebook or Instagram page and tag us @IACPL.
Seed Library
The Seed Library operates on the honor system. We encourage everyone to learn basic seed-saving techniques and check out our resources available in the library. If you are unable to save your own seed, please consider donating a packet or two of fresh, commercially grown, open-pollinated (non-hybrid, non-GMO) seed to keep our library stocked. Returned seed is what allows us to keep our Seed Library running. If you would like to volunteer to help with our Seed Library, please contact the library.
How it works:
- Select up to 5 packets per visit, a maximum of 15 per season
- Plant your seeds and watch them grow!
- Collect seeds from the plants you grew
- Share your seeds by returning them to the library and filling out a return form
Policy Reviewed and Revised by the Clinton Public Library Board of Trustees