Like most businesses, the Gretna Public Library operates by following policies and procedures that are in place. Working together, the library’s staff and Library Board of Trustees develop our policies. All policies are revised and approved by the Library Board of Trustees.

We want our patrons to know and understand how the Library works for them and what they can expect when they use the Gretna Public Library. We hope this section provides helpful information for our patrons.

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

I. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

II. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

III. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

IV. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.

V. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.

VI. Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

VII. All people, regardless of origin, age, background, or views, possess a right to privacy and confidentiality in their library use. Libraries should advocate for, educate about, and protect people’s privacy, safeguarding all library use data, including personally identifiable information.

Adopted June 19, 1939, by the ALA Council; amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961; June 27, 1967; January 23, 1980; January 29, 2019.

Professional Ethics

ALA’s Code of Ethics is the responsibility of the Committee on Professional Ethics (COPE). The Code of Ethics is the document that translates the values of intellectual freedom that define the profession of librarianship into broad principles that may be used by individual members of that profession as well as by others employed in a library as a framework for dealing with situations involving ethical conflicts.

Copyright: An Interpretation of the Code of Ethics (amended January 29, 2019)
Conflicts of Interest Q&A (amended April 30, 2019)
Enforcement of the Code of Ethics Q&A (amended January 28, 2019)
Ethics and Social Media Q&A (amended January 28, 2019)
Speech in the Workplace Q&A (amended April 30, 2019)

Code of Ethics

As members of the American Library Association, we recognize the importance of codifying and making known to the profession and to the general public the ethical principles that guide the work of librarians, other professionals providing information services, library trustees and library staffs.

Ethical dilemmas occur when values are in conflict. The American Library Association Code of Ethics states the values to which we are committed, and embodies the ethical responsibilities of the profession in this changing information environment.

We significantly influence or control the selection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information. In a political system grounded in an informed citizenry, we are members of a profession explicitly committed to intellectual freedom and the freedom of access to information. We have a special obligation to ensure the free flow of information and ideas to present and future generations.

The principles of this Code are expressed in broad statements to guide ethical decision making. These statements provide a framework; they cannot and do not dictate conduct to cover particular situations.

We provide the highest level of service to all library users through appropriate and usefully organized resources; equitable service policies; equitable access; and accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests.
We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.
We protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted.
We respect intellectual property rights and advocate balance between the interests of information users and rights holders.
We treat co-workers and other colleagues with respect, fairness, and good faith, and advocate conditions of employment that safeguard the rights and welfare of all employees of our institutions.
We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users, colleagues, or our employing institutions.
We distinguish between our personal convictions and professional duties and do not allow our personal beliefs to interfere with fair representation of the aims of our institutions or the provision of access to their information resources.
We strive for excellence in the profession by maintaining and enhancing our own knowledge and skills, by encouraging the professional development of co-workers, and by fostering the aspirations of potential members of the profession.
We affirm the inherent dignity and rights of every person. We work to recognize and dismantle systemic and individual biases; to confront inequity and oppression; to enhance diversity and inclusion; and to advance racial and social justice in our libraries, communities, profession, and associations through awareness, advocacy, education, collaboration, services, and allocation of resources and spaces.

Adopted at the 1939 Midwinter Meeting by the ALA Council; amended June 30, 1981; June 28, 1995; January 22, 2008; and June 29, 2021.

The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack. Private groups and public authorities in various parts of the country are working to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label “controversial” views, to distribute lists of “objectionable” books or authors, and to purge libraries. These actions apparently rise from a view that our national tradition of free expression is no longer valid; that censorship and suppression are needed to counter threats to safety or national security, as well as to avoid the subversion of politics and the corruption of morals. We, as individuals devoted to reading and as librarians and publishers responsible for disseminating ideas, wish to assert the public interest in the preservation of the freedom to read.

Most attempts at suppression rest on a denial of the fundamental premise of democracy: that the ordinary individual, by exercising critical judgment, will select the good and reject the bad. We trust Americans to recognize propaganda and misinformation, and to make their own decisions about what they read and believe. We do not believe they are prepared to sacrifice their heritage of a free press in order to be “protected” against what others think may be bad for them. We believe they still favor free enterprise in ideas and expression.

These efforts at suppression are related to a larger pattern of pressures being brought against education, the press, art and images, films, broadcast media, and the Internet. The problem is not only one of actual censorship. The shadow of fear cast by these pressures leads, we suspect, to an even larger voluntary curtailment of expression by those who seek to avoid controversy or unwelcome scrutiny by government officials.

Such pressure toward conformity is perhaps natural to a time of accelerated change. And yet suppression is never more dangerous than in such a time of social tension. Freedom has given the United States the elasticity to endure strain. Freedom keeps open the path of novel and creative solutions, and enables change to come by choice. Every silencing of a heresy, every enforcement of an orthodoxy, diminishes the toughness and resilience of our society and leaves it the less able to deal with controversy and difference.

Now as always in our history, reading is among our greatest freedoms. The freedom to read and write is almost the only means for making generally available ideas or manners of expression that can initially command only a small audience. The written word is the natural medium for the new idea and the untried voice from which come the original contributions to social growth. It is essential to the extended discussion that serious thought requires, and to the accumulation of knowledge and ideas into organized collections.

We believe that free communication is essential to the preservation of a free society and a creative culture. We believe that these pressures toward conformity present the danger of limiting the range and variety of inquiry and expression on which our democracy and our culture depend. We believe that every American community must jealously guard the freedom to publish and to circulate, in order to preserve its own freedom to read. We believe that publishers and librarians have a profound responsibility to give validity to that freedom to read by making it possible for the readers to choose freely from a variety of offerings.

The freedom to read is guaranteed by the Constitution. Those with faith in free people will stand firm on these constitutional guarantees of essential rights and will exercise the responsibilities that accompany these rights.

We therefore affirm these propositions:

It is in the public interest for publishers and librarians to make available the widest diversity of views and expressions, including those that are unorthodox, unpopular, or considered dangerous by the majority.

Creative thought is by definition new, and what is new is different. The bearer of every new thought is a rebel until that idea is refined and tested. Totalitarian systems attempt to maintain themselves in power by the ruthless suppression of any concept that challenges the established orthodoxy. The power of a democratic system to adapt to change is vastly strengthened by the freedom of its citizens to choose widely from among conflicting opinions offered freely to them. To stifle every nonconformist idea at birth would mark the end of the democratic process. Furthermore, only through the constant activity of weighing and selecting can the democratic mind attain the strength demanded by times like these. We need to know not only what we believe but why we believe it.

Publishers, librarians, and booksellers do not need to endorse every idea or presentation they make available. It would conflict with the public interest for them to establish their own political, moral, or aesthetic views as a standard for determining what should be published or circulated.

Publishers and librarians serve the educational process by helping to make available knowledge and ideas required for the growth of the mind and the increase of learning. They do not foster education by imposing as mentors the patterns of their own thought. The people should have the freedom to read and consider a broader range of ideas than those that may be held by any single librarian or publisher or government or church. It is wrong that what one can read should be confined to what another thinks proper.

It is contrary to the public interest for publishers or librarians to bar access to writings on the basis of the personal history or political affiliations of the author.

No art or literature can flourish if it is to be measured by the political views or private lives of its creators. No society of free people can flourish that draws up lists of writers to whom it will not listen, whatever they may have to say.

There is no place in our society for efforts to coerce the taste of others, to confine adults to the reading matter deemed suitable for adolescents, or to inhibit the efforts of writers to achieve artistic expression.

To some, much of modern expression is shocking. But is not much of life itself shocking? We cut off literature at the source if we prevent writers from dealing with the stuff of life. Parents and teachers have a responsibility to prepare the young to meet the diversity of experiences in life to which they will be exposed, as they have a responsibility to help them learn to think critically for themselves. These are affirmative responsibilities, not to be discharged simply by preventing them from reading works for which they are not yet prepared. In these matters values differ, and values cannot be legislated; nor can machinery be devised that will suit the demands of one group without limiting the freedom of others.

It is not in the public interest to force a reader to accept the prejudgment of a label characterizing any expression or its author as subversive or dangerous.

The ideal of labeling presupposes the existence of individuals or groups with wisdom to determine by authority what is good or bad for others. It presupposes that individuals must be directed in making up their minds about the ideas they examine. But Americans do not need others to do their thinking for them.

It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians, as guardians of the people’s freedom to read, to contest encroachments upon that freedom by individuals or groups seeking to impose their own standards or tastes upon the community at large; and by the government whenever it seeks to reduce or deny public access to public information.

It is inevitable in the give and take of the democratic process that the political, the moral, or the aesthetic concepts of an individual or group will occasionally collide with those of another individual or group. In a free society individuals are free to determine for themselves what they wish to read, and each group is free to determine what it will recommend to its freely associated members. But no group has the right to take the law into its own hands, and to impose its own concept of politics or morality upon other members of a democratic society. Freedom is no freedom if it is accorded only to the accepted and the inoffensive. Further, democratic societies are more safe, free, and creative when the free flow of public information is not restricted by governmental prerogative or self-censorship.

It is the responsibility of publishers and librarians to give full meaning to the freedom to read by providing books that enrich the quality and diversity of thought and expression. By the exercise of this affirmative responsibility, they can demonstrate that the answer to a “bad” book is a good one, the answer to a “bad” idea is a good one.

The freedom to read is of little consequence when the reader cannot obtain matter fit for that reader’s purpose. What is needed is not only the absence of restraint, but the positive provision of opportunity for the people to read the best that has been thought and said. Books are the major channel by which the intellectual inheritance is handed down, and the principal means of its testing and growth. The defense of the freedom to read requires of all publishers and librarians the utmost of their faculties, and deserves of all Americans the fullest of their support.

We state these propositions neither lightly nor as easy generalizations. We here stake out a lofty claim for the value of the written word. We do so because we believe that it is possessed of enormous variety and usefulness, worthy of cherishing and keeping free. We realize that the application of these propositions may mean the dissemination of ideas and manners of expression that are repugnant to many persons. We do not state these propositions in the comfortable belief that what people read is unimportant. We believe rather that what people read is deeply important; that ideas can be dangerous; but that the suppression of ideas is fatal to a democratic society. Freedom itself is a dangerous way of life, but it is ours.

This statement was originally issued in May of 1953 by the Westchester Conference of the American Library Association and the American Book Publishers Council, which in 1970 consolidated with the American Educational Publishers Institute to become the Association of American Publishers.

Adopted June 25, 1953, by the ALA Council and the AAP Freedom to Read Committee; amended January 28, 1972; January 16, 1991; July 12, 2000; June 30, 2004.

A Joint Statement by:

American Library Association
Association of American Publishers

Subsequently endorsed by:

American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression
The Association of American University Presses, Inc.
The Children’s Book Council
Freedom to Read Foundation
National Association of College Stores
National Coalition Against Censorship
National Council of Teachers of English
The Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression

The FREEDOM TO VIEW, along with the freedom to speak, to hear, and to read, is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. In a free society, there is no place for censorship of any medium of expression. Therefore these principles are affirmed:

To provide the broadest access to film, video, and other audiovisual materials because they are a means for the communication of ideas. Liberty of circulation is essential to insure the constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression.
To protect the confidentiality of all individuals and institutions using film, video, and other audiovisual materials.
To provide film, video, and other audiovisual materials which represent a diversity of views and expression. Selection of a work does not constitute or imply agreement with or approval of the content.
To provide a diversity of viewpoints without the constraint of labeling or prejudging film, video, or other audiovisual materials on the basis of the moral, religious, or political beliefs of the producer or filmmaker or on the basis of controversial content.
To contest vigorously, by all lawful means, every encroachment upon the public’s freedom to view.

This statement was originally drafted by the Freedom to View Committee of the American Film and Video Association (formerly the Educational Film Library Association) and was adopted by the AFVA Board of Directors in February 1979. This statement was updated and approved by the AFVA Board of Directors in 1989.

Endorsed January 10, 1990, by the ALA Council

Revised and approved September 25, 2023 by the Gretna Public Library Board

PURPOSE:
To ensure safety and a positive experience for all who work in and visit Gretna Public Library, individuals under the influence of illegal or controlled substances (drugs) or alcohol will be asked to leave immediately.

POLICY:
Those who possess or consume alcohol or illegal or controlled substances in the library or on library property will also be requested to leave the premises. Progressive discipline may be used.

If a patron is participating in misconduct or illegal activity the police will be called. The police will be called immediately if any illegal sale of drugs is witnessed in the library or on library property. Library staff will follow the below established procedures in the event that a patron(s) violates the rules and consequences are necessary.

In the event the library staff feels expediting steps is warranted for the safety of the library staff and patrons, staff may use their best judgement by immediately calling the police.

PROCEDURE:
A. If patron is under the influence of drugs or alcohol:

After determining that there is a reasonable suspicion that the patron is under the influence of drugs or alcohol, refer the individual the Patron Code of Conduct and politely ask him or her to leave for the rest of the day.
If the individual is not cooperative or appears incapable of complying or is doing something illegal, then the police should be called. If an overdose is suspected, also call 911 for medical assistance.
Ensure the safety of patrons and staff.

B. If there is witness of a sale or use of illegal drugs or alcohol:

Call the police at 911.
Be prepared to give a complete description of the individual(s) involved.
A reasonable attempt will be made to keep patrons safe. People on drugs and/or being arrested can be highly volatile. Do not block the exit. Do not try to be a hero; be a good witness. If the person runs, let the police catch them.

Staff member(s) will file an Incident Report Form.

Revised and approved April 25, 2022 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
Telephone lines need to be kept open at all times so that library staff can be available to assist patrons and answer questions.

Policy:
Telephones at the library are reserved for staff use for library business only. The library has no public pay phone available, and no personal phone calls will be made for patrons. Patrons may not use the library’s telephones except in the following circumstances:

If the health, safety or security of a patron depends upon a telephone call.
If a child needs to contact a parent/guardian.

*Please note that cell phone usage in the library is addressed in the Patron Code of Conduct Policy

Revised and approved October 23, 2023 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
This policy is established to ensure efficient and equitable service to the community of Gretna and to make the best use of limited resources for the Library’s patrons.

I. User Privileges
Within the Library, the use of all materials and computers is free to all. Service will not be denied or abridged because of race, color, creed, sex, age, religion, national origin, military status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, marital or veteran status. The use of the Library or its services may be denied for due cause including, but not limited to, failure to return books or pay penalties, destruction of Library property, or failure to abide by stated Library policies.

Any person five years or older who resides within the legal City limits of Gretna, through business ownership, pays property taxes to the City of Gretna, is an employee of the City of Gretna, is an educator within the Gretna Public Schools System, is a licensed childcare provider within the Gretna Public Schools District, or Military Veteran (see Library Card Policy), may apply for a library card at no charge.

Non-residents (those living outside the City limits) may obtain a card by paying a fee as set forth in the Financial Policy. Summer Reading Cards are also available to non-residents from May 1 through August 31^st each year (see Library Card Policy). Children, spouses, and relatives living in the same household may obtain a card with no additional fee. (This privilege does not extend to multiple, non-related parties claimed to be living under the same roof.) The Board gives the Library Director the right to waive the non-resident fee as appropriate (e.g. for the residents of the Silver Ridge assisted living facility).

New patrons requesting cards will be required to show identification with proof of address and telephone number at the time of request. Children age 19 or younger requesting a Library card must be accompanied by a parent or guardian who will sign their application.

In order to minimize errors in the use of the Library’s software and ensure patron privacy, patrons are required to provide their Library card upon check-out. If the Library card is not available, a driver’s license or valid state ID will be required. **We will allow one exception per year in the event that a patron has neither their Library card nor driver’s license or valid state ID with them upon check out. The patron will need to verify both their address and phone number, and then a librarian will put a note on that person’s account reading “No card – No ID,” note the date and initial the note. The librarian will verbally remind the patron of our policy and that they need to have their Library card or ID on their next visit.**

II. Hours of Operation
The Library will be open as follows:

Main Library
Monday, Thursday, & Friday
3:00pm-8:00pm
Tuesday & Wednesday
10:00am-4:00pm
Saturday
1:00pm-3:00pm

Children’s Library
Monday, Thursday, & Friday
10:00am-4:00pm
Tuesday & Wednesday
3:00pm-8:00pm
Saturday
10:00am-12:00pm

The Library will be closed on Sundays and on those days designated by the City as holidays (New Year‘s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, the day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day). Under unusual circumstances including inclement weather, emergencies or special events, the Library Director or other designated employee may extend or limit the hours of operation as deemed necessary for the given situation.

III. Circulation Periods
All borrowers must have a Library card in order to check out materials, including materials ordered through inter-library loan.

Books, audiobooks	3 weeks
Ukuleles	3 weeks (1 per card)
Board games, cake pans, story stow bags	3 weeks (2 per card)
Periodicals	1 week
Videos	1 week (4 per card)
Watt detectors	1 week (1 per card)
Kits- Telescopes, Pickleball, Disc Golf	1 week (1 per card)

Most items can be renewed for two additional loan periods at the discretion of the librarian. Story stows can be renewed one time. At any time, no more than 35 of any combination of items may be checked out on one card. Reference materials and newspapers are for in-library use only. The librarians will use their discretion in creating special due dates for return of materials for schools, other libraries and patrons in special need of extended due dates.

** Board and card games will be checked out to the patron with game components in labeled bags that describe their contents. These bags will be placed in the board game box for the patron to take with them. Patrons must ensure that all components are returned to their labeled bags prior to checking the item in. Games will be weighed upon check-in to ensure all pieces are present. If the measured weight does not match the cataloged weight of the bag then game pieces will be counted by Library staff.

Any patron may place an item on hold via our on-line system or by notifying a librarian. Patrons are assigned a hold in the order the request was received. On the day the item is received, the patron is notified by telephone or email that the hold is available. If a message is left, then the patron is considered to be notified. No written notices will be sent. If a patron has not picked up the book or contacted the Library within one week, the librarian may notify the next patron on the list.

All materials, with the exception of the Story Stow Bags, ukuleles, and board games may be returned in the outside book drop. The book drop is emptied twice: at the beginning and end of each business day. When the book drop is emptied in the morning, materials will be assumed to have been returned the previous night.

IV. Fines
Per the Financial Policy, the Gretna Public Library does not assess daily late fees for overdue items as those penalties present an economic barrier to access of Library materials and information services. This is supported by the American Library Association’s Resolution on Monetary Library Fines as a Form of Social Inequity. When the fines on any card reach $15.00, no materials may be checked out until the fine is paid down.

Any person failing to return books or other Library materials due to their loss or destruction, or who returns Library materials which has been damaged beyond the normal wear which might be expected from use, will be assessed a fine as indicated above until notification of such to the Library. Once a damaged item is returned or the item is determined to be lost, the person will be charged for the replacement cost of the lost or damaged item, minus the amount paid for fines for that item.

Notices of overdue materials will be sent in email or text according to the preferences patrons have set for their accounts. An item is declared lost when it is 30 days overdue. A billing notice is mailed when charges (material costs) exceed $25.00. After a billing notice is sent, customers have 30 additional days to return material(s) and pay fines. At 20 days, a second notice will be mailed. After 30 days, if overdue material(s) and or fines in excess of $25.00 are not resolved, patrons’ accounts are referred to a collection agency.

Summary of Notifications

3 days prior to being due	Email or text message
1 day overdue	Email or text message
7 days overdue	Email or text message
14 days overdue	Email or text message
21 days overdue	Email or text message
30 days overdue ($25 min.)	Letter mailed
50 days overdue ($25 min.)	Letter mailed
60 days overdue ($25 min.)	Account suspended

Library privileges may be suspended at the discretion of the librarian until all fines are paid and all overdue materials returned. Library privileges may be suspended with continual misuse of Library policies, including but not limited to continual returning of damaged material, continual late returns or lost items.

V. Non-Circulating Items
The Library may designate certain books and other items as non-circulating, and these books may not be checked out. Any equipment, chairs, tables, laptops, projectors, etc. purchased for internal Library use will not be lent to borrowers. Only items expressly purchased for circulation purposes will be lent and must have a barcode attached. This serves to protect the Library’s investment in items which it could not replace if damaged off-site.

Revised and approved March 28, 2022 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
This policy is established to guide the library staff in the management of the collection and inform the public of the principles on which the library makes decisions regarding maintenance and use of the collection. The philosophy of all collection development decisions is to be proactive in meeting anticipated requests by the citizenry and to offer opportunity and encouragement in their efforts to:

pursue life-long education
examine all sides of an issue
keep abreast of new ideas
become informed citizens of the community, the nation, and the world
improve occupational performance
practice of recreational reading
discover and develop creative abilities

I. Selection of Materials
The Library Board delegates to the Library Director the authority and responsibility for selection and management of all materials within the framework of this policy. Actual selection and management activities are shared among trained library staff that shall discharge this obligation consistent with this policy and established procedures. Selection will be made according to the guidelines stated by the American Library Association in its Library Bill of Rights, Freedom to Read, and Freedom to View Statements (Appendix). Any materials so selected shall be held to be selected by the Library Board.

Recommendations from patrons or staff for future purchases should be made to the Library Director/Assistant Library Director. All patron requests are considered, but not all may be purchased if the anticipated demand is low or the work has no permanent value, or materials do not meet standards outlined in this policy

The following general criteria will be used for selection of materials although an item does not have to meet all of the criteria to be acceptable, nor will any single criterion be decisive:

Community interests and impact
Suitability of subject, style and reading level for the intended audience
Appropriateness and effectiveness of medium to content
Reputation and/or significance of the author, publisher or producer
Professional reviews and journals
Staff professional expertise
Relationship to existing materials in the collection
Within limits of the budget available
Local author or illustrator
Format is appropriate for library use
Enhances or rounds out a specific collection within the library
Popularity of author/genre/subject/series with library patrons
Literary and artistic merit
Accuracy of content
A copyright date falling within the last three years

II. Purchasing Materials
The bulk of materials will be purchased through library materials vendors whose products are meant to withstand heavy use. Purchases directly from publishers will be used if an item is unavailable through the primary wholesaler or if the book can be acquired more expeditiously through the publisher. In rare instances, purchases may be made at retail outlets offering no discount.

Each item acquired will be coded to identify the source, date and cost/value of the item and marked to show ownership by the Library.

III. Gifts and Donations
All gifts are subject to the evaluation criteria stated for the selection of materials. Donors are informed that any gifts or donations of materials may or may not be added to the collection. Some donated items will be placed in the ongoing book sale for the Friends of the Library. Donations are subject to the same deselection criteria as other materials in the collection. In the case of a memorial gift, reasonable attempts will be made to contact the donor or a family member before discarding the item.

IV. Formats
The Library’s collection will include materials in a variety of formats which meet the needs of the community including physical and digital/electronic materials. Some traditional formats such as books, will continue to have their place, but electronic formats will also have emphasis. As technology evolves, services like downloadable ebooks/audiobooks/periodicals and various streaming formats will be developed as well.

V. Reconsideration of Materials
As a tax-supported institution, the library welcomes suggestions and comments about its collection. Some of the materials may be offensive to individuals or groups because of individual perceptions of profanity, social, economic, and political ideas, religious viewpoints, and the background of the author, or the kind of information provided. The library does not approve nor endorse any particular viewpoint or belief represented in its collection. The library’s role is to provide materials which allow individuals to freely examine issues and make their own decisions. It is the responsibility of each individual, or a parent/guardian to limit their use of materials which are congruent with their individual tastes. While a person may reject materials for themselves and their dependents, they may not restrict access to the materials by others.

Patrons who wish to make a formal complaint about an item in the library, should complete a “Reconsideration of Library Resources” form (Appendix) and submit it to the Library Director.

VI. Analysis and Deselection
The collection needs continuous evaluation in order to be sure that the Library is providing materials in a timely manner and to meet patrons’ interests and needs. For this purpose, the Library has developed a Weeding Schedule (see last page) which aids Library staff through the process of removing items from the Library’s collection. Some of the factors that will be considered when analyzing works in all formats are as follows:

A non-fiction item more than 10 years old, unless it is a work of classic thought or contains timeless information, will be removed from the shelves regardless of condition or use.
Works that have become unappealing due to aging, damage or wear will be removed; if repair cannot improve the condition, they may be replaced with a newer edition or a similar work on the subject.
Any work, regardless of age or condition, that contains information or illustrations that are dated or misleading because of lack of congruity with newer research will be removed. Works that have been superseded by a newer edition containing updated information will be removed and, if deemed necessary, replaced by the newer edition.
Fictional works which have no lasting value, as well as non-fictional works containing trivial or irrelevant information, such as popular diet books, political commentary or pop culture biographies, will be discarded if they have not circulated in the last three years.
Duplicate copies of titles, purchased due to high demand, will be discarded once popularity has waned.
If crucial components of materials from a unique collection are missing and not available for replacement from the publisher/vendor, then that item will be removed from the collection.

VII. Repair/Replacement of Materials
New materials will be protected with appropriate coverings and reinforced according to standard library practice. All circulation desk staff will be watchful of materials in need of repair and forward those materials to the appropriate staff person. The library utilizes materials vendors who produce “library bound” materials intended for heavy use. In the event of a patron losing or damaging a Library item, GPL does not permit the patron to purchase replacement items on their own.

At least one staff member will be trained in basic book-repair procedures and able to make simple book repairs such as torn or loose pages, loose signatures and covers, damaged cover corners, loose or broken hinges, worn spines and frayed spine edges. Before discarding any still-current but worn materials, an evaluation will be made as to the feasibility of on-premises repair.

Appendix.
I. Library Bill of Rights.
II. Freedom to Read.
III. Freedom to View.
IV. Reconsideration of Resources Form.

Revised and approved December 19, 2022 by the Gretna Public Library Board

DISCLAIMER: When patrons access the Internet, they are no longer within the jurisdiction of the Gretna Public Library or the Library’s collection development policy. It is the responsibility of the patrons to determine what is accurate, current, complete, and appropriate for their needs. Providing access does not imply sponsorship or endorsement of the content. Staff does not monitor the public’s use of the Internet. The Gretna Public Library expressly disclaims any liability or responsibility arising from access to or use of communications and/or information obtained through its electronic information systems. Use of the Library’s computers is a privilege, not a right, which may be revoked at any time for inappropriate conduct or violation of the following policy.

Acceptable Use:
Use of the Library’s computers is only for activities not prohibited by federal, state, or local law. Activities such as viewing child pornography, committing fraud, hacking, harassing others, invading personal privacy, spreading libel or slander, or misrepresenting yourself are thus strictly forbidden. The Library will cooperate with local, state, and federal authorities in the prosecution of crimes committed while accessing the Internet or using the Library’s computers.

Users may not attempt to modify or gain access to files, passwords, or data belonging to others, nor may users seek unauthorized access to any computer system on the network.

Users will respect copyright laws and licensing agreements. Any responsibility for consequences of copyright infringement lies with the user.

Downloading executable files to the hard drives of Library computers is not permitted.

The use of non-Library software is not permitted.

It is the responsibility of the user to determine what websites are appropriate for research or entertainment. Users are reminded that the computers are part of a public environment shared by people of all ages, with a variety of information interests, needs, beliefs, and comfort levels.

Procedure:
1. All minors under the age of 19 wishing to access the Internet must have a consent form signed by the parent or guardian on file at the Library, as of November 10, 2003. The parent must come to the Library and sign in the presence of the librarian on duty.

2. All patrons will sign in for computer use at the Circulation Desk. Computers are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Patrons will also sign out at the Circulation Desk at the conclusion of their session. Users needing to leave their station before their session is over should advise the librarian on duty, otherwise they will forgo their turn if others are waiting.

3. All sessions are limited to 30 minutes, with each user not to exceed 90 minutes per day. When others are waiting, users are notified and encouraged to sign up for another session if needed. The librarian on duty may extend daily computer time upon request based on the availability of computers.

4. Users may work together at a single workstation as long as they do not crowd others or become disruptive.

5. Users shall refrain from the use of sounds and visuals which disrupt the ability of other Library patrons or the staff to use the Library and its resources.

6. Printing is allowed at a suggested donation of $.10 per pate for most pages (some color allowed), and $.50 is the suggested donation for pages printed in solid color.

7. Do not restart computers without notifying the librarian on duty. Users are responsible for any damages caused by tampering with or harming any Library equipment.

8. Advise the librarian on duty of any equipment problems or inappropriate and out to the ordinary experiences during a computer session.

Be aware that use of the Internet at the Gretna Public Library is a privilege, not a right, which may be revoked at any time for inappropriate conduct in the Library or while using the Library’s online connections.

Revised and approved December 19, 2023 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
The Gretna Public Library and its Board recognize our patrons’ expectations, and rights to, privacy and confidentiality as expressed by the Constitution of the United States and the State of Nebraska. Numerous decisions in case law have defined and extended rights to privacy. The Library’s privacy and confidentiality policy is in compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws.

In accordance with the Privacy Act and Nebraska Statute 84-712.05, the Board recognizes that patron registration and circulation records are confidential in nature. All Library employees are advised that such records are private and shall not be made available to any agency of state, federal, or local governance unless a subpoena, warrant, court order or other official investigative document is issued by a court of competent jurisdiction that shows good cause and is in proper form.

Information from these records will not be released except under the conditions outlined in this policy. Any problems or conditions relating to the privacy of a customer through the records of the Library will be referred to the Library Director, who, after study and consultation with the Board and/or legal counsel will issue a written decision as to whether to heed the request for information.

This privacy policy explains your privacy and confidentiality rights, the steps this library takes to respect and protect your privacy when using library resources, and how we deal with the personally identifiable information that we collect from our patrons.

Policy & Procedure:
User rights – as well as our institution’s responsibilities – are outlined here based in part on what are known in the United States as the five “Fair Information Practice Principles.” These five principles outline the rights of notice, choice, access, security, and enforcement.

I. Notice & Openness
We affirm that our library users have the right of “notice” – to be informed about the policies governing the amount and retention of personally identifiable information, and about why that information is necessary for the provision of library services.

In all cases we avoid creating unnecessary records, we avoid retaining records not needed for the fulfillment of the mission of the library, and we do not engage in practices that might place information on public view.

Information we may gather and retain about current and valid library users include the following:

User Information required to provide library services such as first and last name, address, telephone number, & email address.
Circulation Information such as items currently checked out, items on hold, holds pending and current fines, along with the items on which current fines have accrued.
Electronic Access Information such as use of the library’s public access computers.

II. Choice & Consent
This policy explains our information practices and the choices a patron can make about the way the library collects and uses patron information. We will not collect or retain private and personally identifiable information without consent. Further, if you consent to give us your personally identifiable information, we will keep it confidential and will not sell, license or disclose personal information to any third party without your consent, unless we are compelled to do so under the law or to comply with a court order.

If you wish to receive borrowing privileges, we must obtain information about you in order to provide you with a library account.

III. Access by Users
Individuals who use library services that require the function and process of personally identifiable information are entitled to view and/or update their
information. You may be asked to provide some sort of verification such as an
identification card to ensure verification of identity and/or current address.

In the case of a youth, seventeen or younger, information may be released to any parent or guardian. The parent or guardian must present the request in person at the library and must provide current identification.

IV. Data Integrity & Security
Data Integrity: The data we collect and maintain at the library must be accurate and secure. We take reasonable steps to assure data integrity, including: using only reputable sources of data; providing our users access to their own personally
identifiable data; updating data whenever possible; utilizing middleware
authentication systems that authorize use without requiring personally identifiable information; destroying untimely data or converting it to anonymous form.

Data Retention: We protect personally identifiable information from unauthorized disclosure once it is no longer needed to manage library services. Information that should be regularly purged or shredded includes personally identifiable information on library registration forms, library resource use and/or material circulation history.

Circulation staff shall take every means possible to protect the confidentiality of information on computer terminals, such as clearing cookies and deleting website history at the end of each day. Additionally, I.T. staff periodically wipe any and all saved/downloaded information from the public access computers.

V. Enforcement & Redress
Our library will not share data on individuals with third parties unless required by law. Library users who have questions, concerns, or complaints about the library’s handling of their privacy and confidentiality rights should file written comments with the Director of the Library. We will respond in a timely manner and may conduct a privacy investigation or review of policy and procedures.

We authorize only the Library Director to receive or comply with requests from law enforcement officers; we confer with our legal counsel before determining the proper response. We will not make library records available to any agency of state, federal, or local governance unless a subpoena, warrant, court order or other investigative document is issued by a court of competent jurisdiction that shows good cause and is in proper form. We have trained all library staff and volunteers to refer any law enforcement inquiries to library administration.

Revised and approved June 27, 2022 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
As an educational, cultural, and community institution, the Gretna Public Library welcomes postings, exhibits and displays of interest, information, and enlightenment for the community of Gretna to view.

Displays:
Library displays are planned, organized and/or implemented by Library staff. Library staff use the following criteria in making decisions about display topics, materials, and accompanying resources:

Community needs and interest
Availability of display space
Historical or educational significance
Connection to other community or national programs, exhibitions, or events
Relation to Library collections, resources, exhibits, and programs

In addition, the Library draws upon other community resources in developing displays and exhibits, and may partner with other community agencies, organizations, educational institutions, or individuals to develop and present co-sponsored displays and exhibits.

The Library will strive to include a wide spectrum of opinions and viewpoints in Library-initiated displays and exhibits, as well as offer displays and exhibits that appeal to a range of ages, interest, and information needs. Library-initiated displays and exhibits should not exclude topics, books, media, and other resources solely because they may be considered to be controversial. Acceptance of a display or exhibit topic by the Library does not constitute an endorsement by the Gretna Public Library or the City of Gretna of the content of the display or exhibit, or the views expressed in materials on display.

Responsibility
Library staff accept suggestions for display topics, but topics and materials selection is at the discretion of the Library staff, and ultimately, the Library Director.

Bulletin Boards
The bulletin boards at the Main Library and Children’s Library are made available for the posting of community announcements. In order to best utilize the limited space available for such postings, please adhere to the following:

Library materials take priority over community announcements.
All postings will be approved at the discretion of the Library Director or Assistant Library Director considering space availability. Library staff will be responsible for removing notices.
Non-profit, cultural, educational, scientific, humanitarian, self-help, employment, commercial or other community services’ postings for events or activities will remain posted, as space allows, until the event, or deadline for registration for the event, has passed.
Notices that are not date sensitive may be posted for up to three months, space permitting. Each notice will be marked with the initials of the Library Director or Assistant Library Director, and the date in which it was posted.
Limited space demands that no signage larger than 8 1/2 X 11 may be posted, and Library staff may choose to post a reduced size of a notice in order to make more space available.
The bulletin boards are located in a public space, so postings must be appropriate for viewing by all ages. No nudity or profanity is allowed.

**Use of the Library’s bulletin boards does not imply endorsement by the Gretna Public Library of the events or services posted. **

Questions and Concerns
The Library welcomes expressions of opinion from patrons concerning Library exhibits and displays. Questions or concerns should be first addressed with a Library staff member. Patrons who wish to continue their request for review may submit a Request for Reconsideration Form, which can be obtained at the Library. Request for review of Library displays and exhibits will be considered in the same manner as requests for reconsideration of materials, as outlined in the Request for Reconsideration form.

Revised and approved May 22, 2023 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
In an effort to provide a variety of services to its community residents, the Gretna Public Library has a copier/fax machine that is available for public usage during regular Library hours.

Policy and Procedure:
A staff member will assist in the operation of the copier/fax machine if individuals would like help.

The following levels of donation are suggested for these services:

Fax: $.10 per page for faxes sent to local and toll-free numbers, and $1.00 per page for faxes sent to long distance numbers. The Library has fax cover sheets if needed at no charge.

Copier: $.10 per page for black and white copies and $.50 per page for full color copies.

There is no fee for printing tax forms. Fees are assessed for printing tax booklets.

*Strict adherence to Copyright Law is required. This notice of Federal Law is posted directly behind the copier*

Revised and approved December 18, 2023 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
It is appropriate to establish fees for certain library services to ensure that no segment of the community bear an inequitable portion of the cost of operating the library.

Non-resident fees allow use of the library to those outside the city limits who would not otherwise contribute to the library through taxes.

Miscellaneous fees for services including Replacement Cards and Interlibrary loan are established due to their nature as being beneficial to the individuals who desire those services, but without benefit to the community as a whole. Charges for use of the copy machine, FAX machine, and computer printouts are established to cover ink and paper costs. As per the Circulation Policy, a Processing Fee will be assessed for items that the Library has to replace due to a patron losing or damaging an item beyond repair. This fee accounts for the time and materials needed to relabel, cover, and process a replacement item.

NebrasKard fees are not assessed in order to encourage patron participation and as the service is provided by cooperating libraries with support from the Nebraska Library Commission.

The following fees have been determined to be fair and reasonable:

Non-resident fee (per household)	$40.00
Summer Reading Card (May 1- Aug 31)	$15.00
Replacement card	$2.00
Processing fee- relabeling lost/damaged materials	$5.00
Labels or barcodes removed	$2.00
Copier or computer print outs (b/w)	$.10/page
Copier or computer print outs (color)	$.50/page (color)
Fax (local)	$.10/page (no charge for cover page)
Fax (long distance)	$1.00/page (no charge for cover page)
Interlibrary loan	$3.00/item to cover postage fees

Overdue Fees
The Gretna Public Library does not assess daily late fees for overdue items as those penalties present an economic barrier to access of Library materials and information services. This is supported by the American Library Association’s Resolution on Monetary Library Fines as a Form of Social Inequity.

Revised and approved April 22, 2022 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Policy:
A. Filming and photography are allowed as described below only to the extent that they do not interfere with the mission of Gretna Public Library or delivery of Library services.

B. The public library facilities and grounds are defined as “limited public forums” subject to reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions. Sidewalks around the library are “traditional public forums,” defined as places held in trust of the public to use for free speech and other activities protected by the First Amendment.

C. GPL is within its rights to limit filming and photography on Library property or inside facilities when such restrictions serve Library purposes. The priority is to ensure the right of Library patrons to acquire knowledge and information freely and confidentially without scrutiny, intimidation, or distraction by others.

D. Filming and photography may only be done in public spaces and is not permitted in staff only spaces such as offices, behind circulation desks, and in storage/equipment rooms. Filming and photography are never allowed in areas where privacy is expected such as restrooms. Library patrons may not be filmed while using the Library unless permission is given. Library workers may be filmed, but only while they are working.

Procedure:
A. Any persons filming, photographing, and/or recoding on Library premises have sole responsibility for gaining all necessary releases and permissions from persons who are filmed, photographed or recorded if applicable. The Library undertakes now responsibility for obtaining these releases.

B. Authorization may be required to video, photograph, and record at the Library facilities as described below. Failure to obtain these permissions is failure to comply with GPL’s Patron Code of Conduct Policy.

Notice of Filming, Photography, and/or Recording During Library Programs
A. Attendance at Gretna Public Library programs and events constitutes consent to be photographed for use in print and/or electronic publicity for the Gretna Public Library. To ensure the privacy of individuals and children, images will not be identified using full names or personal identifying information without written approval from the photographed subject, parent or legal guardian. If you do not want us to use a photo or video of you or your child, please tell the Library staff member coordinating the event before the program or event.

Amateur Filming, Photography, and/or Recording
A. Casual amateur photography, filming, or recording is permitted in Library facilities for patrons and visitors wanting a memento for remembering their visit, provided that other library patrons are not captured in any such photographs, films, or recordings without their permission in accordance with Supreme Court decision Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347. This held that the Fourth Amendment “protects people, not places” and what a person “seeks to preserve as private, event in an area accessible to the public,” may be constitutionally protected.

B. The use of additional equipment such as lighting is not permitted.

Documentary-type Filming, Photography, and/or Recording for Publication or Broadcast
A. The Library permits photography of its premises and activities when the use of the photographs involves the Library directly: Books, articles, Library sponsored events, videos about the Library, its facilities, and services, or as a tourist or learning destination in the community.

B. Individuals or organizations with a documentary requirement must obtain authorization in advance from the Library Director prior to commencing any documentary-related activities.

Commercial/Industry Filming, Photography, and/or Recording
A. The Library does not permit commercial photography on its properties or inside of the its facilities without the written permission of the Library Director. This includes, but is not limited to: using Library buildings, grounds, or interiors as a stage set for portraits, model photography, or product photography, or filming used to advertise goods or services unrelated to the Library for commercial sale or promotion.

B. The Library will permit the use of its facilities for filming-related projects where a library setting is applicable if the project does not interfere with the mission of GPL, is in accordance with the rest of this policy, and avoids any relation to political campaigns or to partisan issues.

C. Such projects require the approval of the Library Director with all details coordinated in advance.

D. Filming may take place only during hours when the Library is closed and all equipment must be removed during the Library’s operational hours, unless approved otherwise by the Library Director.

Revised and approved January 23, 2023 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
The purpose of gift acceptance is to promote positive community relations, increase the quality of the collection, improve the overall operation and services of the Library, and to provide funds to help enable future building projects and renovations.

Monetary gifts made to the Friends of the Library organization will be utilized in any number of ways, pertaining but not limited to, funding programs and services at the Library, and purchasing equipment and/or materials needed for Library operations.

The Gretna Public Library Foundation may accept gifts in the form of cash/check, mutual funds, stocks, bonds, real estate, and estate gifts. These donations will be utilized for the purpose of building a new, modern Library for the community of Gretna.

Tangible donations of materials such as books, DVDs, board games, puzzles, and cake pans can be made to the Library and will be added to the collection at the discretion of Library staff.

Unless otherwise indicated by the donor, and depending on the form of the gift, donations and memorials will be deposited to the Friends of the Library account, the official repository of all Gretna Public Library donations and memorials.

Policy for Library Foundation Gifts:
Donations payable to the Gretna Library Foundation will be given to the Foundation’s Treasurer for deposit into the Library Foundation’s account. Such donations will be acknowledged by the Library Foundation Gift Recorder in a thank you correspondence accompanied by a receipt. The Recorder will also make note of gifts in a separate book. Money designated for specific items or requests for the library should be brought before the Foundation Board either in person or in writing, or at the request of the Library Director or a Foundation Board member for approval and purchase.

Policy for Friends of the Library Gifts:
The Friends of the Library accept gifts of used ~~Library~~ items for the Library with the understanding that they will be added to the Library collection only when needed. Library staff determines whether such items will be added to the collection, placed in the Friends of the Library’s book sale, or discarded.

If any items are suspected of having mold or infestation, then they will be discarded immediately. Donations of materials to the Library are tax deductible. The Library will write a receipt stating the number of boxes or description of item(s) donated. For tax purposes, the donor will determine the worth of the donation.

Such books or other Library materials will be accepted for the collection with the approval of the Library Director on the basis of their suitability to the Library’s purposes and needs and in accordance with the Collection Development Policy.
Gifts of books or other items that are not needed for the Library will be sold in the Friends’ book sale, except in cases where it is unethical to do so because of inaccurate, unsuitable, or dated content (for example: outdated medical works, textbooks, etc).
All books and materials added to the collection become the property of the Library and will be treated in the same manner as purchased materials.
The IRS requires that the donor be responsible for gift appraisals. By law, the Library and the Friends of the Library are not allowed to be responsible for the appraisal of gifts. However, Library staff may issue a receipt for the quantity of books donated upon delivery.
Donors who would like the Library to return any unused items to them, must make this indication at the time of the donation. They will have one week to pick up their items from the Library or arrange and pay for them to be shipped.
The Library reserves the right to refuse unsolicited gifts that do not comply with this policy.
The donor is responsible for the delivery of the gift.
Cash donations to the Friends of the Library will be acknowledged by a member of the Friends of the Library with a written thank you.

Policy for Memorial Books:
Special requests for memorial books are also accommodated. In this case, for example, the Librarian(s) may produce a list of books from which a family or individual may choose to purchase. A special book, DVD, or other library item may also be donated as a memorial as long as it does not conflict with the Library’s Collection Development Policy.

Memorial items are subject to the same criteria for evaluation and weeding as all other Library materials. When a memorial book is weeded from the collection, a reasonable effort will be made to contact the family of the donor or the family of the deceased before placing the book on the book sale.

Gifts-Bequests-Memorials-Policy-2018 Download

Approved July 25, 2016 by the Gretna Public Library Board, & Gretna Area Chamber of Commerce Board

Purpose:
The Gretna Community Events Calendar is a tool for the public that is funded and overseen by the Gretna Area Chamber of Commerce and Gretna Public Library as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding Agreement. The Gretna Community Event Calendar’s purpose is to promote community events and activities to those who live in the Gretna community. Events should be open to the public, community-oriented and either sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce or Library or an agency or group that is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt entity (e.g., charitable, educational, registered non-profit, governmental etc.) or non-income generating community group or individual.

Policy:
Guidelines for Community Event Postings:
● Postings to the Gretna Community Events Calendar are designed to announce one-time or special events or programs, not regularly scheduled activities (i.e. exercise classes, etc.).

● No announcement may be posted which will promote a commercial interest or cause (unless the event is sponsored by a local business).

● Events must have a Gretna, Nebraska address, be within the Gretna Public School District, or be affiliated with the Gretna Chamber of Commerce.

● Submissions will be sent to the Moderator for approval or disapproval.

● Submissions will be approved and posted during normal business hours; best efforts will be made to respond within five business days of the event submission.

● Submissions for events where alcohol is present must automatically be marked as an activity for ages 21 and older.

Eligible Events:
● Local public and private educational institutions.
● Local nonprofit organizations.
● Local service groups.
● Local social and recreational clubs.
● Local business sponsored events.

Ineligible Events:
● Regularly scheduled classes (i.e. fitness classes, dance lessons, etc.).
● Private events, such as family reunions and birthday parties.
● Business, commercial or garage sale advertisements.
● Contain spam or advertising.
● Promotes illegal activity.
● Promotes particular services, products, or political organizations.
● Event does not take place within the Gretna Public School District or isn’t affiliated with the Gretna Area Chamber of Commerce.

Moderation:
● The Chamber of Commerce and Library will moderate all posts of acceptable events, however, posting of such events does not imply endorsement by these entities.
● After calendar submissions are made, they are all reviewed by the Moderator prior to posting to the calendar.
● The Moderator reserves the right to delete submissions, the right to refuse to post an announcements that is deemed offensive, inappropriate, not in the public interest or in conflict with this policy or the mission of the Chamber of Commerce or Library.

Revised and approved September 25, 2023 by the Gretna Library Board

Purpose:
The Gretna Public Library recognizes the fact that inclement weather and other emergencies can affect the Library’s ability to open for business and staff’s ability to get to work. Our primary concern is the safety and welfare of our patrons and staff. In the event of severe weather, Library staff will monitor weather conditions via the weather radio and Internet.

Policy:
Library staff will notify patrons in the Library when Gretna is in a tornado watch. Signs will also be posted at the entrance of each library and their circulation desks to notify anyone who enters that Library after the fact.

Children under the age of 18 will be asked to notify their caregivers so that caregivers are aware of the situation and may pick them up if necessary in the judgment of the caregiver. It is recognized that in some instances the Library may be a safer building than the child’s own home and that tornado watches normally do not result in actual warnings. In the case of an actual tornado warning, Library staff will collect the “Emergency Kit” located in the office at each library, and will direct patrons to move to the restrooms for safety. Patrons may not continue using computers, looking for materials to check out, or otherwise use the Library’s materials during a tornado warning.

The Library strongly considers the Gretna Public School’s decision to close their facilities when determining to close for snow or ice. If a decision to close needs to occur midday/evening, then the Library Director or Assistant Director will make this determination following discussion with the Library Board Chair. The Mayor will be notified of any such closing per email (mayor@cityofgretna.com).

At the discretion of the Library Director or Assistant Director, the Library will close if the following occur:

Electricity in the facilities is out
Heat in the winter or air conditioning in the summer is not available
Flooding affects transportation or access to the Library facilities
The City declares a weather emergency and asks people to stay off the roads

Revised and approved January 22, 2024 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
In an effort to provide community residents with the highest level of access to books and materials of interest to them, Gretna Public Library participates in an interlibrary loan service through the Nebraska Library Commission and OCLC (Online Computer Library Center).

Lending Policy:
Institutions that agree to perform interlibrary loan and lend materials to Gretna Public Library patrons require postage to be paid by the borrowing party. Due to this fact, Gretna Public Library charges a $3.00 fee for interlibrary loan service.

By requesting to interlibrary loan an item, borrowers are responsible for paying the $3.00 postage fee.

Borrowers must return items directly to Gretna Public Library and will be subject to the policies of the lending library in regard to borrowing time limit and the possibility of renewal.

Borrowers will be responsible for all materials loaned including any fines or lost/damaged book fees.

If there is an item that a borrower would like to check out that the Gretna Public Library does not own, a librarian at the circulation desk will assist in the process of borrowing the item(s) through interlibrary loan.

View More About Interlibrary Loans

Revised and approved July 2024 by the Gretna Library Board

Purpose:
This policy is established to clarify who may obtain or renew a library card, the types of Library cards issues, and the items potential card holders need to present upon obtaining or renewing their library card.

Both City of Gretna & Non-Residents need to bring the following to the Library:
Identification which includes BOTH a photo and proof of current address for proof of residency. (One document may be acceptable if it serves both purposes).

If an individual does not have a current ID, then they can still bring that ID, and an additional piece of business mail (utility bill, bank statement, etc.) dated within the last 30 days as proof of residency.

Non-Residents of Gretna:
The annual non-resident fee is $40 per household. The Library accepts cash, check, and card payments. Checks should be made out to Gretna Public Library. The is a service fee for using debit/credit cards, which is displayed before a payment is processed.

Educators, Business Owners, & Military Veterans:
Educators currently employed by the Gretna Public School System, licensed homeschool teachers or daycare providers (with the primary location being within the Gretna School District), those who own a business in Gretna, or Military veterans whom reside in Nebraska (active duty, veteran, and retirees) discharged for anything other than dishonorable, are eligible to receive a library card without needing to pay the non-resident fee if they live outside of Gretna. Library cards will be issued to these individuals only at no cost. Any additional individuals in the household would need to pay the non-resident fee to obtain a library card.

Here are the items that need to be presented to Library staff in order to get a Library Card:
Educators in the Gretna Public School System will need to bring a valid ID as well as a form of documentation that states they are teaching in the current school year (such as a pay stub or dated name badge). Licensed homeschool teachers and daycare providers will need to present a current copy of their teaching license.

Gretna business owners need to bring in a valid ID and proof of their business’ location.

Military veterans (active duty, veteran, and retirees) need to bring along appropriate documentation to show their status of active duty, veteran, or retired military. Examples of such documents include, but aren’t limited to: military ID, DD214 form, Certificate of Release, or Discharge from Active Duty.

Children Over the Age of 5
Children may obtain their own card, but must have a parent or legal guardian present to sign the application. Parents must also have a current library card to sign up their child.

Non-Resident Fees
Gretna Public Library is funded through tax dollars received from the City of Gretna. There are newer subdivisions of Gretna that are not annexed by the City. These non-annexed areas are a part of rural Sarpy County, and taxes collected do not go to help fund the Library. This means that Non-Resident users must pay a yearly fee of $40 per household to check out items. This fee is considered a “substitute” tax. Individuals can go to www.sarpy.com/sarpyproperty/to locate your address to see whether they need to pay the Non-Resident fee. Click on the details and look for the Levy Information. If the information states “Rural Fire” and does not state “Gretna City Bond,” then the Non-Resident fee will need to be paid to obtain a Library Card. This site does take a few months to update after a new subdivision has been annexed, so when in doubt, individuals may contact a librarian for assistance. Library staff will also assist with verifying this information for you.

Summer Reading Cards
Beginning May 1^st through August 31^st of each year, individuals who reside outside Gretna City Limits may apply to receive a Summer Reading Card for the reduced fee of $15 for the four month period. Only one Summer Reading Card will be issued per family, and at the end of August, the patron may choose to extent their membership for the additional $25 that equals the $40 yearly Non-Resident fee. If the patron chooses to extend their membership, the patron’s membership will expire one year from the application for the summer reading card. patrons are required to pay by the City. Only if the membership is extended may additional Library Cards be issued for individuals in the household. Acceptable forms of ID and Proof of Address will be required to obtain this card. See below:

Acceptable Photo IDs:
(Must be valid/current except where noted and have a photo. An acceptable proof of address will also be required– see the list below.)

Current NE Driver’s License
Other US State’s Driver’s License if accompanied by local address verification (see below)
Expired NE Driver’s License if accompanied by current local address verification (see below)
Passport
State ID
Military ID

Acceptable Proof of Address:(Must be valid/current and dated within the past 30 days.)

Utility bill (electric, gas, telephone, water-dated within 30 days)
NE Learner’s Permit
Vehicle registration card
Vehicle insurance card
Medical insurance card (if carries address information)
Lease/Rental agreement (house or apartment)
Property tax receipt
Paycheck (dated within 30 days)
Bank Account statement (dated within 30 days)
Credit Card billing statement (dated within 30 days)

Not Valid Identification: (Unacceptable identification includes, but is not limited to, the following:)

Hand-addressed/personal mail
Business cards
Sales receipts
Magazine subscriptions
Junk bulk mail
Social Security card
Birth Certificate

**Throughout this document the reference to “Gretna” means areas of Gretna that pay taxes to support the Gretna Public Library. There are many non-annexed areas that are part of rural Sarpy County, and taxes collected do not help to fund the Library. The Gretna Public Library is funded by the City of Gretna, which means that if the resident lives in an area that does not pay taxes to support the Library, then the individual is considered to be a “non-resident,” and must pay a yearly fee of $40 per household to check out items. This fee is considered as a “substitute” tax.

Revised and approved March 27, 2023 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
The Gretna Public Library welcomes public use of its meeting room in line with the Library’s mission of meeting the educational, recreational, and cultural needs of our community. Allowing the use of the meeting room does not constitute or imply that the Library or City of Gretna agrees with or approves of the content or viewpoint of the group, individual, or presentation.

Who May Use the Meeting Room:

The meeting room is available to the following groups and organizations:

Non-profit organizations, civic groups, service clubs,
Educational, recreational, or hobby groups from the community (examples: book clubs, homeschooling groups, etc.),
For-profit businesses may use the meeting room for continuing education training or as part of a Library program. They may pass out business cards or materials, but no other for-profit business is allowed.

Prohibited Uses of the Meeting Room:

The following activities are prohibited in the Library’s meeting room:

Private social gatherings, fundraisers not benefiting the Library, commercial purposes, religious services, purposes that would benefit private individuals or a commercial enterprise, or groups that are not open to the general public, unless otherwise approved by the Library Director.
Programs that are promoted as educational in nature, but seek to sell a product or recruit attendees to sell products for a direct sales company.
Political campaigning; advocating for or against a political candidate or party actively running for office. Multi-party debates or forums where all candidates are invited or similar events with permission from the Library Director may be allowed.
Admission fees, unless pre-approved by the Library Director.

Guidelines for Meeting Room Use:

Library related and Library sponsored programs or meetings will take precedence over outside programs.

Completion of the meeting room application must be done either in person or on the Library’s website in order to reserve the meeting room in advance. The sponsor of the group or organization must be an adult age 19 or older. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to availability.

Groups wanting to reserve the meeting room on a reoccurring basis (weekly, monthly) will be required to complete an application. Applications must be renewed annually if the group wishes to continue reserving the meeting room. This procedure will be done on a first-come, first-served basis. Annual reservations will span from October-September.

Dates may be requested at the maximum of a year’s time from the date of signing.

Library staff will make reservations using these guidelines. If there are questions pertaining to the proper use of the meeting room, the decision will be made by the Library Director.

Terms and Conditions for Using the Meeting Room:

Each group using the meeting room will be responsible for the full payment/replacement cost of any damage to the room or its contents.

Room set up will be the responsibility of the group using the meeting room. The group sponsor will return the room to its original arrangement at the end of the meeting.

When the meeting begins or ends outside of regular Library hours, the group may pick up the key at the circulation desk in advance of the meeting. The group sponsor will leave the key in the book drop box in front of the Library or otherwise return the key within 24 hours or will pay the full charges of having the Library re-keyed.

Before leaving, the group sponsor must check restrooms and clean up anything that could not be reasonably attributed to normal use—this may include such things as excessive debris on the carpet or trash accumulated during the meeting. All lights in the meeting room must be turned off, and the front door locked following an after-hours meeting. Lobby lights should remain on.

Alcoholic beverages and smoking are prohibited on the Library premises and groups shall not exceed the legal posted capacity of the meeting room. It is the responsibility of the person whose name appears on the contact form to enforce all meeting room regulations. For meetings the maximum number of persons is: 15.

Neither the Library or the City of Gretna will be responsible for any property damage/loss of any group nor are they responsible for accidents, injury, or theft during usage of the meeting room. All property belonging to an organization must be removed from the Library immediately following the meeting.

Neither the name nor the address of the Library may be used as the official address of any organization. No mail or shipments will be accepted for any group or individual and the Library phone number cannot be used in any meeting announcements.

No uses of the following craft materials may be used in the meeting room: glitter, glue, paint, and any other items that could potentially stain the carpet or damage materials in the meeting room.

During regular Library hours, there will not be permission to shut the door to conduct meetings, as the meeting room houses the Friends of the Library’s on-going book sale. If confidential matters need to be discussed, the schedule group time for outside Library hours and obtain a key before the meeting.

The Library Director or Director’s authorized representative may deny use of the meeting room, including stopping an activity in progress, to anyone violating these rules or behaving in a way that violates the Library’s Patron Code of Conduct.

Meeting Room Application Download

Meeting Room Checklist Download

Revised and approved March 22, 2021 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Our mission at the Gretna Public Library is to utilize qualified, knowledgeable personnel in order to provide the people of the greater Gretna community a balanced collection of quality materials and services that meet the educational, recreational, and cultural needs of our patrons.

Approved September 23, 2019 by the Gretna Library Board

It is the policy of the Gretna Public Library Board (the Board) from time to time to recognize the generosity of an individual(s) and/or corporation(s), foundation and/or other donor(s) by choosing to create a specific naming designation for a collection, facility or portion of a facility. Naming opportunities are also available to honor a person’s significant service to the Library or to the community at large.

The Gretna Public Library Board has the sole right to name or rename collections or facilities with the approval of the City Council. The Gretna Public Library Board will recommend naming opportunities to the City Council. The Board recognizes that naming a collection, facility or portion of a facility is a decision of immense importance; and that therefore, making these decisions is undertaken with an appreciation for that significance.

While the Board is grateful for and encourages donations from all individuals, businesses and organizations, the Board has the right to decline any gift to the Library and/or reject or remove naming rights.

A. Meeting rooms, reading lounges, study rooms, special use areas, equipment, green spaces, walkways, other interior and exterior spaces, and facilities or a portion of a facility may be named or renamed by the Board to recognize a donor. Appropriate contributions for such naming opportunities will be at the discretion of the Board and will be determined by square footage cost, actual cost of equipment, on-going operating costs, etc., depending on the specific area or item.

B. Endowment proposals such as those for a collection may also include naming rights. Collections may be named or renamed by the Board to recognize a donor. Appropriate contributions for such naming opportunities will be at the discretion of the Board and will be determined by cost of materials, staff, on-going operating costs, etc. depending on the specific program or collection.

C. The Board may name or rename library buildings. The Board will review, consider and approve or decline a proposal that a library building bear a designated name only when a prospective donor wishes to make a substantial gift to the Library or when the naming opportunity is to honor a person who has contributed significantly to the social, academic, scholarly, research or political life of the community.

D. For contributions toward an existing or new building, a substantial gift is defined as at least twenty-five percent of the current assessed value or building cost of a new facility, or a number agreed upon by the Foundation.

E. For contributions toward new construction or significant renovation of an existing building, a substantial gift is defined as at least twenty-five percent of the total project cost or a number agreed upon by the Board.

F. The name of the neighborhood in which the library building resides will be included in a facility’s name unless otherwise agreed upon by the Board.

G. The Board reserves the right to terminate or alter a naming designation under unusual or extraordinary circumstances.

H. If a distinctively named library facility is relocated, substantially remodeled, or converted to use other than its original use, the facility may be renamed to reflect the association of new donors or community interests related to the changing facility. In such instances, the original name shall be honored in an appropriate manner.

I. Naming a collection, facility or portion of a facility to honor individuals who have contributed significantly to the social, academic, scholarly, research or political life of the community rather than a donor is permitted.

J. Naming rights shall remain in place for a period of at least twenty years, although a plaque shall remain in the location in perpetuity, acknowledging the name and the donation. In the event the space is significantly altered in a timeframe less than seventy-five percent of the agreed upon time when the gift was made, the Board shall roll the name forward in a similar capacity.

Those honored with such a naming might be:

a. Persons not directly connected with the Library who have contributed significantly to the social, academic, scholarly, research, or political life of the community;

b. Persons who have contributed significantly, in one way or another, to the growth and development of the Library;

c. An illustrious former City or Library official or employee, Board member or corporation; or

d. An outstanding states-person, educator, or scholar who may or may not be connected to the Library or the City of Gretna.

Revised and approved December 27, 2021 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
To ensure the safety and positive experiences for all who work in and visit the Gretna Public Library, the following Code of Conduct has been created. Library staff will follow established procedures in the event that a patron(s) violates the rules and consequences are necessary.

Expectations of Persons Using the Library:

Accompany and supervise younger children.
Monitor personal belongings.
Treat people and property in a respectful manner.
Talk in moderate tones.
Use of cell phones may take place in library lobby or outside only.
Electronic devices including cell phones, should be silenced or put on vibrate while in the library.
Come into the library fully clothed, which includes wearing shoes.
Leave pets outside. Recognized service animals are welcome.
Refrain from loitering or sleeping in the stacks or anywhere on the premises.
The library’s facilities are not to be used for bathing.
Anyone entering while under the influence of drugs or alcohol will be asked to leave.
Do not enter with items the general population views as threatening or that could damage library materials.
Selling or soliciting will not be permitted in the library building or on library grounds.

While on Library Property:

Smoking/vaping is prohibited on library grounds.
Snacks that do not disturb others and non-alcoholic beverages in covered containers are allowed in the building. Please clean up trash and notify a library staff member of any spills.
Please park bicycles in the bike rack. Rollerblades, skateboards, and other outdoor sporting equipment are not allowed in the library.

Not following these rules of conduct may result in a suspension of library privileges.

Revised and approved March 25, 2023 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
The Gretna Public Library and governing Library Board consider programming to be an integral part of Library service that furthers the mission of the Library by highlighting the collection, drawing people into the Library, educating patrons, and encouraging reading.

Policy:
Programs sponsored by the Gretna Public Library are designed to meet the needs of all members of our community.
Types of programs offered may include, but are not limited to:

Book discussion groups
Author visits
Story times
Speakers and presenters
Technology instruction
Library staff-led tours
Crafting/creating
Skill enrichment/learning opportunities
Entertaining/fun activities

Program suggestions from the public are welcomed, but the final responsibility for program selection rests with the Library Director, who operates within the framework of the policies determined by the Library Board.

Programming for all ages (children, teens, and adults) is free of charge and open to everyone regardless if they have a Library Card or not.

The Gretna Public Library offers curbside pick-up during operational hours, and can arrange for delivery of Library materials to homebound patrons when asked.

No individual or organization who presents a program at the Library for public attendance is allowed to advertise their products or services or collect attendee information during their time at the Library without advance permission from the Library Director.

Attendance at programs offered by the Gretna Public Library may be restricted due to limited room capacity, availability of resources, the lack of available supervisory staff, or age-appropriateness. When pre-registration is required, names will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

Programs held in the Library or under library direction will abide by the policies developed by the Library Board.

Revised and approved August 22, 2022 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
The Gretna Public Library Board encourages residents, and those whom the Library serves, to share their views about library matters. As such, the Library Board agenda includes time at the end of each meeting for comments from the public regarding any of the matters on the current business agenda. In order for the Board to fulfill its obligation to complete the scheduled agenda in an effective and efficient fashion, the following policy and procedure has been created.

Policy and Procedure:
Getting Started: When it is your turn to speak during the public comment portion of the agenda, please come forward, sign in with your name and address, and state your name to the Gretna Library Board.

Time Limit:
You may speak only one time on any of the current business items and must limit comments to 3 minutes or less. If you would like to speak about a matter or issue not on the agenda, please notify the Gretna Library Board in writing in advance, so that there is time to place the issue on a future agenda. The agenda is closed to new additions on the Monday before the meeting by 12:00 noon.

Gretna Library Board of Trustees
736 South St.
Gretna, NE 68028

General Rules:
Please remember that this is a public meeting for the conduct of the business of the Gretna Library Board. Offensive language, personal attacks and hostile conduct will not be tolerated.

Contact the Gretna Library Board

Revised and approved September 26, 2022 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
The Gretna Public Library recognizes that the public relations involve every person who has a connection with the Library including members of the Library Board, Library Foundation, Friends of the Library, and Library staff. Quality service by all staff members supports positive public relations.

The following public relations policy has been adopted to ensure that:

The Library communicates accurate and consistent messages
Promotes community awareness and active participation of Library services by all ages
Develops public understanding and support for the Library
Presents the best possible image of the Library to the public

Publicity:
The Library Director shall be responsible for coordinating and supervising all publicity efforts, shall approve all publicity materials generated on behalf of the Library, and shall establish a budget for supplies and needs related to all public relations efforts.

Media:
Library Sponsored Events:

Communication from the Library to the community will include, but is not limited to, newspaper, radio, television, the Library’s website, and various social media accounts. All materials released via any media will be pre-approved by the Library Director or a designated staff member.

All media contact will be initiated by, or approved by, the Library Director. Requests from the media will be referred to the Library Director who will be the only source for an official statement. The Library Director may designate a staff person as a media contact for specific program information.

Realize the Library and Board Trustees are NOT authorized, nor obligated to speak to the media/press.

For All Interactions with the Media Outside the Scope of Library-Related Activities:

The City Administrator, or Mayor/acting Mayor of the City of Gretna are the only designated people authorized to talk to the press and media.

Under U.S. Federal Code [Title 17] journalists are allowed to take photographs and utilize copyrighted materials under the “fair use” provision. Fair use is the copyright doctrine based upon the principle that the public should be entitled to freely use proportions of copyrighted material for purposes of commentary.

Library personnel should adhere to the City of Gretna’s Guidelines for any interaction with the press.

Speaking Engagements:
The Library Director, staff, Library Board, Library Foundation, and Friends of the Library members shall make presentations and participate regularly in the community to promote Library services. All speaking engagements on behalf of the Library will be coordinated through, and approved by, the Library Director.

Promotional Materials:
Materials such as brochures, newsletters, bookmarks, and flyers will be produced and made accessible to the public after review by the Library Director to ensure that the materials meet the Library’s standards of quality and fit the Library’s image.

Revised and approved August 22, 2022 by the Gretna Public Library Board

The choice of library materials by a library patron is an individual matter. While a person may reject materials for themselves and/or their dependents, they may not restrict access that others have to those materials.

The Library recognizes that certain materials are controversial and that any given item may offend some library patrons. The procedures enumerated below have been developed to assure that the requests of those who disagree with the inclusion of specific items in the collection are handled in an attentive and consistent manner.

A library patron who requests the reconsideration of library material will be referred immediately to the Director or the librarian in charge. This staff member will discuss the Collection Development Policy and the application of selection principles.

If a library patron persists in requesting that an item be withdrawn from the collection or relocated, then the Library’s procedure for reconsideration will be carefully explained and followed. A separate Reconsideration of Library Resources Form must be filled out for each item.

The procedure for the reconsideration of library materials consists of the following:

The library patron must complete the Reconsideration of Library Resources Form and submit it to the Library Director. This request may not be submitted anonymously.
The Reconsideration Request will be referred to a committee consisting of the Director, Assistant Director, and a subject specialist librarian to determine whether retention of the item would be in violation of the Collection Development Policy.
The committee will reconsider the item using the general criteria of the Collection Development Policy and reviews from recognized sources, and then make a written decision.
The Director will inform the Library Board of Trustees of the committee’s decision.
The Director will respond in writing to the library patron regarding the committee’s decision within one month of receiving the Reconsideration Request. Committee members’ comments will not be attributed, although brief quotes may be used in the Director’s response.
If the library patron desires, then an appeal of this decision may be made to the Library Board of Trustees. Such appeal shall not exceed two pages and will also include copies of the original Request for Reconsideration and the committee’s written recommendation.
The Library Board will reconsider the decision based on whether or not the particular item conforms to the general criteria outlined in the Board-approved Collection Development Policy. The Board of Trustees shall then make the final determination of the matter, notifying the library patron in writing of this action in a timely manner.
The completed decision on the reconsideration of a specific title, and reason for the request, shall remain in effect for three years. All documents pertaining to the Reconsideration Request will remain on file.

** During the review process the Library will take appropriate action to ensure that the item will continue to be available.

Appendix.
I. Library Bill of Rights.
II. Freedom to Read.
III. Freedom to View.
IV. Reconsideration of Library Resources Form.

Revised and approved March 28, 2022 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
It is the goal of Gretna Public Library to serve its patrons in such a manner that expectations are consistently met and exceeded. Therefore, this policy seeks to provide library staff with the expectations and guidelines necessary to accomplish that goal.

General Library Services:

Excellent service to library patrons is the primary responsibility of all library staff. While at certain times one person may be responsible for the circulation desk, all staff members must be willing to immediately interrupt their tasks in order to serve library patrons with whatever needs these patrons may have when the staff person at the front desk is busy with other patrons.
Gretna Public Library will strive for the quality and variety in programs and materials that is required to make the library a social force in the community and a model for library service in Nebraska.
Every patron, regardless of age, has a right to equal access to all materials in the library. Parents who wish to limit the choice of materials available to their children should be advised to monitor their children’s selections.
Patrons have a right to materials that are accurately catalogued and shelved; all staff will make every effort to ensure that materials are readily accessible.
Patrons should expect a clear and honest explanation for all policies relating to governance of the library. Therefore, staff members should read and be familiar with all policies. There exists a policy manual for reference. In case of doubt, staff members should refer patrons to the Library Director.
Staff members can best serve patrons if all staff is familiar with the projects, programs and activities of other staff members; each staff member will be responsible for communicating such activities to other staff.
Personal information provided by any patron for the purpose of obtaining a library card is confidential. All interactions regarding any patron’s choice of materials is confidential.
Staff will initiate interaction with patrons in a helpful, but non-intrusive manner.

Children’s Services:

The youth services department will use all means within the bounds of available resources to provide service and communicate the availability of those services to the individual children, adults using children’s materials, and with community groups working with children within the Gretna Public Library service area.
Knowledge of, and involvement with, community groups whose objectives focus on children is encouraged.
A wide and varied children’s collection will be made easily and temptingly available.
Children will receive individual guidance in their choice of materials as needed or requested to cultivate an enjoyment of reading as a voluntary, individual pursuit.
Programs and special events will be an integral part of children’s services. The goal of such programming will be to pique curiosity, stimulate interest in, and enlarge knowledge of the communicative arts, to encourage life-long education through the use of library resources and to assist children in the interpretation of those library resources.
All programs presented must be connected, in some way, with the books and materials that can be found at the Gretna Public Library.
Programming for parents, day-care providers and other interested adults is to be considered when planning a total children’s services program plan.
Cooperation and assistance are to be provided to, and sought from, all local schools in meeting the reading needs of children.
Outside funding, and innovative use of in-kind contributions for programs is welcome and encouraged.

Reviewed and approved April 24, 2023 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
This policy is established to set expectations among those seeking a test to be proctored by Gretna Public Library staff.

Disclaimer:
Gretna Public Library staff may proctor tests, but cannot guarantee constant supervision or a quiet environment.

Responsibilities of the Student

Students needing a proctor must contact the Library by phone, email, or in person no later than 3 days prior to their requested test date.
If an institution requires formal approval from Library staff to serve as a proctor or needs to send information/directions pertaining to the test, it must be received at least 24 hours prior to the arranged testing time.
Tests can be received through U.S. mail, email, fax or other delivery services.
Tests can be returned by U.S. mail, email, or fax. Accommodations cannot be made for special handling requirements for returning tests. If students wish to have their test mailed, they must provide a prepaid envelope addressed to the student’s institution. The Library can fax completed tests for a fee of .10 per page to local institutions or $1 per page to long distance/out of state institutions. The student is responsible for any fees associated with faxing. The Library is not responsible for the delivery time of the returned exam.
Testing may be canceled or postponed if the testing materials are not received in time, require clarification, incur any expense, or otherwise exceed our ability to comply with the testing institution’s requirements.
Test takers should arrive as scheduled and bring their own supplies.
If a test taker cannot keep their scheduled appointment, they need to notify the Library as soon as possible.
A test taker who is a “no call, no show” will not be permitted to use the Library as a proctor again.
All testing must be completed 30 minutes before the Library closes

Library and Staff

Whenever possible, the Library Director or Assistant Library Director will serve as the proctor for exams.
Wherever possible, the Library will meet the requirements of the testing institution.
Library staff will read and follow all instructions for administering the exam.
The Library will not keep copies of completed exams
The Library cannot proctor online exams that require the installation of special software or the modification of existing computer settings.

Test-Proctoring-Policy-2019 Download

Revised and approved June 27, 2022 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
The care and behavior of minor children or vulnerable adults visiting the Gretna Public Library are the responsibility of the parent/guardian. Library staff welcomes minor children and vulnerable adults to enjoy the library and library materials, but cannot accept responsibility for their safety and supervision. To guide staff in dealing with unattended minors, the library has developed the following policy and procedures.

Policy:
Children and vulnerable adults in the library should be accompanied to the library by a responsible adult or caregiver, age twelve (12) or older. No child under the age of eight (8) may be unattended at any time while in the library or at a library program. The library does not assume responsibility for any child left unattended.

Unattended Children or Vulnerable Adult:
If a child under the age of eight (8) or vulnerable adult is found without a parent or caregiver, staff will attempt to locate them. If a parent or guardian cannot be located, law enforcement personnel will be contacted to pick up the child. If the library is about to close, law enforcement personnel may be called immediately if a parent or guardian cannot be reached. A library staff member will remain with the child until law enforcement arrives. If the parent or caregiver arrives, then the police should be notified that they no longer need to come to the library.

Youth in the Library:
Unattended children over the age of eight (8) are welcome to use the library’s resources, provided they are following the library’s Patron Code of Conduct. During regular hours, if a library staff member observes any child violating the library rules, the staff member will dismiss the child from the library property after one warning. After the second occurrence, a parent or caregiver will be contacted to pick up their child. The library staff may use their discretion in involving law enforcement authorities to remove a patron of any age who is violating library rules.

Children who use the library independently must have definite arrangements to be picked up by closing time. A library staff member will remain with a child until a parent or caregiver arrives, up to 30 minutes, after which time law enforcement will be called.

Notification for Parents of All Unattended Children:
When police have been called, staff will leave a note on the door of the library notifying the parent or caregiver, in case law enforcement personnel pick up the child from the library. Staff members do not drive children home.

Approved and reviewed March 26, 2021 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
To establish guidelines for the placement and use of video security cameras, as well as the access and retrieval of recorded video images at the Gretna Public Library.

Policy:
The Gretna Public Library must offer a welcoming, open atmosphere and provide a quiet, comfortable and safe environment where people can use the library facility and collection for intended purposes to the maximum extent possible.

The library strives to maintain a safe and secure environment for its staff and patrons. In pursuit of this objective, security cameras are used where needed to provide peace of mind to library users and staff by discouraging violations of the library’s Patron Code of Conduct, public endangerment, vandalism, theft and mischief in unsupervised areas, and to provide law enforcement assistance in prosecuting criminal activity, while adhering to the applicable federal, state, and local law concerning the confidentiality of library records, the disclosure of public records, and the protection of individual privacy.

Signage

The public will be notified, using clearly worded signs prominently displayed at the perimeter of the video surveillance areas, so that library visitors have reasonable and adequate notice that surveillance is or may be in operation before entering any area under video surveillance.
Signage will be posted at the library entrance at all times, disclosing security camera activity.
Signage will be posted at library entrances informing the public of that security cameras are in use.

Video Security Camera Locations

Reasonable efforts shall be made to safeguard the privacy of library patrons and staff, so security cameras are installed at the library on an as needed basis.
Video security cameras will be positioned to record only those areas specified by the Library Director, and will compliment other measures to maintain a safe and secure environment in compliance with library policies.
Camera locations shall not be changed or added without the permission of the Library Director, and may be placed inside and outside of the library where library staff can periodically monitor activity.
Cameras may be installed in locations where patrons and staff would not have an expectation of privacy. Examples include common areas of the library such as entrances, public seating, and parking lots.
Cameras will not be installed in areas where staff and the public have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as restrooms, nor are they positioned to identify a person’s reading, viewing, or listening activities in the library.
Cameras will not be installed for the purpose of monitoring staff performance.

Access to Images

The system for cameras will be secure, and will only be viewed by the library administrative staff authorized to do so. Unauthorized remote access to security cameras and patron access to video footage is not allowed.
If the library receives a request from the general public to inspect security camera footage which contains patron information, they will be advised to file a police complaint.
Only the following individuals are authorized to access the recoded archival data in pursuit of incidents of criminal activity, litigation, or violation of the library’s Code of Conduct: The Library Director or individuals authorized by the Library Board.
Authorized individuals may access and review recorded data in order to ascertain security concerns related to a specific incident. Such persons shall not violate a law relevant to this policy in performing their duties and functions related to the video camera security system.
The library administrative staff, in the course other normal duties will monitor and operate the video security system.
Library employees are to review and comply with this policy.

Use/Disclosure of Video Records

Video records may be used by individuals authorized under this policy or law enforcement to identify the person or persons responsible for library policy violations, criminal activity on library property, actions considered disruptive to normal library operations or violation of the Library’s Code of Conduct.
Images may be shared with other library staff to identify person(s) suspended from library property and to maintain a safe and secure environment.
Under certain circumstances, individuals authorized under this policy may use a still shot or selected portions of recorded data to request law enforcement review for assessing the security risk of a specific individual or for investigating a crime on library property.
Due to differing recording length, security cameras installed at the library will automatically record over themselves on an ongoing basis. Video records will not be maintained, provided no criminal activity or policy violation has occurred.
While it is recognized that video surveillance will not prevent all incidents, its potential deterrent effect, and resource as a means of identifying and prosecuting offenders is considered worthwhile.
Video records shall not be used or disclosed other than those specifically authorized by this policy.
In the event of a search warrant, which is executable immediately, the library’s Administration will comply with the search warrant and consult with legal counsel.
Upon receipt of a subpoena or other court order, the library Administration shall consult with legal counsel to determine if the document is in proper form and that good cause for its issuance in a court of proper jurisdiction is demonstrated. If not, the library Administration shall insist any defect be remedied before releasing patron records which contain patron information.

Retention and Storage of Images

Images from the library video security system are stored digitally.
Security camera footage will be kept confidential and security recording equipment is housed in a locked area.
Logs will be kept of all instances of access to, and use of, recorded data to enable a proper audit trail.
Recordings are kept in accordance with the library’s approved records retention schedule, unless required as part of an ongoing investigation or litigation.

Revised and approved September 26, 2022 by the Gretna Library Board

Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to build effective volunteer management. This policy aims to ensure consistent and effective supervision and fair and professional treatment for Library volunteers.

The primary purpose of the Volunteer Program is to augment and enhance community engagement in the delivery of Library services in the community of Gretna.

Volunteers will not be used to replace the positions held by paid Library staff.

Policy
Those interested in volunteering should be able to perform specific tasks at the Library requiring minimal supervision. Individuals should not require supervision that goes beyond task instructions and demonstrations of the work which they perform. They should be willing workers and not require undue staff support time.

Volunteers shall be recruited without regard to any individual’s age, race, creed, color, national origin, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, physical appearance, socioeconomic level, education level or any other legally protected characteristic.

Volunteer Assignments
Before a volunteer begins working with the Library, there must be a clear understanding of the duties the volunteer will be performing. In most cases, this understanding will be aided by a written description of the duties the volunteer will be performing, as well as any special qualifications needed by the volunteer.

Volunteer positions may include assignments or projects that are:

Short-term or long-term to be completed within a defined period.
Ongoing without an identified end date.

Volunteers may not perform activities that could reveal confidential patron information or use the Integrated Library System (ILS).

Volunteer Qualifications
Volunteers under the age of 18 must have parental approval and cannot work more than four (4) hours per day. You must be in at least the 5^th grade to volunteer at the Library.

All volunteers will fill out an application and be subject to reference checks. Candidates will be accepted based on the Library’s project and programmatic needs matched with the Candidates’ qualifications. The Library may not accept every volunteer application.

Volunteers will have to pass tests to perform activities such as shelving or shelf reading.

Placing Volunteers
Screening interviews will be conducted by the Library Director or by a staff person whom the Library Director determines. These interviews are both to determine suitability for a library volunteer position and appropriate placement.

If volunteering long-term, a volunteer will be accepted for a 30-day trial period to allow for training and orientation.

A volunteer may be terminated at any time at the Library’s sole discretion with or without cause. Causes for termination include but are not limited to:

Not performing work at an appropriate level of capability
Negative attitude
Offensive language
Inappropriate dress or misconduct
Violation of city, state, or federal laws
Harassment
Unexcused absences

If appropriate based on the circumstances, a volunteer will be issued a verbal and written warning before being terminated for any reason other than their work assignment is complete.

The Volunteer
Volunteers must abide by the same rules of conduct, ethical standards and confidentiality requirements that govern staff (Personnel Policy).

Neither the City nor the Library provides any medical, health, accident or worker’s compensations benefits for any volunteer.

The Library
The Library will seek to promote the position of volunteer and communicate to the community the important role that volunteers play in the Library’s functioning.

Volunteer Application Download

Revised and approved October 24, 2022 by the Gretna Public Library Board

Purpose:
The goal of this policy is to provide brief guidelines regarding the use of the Library’s wireless network.

No Guarantees:
The Library cannot guarantee that users will be able to connect successfully. Staff will give out necessary passwords to access the public wifi, and general help, but are not able to provide technical assistance to wireless users. In addition, users are responsible for maintaining their own anti-virus protection and they assume the increased security risks of a wireless environment. Users should never leave a wireless device unattended.

Gretna Public Library assumes no responsibility for damage, theft, or loss of any kind to a user’s equipment, software, data files, personal information, or other personal property brought into or used at the Library’s facilities and/or connected to the wireless network.

User Responsibility:

Use the internet only for activities not prohibited by federal, state, or local law. Activities such as viewing child pornography, committing fraud, hacking, harassing others, invading personal privacy, spreading libel or slander, or misrepresenting yourself are thus strictly forbidden. The Library will cooperate with local, state, and federal authorities in the prosecution of crimes committed while using the wireless network.
Patrons may not display visually disturbing material on screens visible to other patrons, as per the Library’s Computer and Internet Use Policy
Be considerate of your environment. Wear headphones if necessary (the Library has headphones available upon request). Do not engage in any activity that is deliberately offensive or creates an intimidating or hostile environment.
Respect copyright laws and regulations regarding the fair use of materials as defined by the U.S. Copyright Office Website: www.copyright.gov and outlined in the American Library Association’s explanation of Fair Use.

Loss of Privileges:
Patrons failing to abide by this policy may lose their Library privileges.

Policies & Procedures

Professional Ethics

Code of Ethics

Main Library

Children’s Library

Closures

Why two libraries?