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2022 Libraries

For additional compliance guidelines issued through SBOA Bulletins, please see this page.

Preface

General Information and Appendix

Chart of Accounts

Library Board of Trustees

  • Fines and Fees

    Use of Library Facilities and Services

    Residents or property taxpayers of the library district may use the facilities and services of the public library without charge for library or related purposes. However, the library board may fix and collect fees and rental charges, and assess fines, penalties, and damages for the loss of, injury to, or failure to return any library property or material. [IC 36-12-2-25(a)]

    Library Cards

    The board may issue local library cards to residents and real property taxpayers of the library district, Indiana residents who are not residents of the library district, and individuals who reside out of state and who are being served through an agreement under IC 36-12-13. [IC 36-12-2-25(b)]

    The library board must set and charge a fee for a local library card issued to an Indiana resident who is not a resident of the library district (unless that resident is a student in a public school corporation or nonpublic school that is located at least in part in the library district and in which students in any grade preschool through grade 12 are educated, or a library employee of the district). The minimum fee that the board may set under this subsection is the greater of the following:

    1. The library district's operating fund expenditure per capita in the most recent year for which that information is available in the Indiana State Library's annual "Statistics of Indiana Libraries."
    2. Twenty-five dollars ($25). [IC 36-12-2-25(c)]

    A library board may issue a local library card without charge or for a reduced fee to an individual who is not a resident of the library district and who is:

    1.   a student enrolled in or a teacher in a public school corporation or nonpublic school:

    A.   that is located at least in part in the library district; and

    B.   in which students in any grade from preschool through grade 12 are educated;

    2.   a child receiving foster care services;

    3.   a library employee of the district; or

    4.   a student enrolled in a college or university that is located at least in part of the library district;

    The board may assess a fee for the issuance of a statewide library card. [IC 4-23-7.1-5.1(a)(2)]

    Written Policy

    All fees, fines, and other charges should be set in a written policy of the board and adopted at an official meeting of the board.

    Method of Collection

    Pursuant to IC 36-1-8-11, any payments to a library may be made by any of the following financial instruments that the library board authorizes, by resolution, for use:

    1. Cash.
    2. Check.
    3. Bank draft.
    4. Money order.
    5. Bank card or credit card.
    6. Electronic funds transfer.
    7. Any other financial instrument authorized by the fiscal body.

    As used in this section "credit card" means a credit card, debit card, charge card or stored value card.

    If there is a charge to the library for the use of a financial instrument, the library may collect a sum equal to the amount of the charge from the person who uses the financial instrument.

    If authorized by the library board, the library may accept payments with a bank card or credit card under the procedures set forth in IC 36-1-8-11(e). However, the procedure authorized for a particular type of payment must be uniformly applied to all payments of the same type.

    The library may contract with a bank card or credit card vendor for acceptance of bank cards or credit cards.

    However, if there is a vendor transaction charge or discount fee, whether billed to the library or charged directly to the library's account, the library may collect from the person using the card either or both of the following:

    1. An official fee that may not exceed the transaction charge or discount fee charged to the political subdivision or municipally owned utility by bank or credit card vendors.
    2. A reasonable convenience fee:
      1. that may not exceed three dollars ($3); and
      2. that must be uniform regardless of the bank card or credit card used.

    The fees described in subdivisions 1. and 2. may be collected regardless of retail merchant agreements between the bank and credit card vendors that may prohibit such fees. These fees are permitted additional charges under IC 24-4.5-3-202.

    The library may pay any applicable bank card or credit card service charge associated with the use of a bank card or credit card.

Budgets and Appropriations

Financial Accounting and Record Keeping Procedures

Financial Accounting and Record Keeping Procedures - Continued