FAQ

LIBRARY CARDS

How do I get a library card?

  1. Valid ID with your Current Address
    • Bring a piece of recent mail with your name and current address – canceled by the United States Post Office (mail you received).
    • Valid Driver’s License or other Government Issued ID
  2. Come to the library and fill out an application card.

How much do library cards cost?

Your first library card is free. We do charge $5 to replace a lost or damaged card.

Do I have to live in Sequatchie county to get a library card?

We serve all residents of Sequatchie county, but we also welcome the residents of neighboring counties.

Child Cards

Children under 12 must be accompanied by a responsible adult to obtain a card. That adult must present his or her own identification and agree to be responsible for any fines or any materials damaged or lost by the child.

Materials limits (the number if items you check out) are applied by household/address.

Getting more cards will not increase those limits; however, there is a 15 item limit per card on Overdrive (our free ebooks & audiobooks). Having a separate card does give each family member their own holds list and suggestions on the Libby app.

Lost/Replacement cards

Patrons must pay a $5 fee to obtain a new card. Your barcode number (on the back if the card) will change. If you use Overdrive for ebooks, your old account/barcode will no longer be usable.

CHECKING OUT BOOKS

How many books / DVDs can I check out?

The first time you use your card, you can check out only 2 items.

After that, you may check out up to 20 items. Materials limits (the number if items you check out) are applied by household/address.

The following limits apply to your 20 item total: only 2 non-fiction books on one subject, 3 books by the same author, 2 books about the same person, 10 magazines, 8 DVDs, and 10 audiobooks.

How long can I keep library materials?

All materials are due 2 weeks after the check out date. You can call us and renew your books during our business hours.

FINES & FEES

How much do late fees cost?

We Went Fine Free!

As of March 15, 2022, the Sequatchie County Public Library is a fine free library. We will no longer charger late fees for materials returned after their due date, and all past fines are forgiven.

There are no more late fees on materials (books, DVDs, audiobooks).

There is ONE exception!

Books borrowed through Interlibrary Loan belong to another library. We are responsible for their timely return to that lending library, and patrons will be responsible for any late fees that lending library charges if the interlibrary loan books are not returned on time.

Fees on Lost or Damaged Materials

If an item is returned damaged or has been lost by a patron, the patron will be charged replacing that item.

COMPUTER USE

WiFi

Free public WiFi is available throughout the library during normal business hours. No password is required. It is not a secured network. WiFi / wireless printing is not available at this time.

Library Computer Use

Computers with internet access are available on a first-come, first serve basis.

There is no fee for using a library computer.

Computer time is limited to one session per day – 1 hour 30 minutes in length. Please note when our Computer Room closes: Mondays at 6:30pm, Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 5:30pm, and Fridays at 4:30 PM. Any session started 2 hours or less before our Computer Room’s scheduled closing time for that day may be shorter than the standard length.

Our Media Room is a quiet room. No listening to music without headphones or cellphone use is allowed to insure that patrons can work undisturbed by others.

Instruction in computer use and external storage devices will not be provided by the library. Patrons are encouraged to bring their own USB storage devices to save their work; our computers reset after each use. Any saved documents or downloads will be deleted and cannot be recovered.

Printing & Copies

We do offer printing and copying services.

PRINTS

  • Printed Pages Cost 25¢ Per Page
  • Black & White Only
  • 8.5 x 11 / Standard Paper Size Only

COPIES

  • Each Copy Costs 10¢ Per Page
  • Black & White Only
  • 8.5 x 11 / Standard Paper Size Only

Does the library have a fax machine or scanner I can use?

We do not offer fax services at this time.

SCANNING

Our staff scans the document to a blank and library-owned USB drive, takes the drive down to the computer room, loads the scanned file onto the desktop of our library computer, deletes the file from the USB, and leaves the patron to do whatever they need to do with the file.

We cannot scan and send directly to email at this time.

There is no charge for scanning documents, but we do limit the number of pages to 10 if the document cannot go through the scanner’s autofeed tray.

Interlibrary Loans

How do I request a book that library doesn’t own?

Come in and ask about our interlibrary loans. We can borrow titles from other libraries in the state of Tennessee if we do not own a copy of a book you want to read.

Stop by the library today and ask about the book you are interested in reading. If we don’t have it, you can fill out an Interlibrary loan request form.

There are some restrictions. Most libraries will not lend out new releases or rare books this way, and if none of the libraries have it or are lending it out, we will let you know that we cannot get the requested book at this time.

Alternatively, you can use Overdrive or the Libby app to look for electronic copies to borrow.

Other Questions

How can I donate books, CDs, or DVDs?

Our dropbox has been overflowing with donations. We’re grateful for your generosity, but we can’t process all the donations here! With the exception of new releases, we can no longer accept donations through our dropbox.

Please drop off your donations at the Senior Center in the Fair Building or at the large dropbox located at the Fair Building.

How can I volunteer at the library?

We are always grateful for support from our community, and year-round we are working on projects to better serve our community. Give us a call or stop by and speak to our Director about what volunteer projects are available now and in the future.