TAL Card - Information for Libraries

The Alberta Library Card is a reciprocal borrowing program that offers Albertans direct access to the collections of member libraries of The Alberta Library (TAL).

TAL Card Forms | TAL Card Policy(or see below)

The Alberta Library Card Policy

Statement of Intent
The Board of The Alberta Library is responsible for establishing policy on reciprocal borrowing among member libraries.

Preamble
The Alberta Library was established by the library community to ensure that Alberta's citizens have access to a wide variety of current and valuable information. The Alberta Library card is one means of enabling expanded access to the physical collections of participating libraries.

Policy

• Member libraries shall participate in the TAL Card program.
• Alberta Library Card holders will not be charged a fee for borrowing materials from participating libraries outside their home library.

  (Approved September 18, 2009)

The Alberta Library Card Procedures

Issuing Cards

• The home library will issue The Alberta Library Card (TAL) to primary clients in good standing. The card will be issued to individuals only. Any primary client eligible for borrowing materials from a member library is eligible to engage in reciprocal borrowing through the TAL Card Program.
• The home library should ensure the client has read and signed the TAL Card application form to give permission for personal information to be shared.
• The home library must ensure the patron has presented adequate identification.
• The home library must complete the reverse side of the TAL Card and must ensure the client has read and signed the reverse of the card.
• The home library must add an expiry date. This would normally be the date the client's home library card expires; however, the expiry date shall be no later than one year after the date of issue.
• The home library should keep the application form as proof of the client's signed agreement. The home library may renew The Alberta Library Card by affixing the sticker provided to the card and adding the new expiry date to the card. If the previous form is not readily available, completion of a new form is required.

Borrowing Materials

• The lending library should add its barcode to the TAL Card. If the barcode does not identify the lending library, this information should be printed by hand under the barcode. Note: non-automated libraries are not expected to affix barcodes.
• The Alberta Library Card holders may be asked to show identification when they borrow materials.
• The lending library's local policies and rules with regard to fines, loan periods and identification requirements take priority and will apply to all persons using the TAL Card.
• The minimum expectation is that each participating library should permit a bottower to have up to five books signed out from a given participating library at one time. Participating libraries are encouraged to offer services above the minimum.
• Books are loaned under The Alberta Library Card program. Lending libraries are encouraged to permit the lending of other types of material.
• The lending library should insert the flag provided into the books and instruct the client not to remove the flag.

Return of Materials/Overdue Material

• Materials can be returned to any participating library.
• The receiving library will note the date returned on the flag and will make every reasonable effort to forward the item by its next business day. The date returned to the receiving library will be considered the date the item is returned. Overdue fines will not be charged for the time the item is in transit between the receiving library and the lending library.
• If there is no flag in the book, the library staff member will insert a flag and note the date the item was returned.
• The receiving library should attach a The Alberta Library sticker to the outside of the package in which the book is returned, to identify the items as material borrowed on the TAL Card.
• Overdue notices will be prepared by the lending library and sent directly to the borrower.
• The lending library may contact the TAL Card borrower's home library when the final overdue attempt is made, to determine the latest available contact information.
• The lending library will not disclose any information that identifies the items on loan to that individual.

Lost Materials

Participating libraries will be reimbursed for the replacement costs of lost materials, within TAL's budgetary restraints. Overdue fines and cataloguing or processing costs are not reimbursed. After the lending library has exhausted reasonable means of obtaining overdue materials from the borrower, the lending library may submit a claim to The Alberta Library. A form is provided for the purpose of claiming reimbursement. Claims should be submitted by December 31, annually.

• Claims
  • The borrower's name should not be linked to materials borrowed on any documentation sent to The Alberta Library.
  • Each item lost must be listed individually and, wherever possible, documentation provided to support the claim for reimbursement.
  • The lending library must supply documentation indicating:
    - that all reasonable means of obtaining materials have been pursued (e.g. evidence of overdue notices having been sent).
    - the name of the borrower's home library.
    
  • Replacement costs for lost materials must be documented by an overdues claims notice or by a recognized standard pricing source and cannot exceed $200 per item. If an item is out of print, The Alberta Library will reimburse, within budgetary constraints, the average price per item in the appropriate category from the Bowker Annual or similar publication, unless the library provides other documentation.
  • The Alberta Library has a limited budget for the reimbursement of lost materials. Should the claims exceed the amount allocated for reimbursement, the amount reimbursed for each item will be pro-rated.

Statistics
Participating libraries are not currently required to keep statistics on the TAL Card program; however The Alberta Library may request statistics to be gathered in the future.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Alberta Library

• Coordinates The Alberta Library (TAL) Card program
• Develops guidelines for implementation of the program
• Produces and distributes informational and promotional materials, as well as all necessary applications, agreements and forms
• Maintains a list of participating libraries on the TAL website
• Reimburses libraries for lost materials
  

The home library

• Issues cards to primary clients who are currently eligible to borrow materials
• Returns materials to the lending library
• Provides the lending library with client contact information for the purposes of recovering overdue materials
• Each participating library will promote the program in partnership with The Alberta Library
  

The lending library

• Lends materials to Alberta Library Card holders in accordance with the lending library's Local Lending Policies
• Attempts to recover its overdue materials
  

The receiving library

• Returns materials to the lending library
  

Definitions

• A participating library is a library that participates in The Alberta Library Card Program. This includes issuing the TAL Card, lending material, receiving returned items, and returning items to the lending library.
• A home library is a library at which an individual is a primary client.
• A lending library is a library that lends items under the TAL Card Program.
• A receiving library is a library that receives returned items and returns them to the lending library.
• At an academic institution, a primary client is a current student, faculty or staff at that institution.
• At an independent public library, a primary client is a resident of its municipality
• Within regional libraries, a primary client is a resident of their municipality which operates a library and which is represented in membership in The Alberta Library through the regional requisition to TAL.
• Also residents of municipalities which are regional system members but which do not operate a library can be considered as primary clients of any one municipality in the system operating a library, as chosen by the patron.

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