(a) Registration.
(1) Texas state employees and persons affiliated with state or local governments in Texas, staff of public, academic, special, or school libraries, and faculty or students of graduate schools of library and information science in Texas must register each year in person, by telecommunications or mail. Registration includes providing the following information:
(2) Others must register each year in person, presenting valid photo identification with a current address, sign a registration agreement, and provide the information detailed in paragraph (1) of this subsection. The signed registration is kept on file. Registration must be renewed annually by presenting current photo identification with an address and provide the information detailed in paragraph (1) of this subsection.
(3) No corporations, libraries, or groups may register; only individuals who are 16 years or older may register. However, persons under age 16 are welcome to use the services if supervised by an adult. Persons age 12 or younger are not admitted in the State Archives reference room; however, they may use other services and facilities of the library under supervision of a registered customer.
(4) Customers without acceptable photo identification or other information may be registered temporarily for supervised use of materials at the library; however, customers without a verified work or home address in Texas may not check out circulating materials.
(b) Loan Periods.
(1) Loans of circulating items are four weeks with the following exceptions.
(2) Renewal of loans.
(3) Number of items per customer.
(c) Overdue and Lost Items.
(1) Customers are responsible for items checked out in their name until they are returned to the circulation desk of the collection from which they were borrowed. Items may be returned by either of the following:
(2) There is no fine for overdue items.
(3) The costs of replacement are assessed for lost items.
(4) An invoice for the value of an item is sent when it is six weeks overdue.
(5) For government publications the replacement cost is the current price or $.10 per page.
(d) Subsections (b) and (c) of this section are not applicable to the loan of materials from the commission's Talking Book Program. The loan policies of the program are administered according to guidelines set by the National Library Service of the Library of Congress.
(e) Services Requiring Registration. Customers must be registered to check out materials, request interlibrary loans of materials, use password services, or receive services for fees.
(f) Password Services. Some information services provided by telecommunications are limited to state employees or to staff of participating libraries and require a valid password for access.
(g) Suspension of Service.
(1) Borrowing privileges may be suspended permanently for failures to return materials within eight weeks of the due date more than two times.
(2) Services at the library may be suspended for six months for smoking in a facility of the commission or eating or drinking in a reading or reference room.
(3) Services at the library may be permanently suspended for behavior that is threatening, harassing, or obscene toward staff or other customers. If the service can be provided through an alternate method that eliminates the problem behavior, for example mail instead of telephone or telephone rather than at the library, the service will be provided.
(4) Theft or destruction of state resources or property will result in permanent suspension of all services immediately.
(5) Prior to a permanent suspension of service, a customer will be notified in writing of the problem and provided an opportunity to respond by a certain date if the customer has a known postal or e-mail address. A temporary suspension will be imposed until a decision has been reached.
Source Note: The provisions of this §2.52 adopted to be effective July 4, 1994, 19 TexReg 4814; amended to be effective September 6, 1998, 23 TexReg 9036; amended to be effective May 12, 2004, 29 TexReg 4463