OWLSnet Borrowers' Card Program

Adopted: March 17, 1994
Revised:

  • December 20, 1995
  • June 19, 1997
  • March 18, 1999
  • November 17, 2023

Policy

OWLSnet, the shared automation network operated by OWLS, shall make a borrowers' card available to any member library that desires to issue OWLSnet cards and agrees to the guidelines below.

Guidelines

  1. Participation in the OWLSnet Borrowers' Card Program is open to any OWLSnet member.
  2. OWLSnet borrowers' cards will be supplied by OWLS at no charge to libraries participating in this program. Libraries may supply their own cards as long as they include “an InfoSoup library” on them.
  3. OWLSnet borrowers' cards shall be honored by all libraries participating in the OWLSnet automation network.
  4. Patrons using OWLSnet borrowers' cards shall be subject to the lending policies of any library where the card is used.
  5. OWLSnet borrowers' cards may be issued to any resident of, or owner of property in, the Outagamie Waupaca Library System (OWLS) or Nicolet Federated Library System (NFLS) area, as well as other locations at the discretion of the library.
  6. When a long-term permanent residence is not available to a patron or an address cannot be verified, libraries have the option to provide a community card which has limited holds and checkouts available. Local community cards are not required to be honored at all OWLSnet member libraries.
  7. Borrowers' cards should not be issued to patrons who reside outside of the OWLSnet service area for the sole purpose of accessing electronic materials.
  8. OWLSnet borrowers' cards may be issued to any resident of a system which has an intersystem on-site borrowing agreement in effect with OWLS or NFLS, i.e., all public library systems in Wisconsin.
  9. Libraries participating in this program agree to use only the standard patron statistical categories established by OWLSnet.
  10. Libraries participating in this program agree to use OWLSnet's standard patron registration form or to have their own patron registration forms approved by OWLS. Requests for approval of local library registration forms shall be submitted in writing to the OWLSnet Manager.
  11. OWLSnet borrowers' cards shall be issued for a period of up to three (3) years, and shall be renewed according to the procedures established by OWLSnet.
  12. Libraries participating in this program may charge patrons a replacement fee for lost borrowers’ cards. If a fee is charged, libraries agree to charge only the standard card replacement fee established by OWLSnet.
  13. In addition to these guidelines, OWLSnet borrowers' cards are subject to all other patron registration policies and procedures established by OWLSnet. Participating libraries may implement local registration policies which are consistent with these guidelines and consistent with all other policies and procedures established by OWLSnet.