Policies

Books by Mail is a service that provides library materials through the mail to people who are unable to access the library collection due to temporary or long-term physical or visual disability. Available materials include large print, regular print, DVDs, CDs and new items. Here’s the Books by Mail brochure (opens in PDF). To get started or to find out more, please contact the Books by Mail office at 941-861-1110. Check out our FAQ and ask us for assistance through Ask Us!

Book Club Bags contain 10 copies of a single title along with a biography of the title's author, discussion questions, a list of suggested further reading, and a brochure for the Literature Resource Center database.

Child Safety Policy

Safe Child Policy

Source: Existing policy.

Library staff strives to make the Library a welcoming, safe place for your children with a variety of educational resources and enriching activities. Sarasota County Libraries will partner with you to help your children grow by providing an environment and services which foster creativity, stimulate imaginations, spark interest, expand knowledge, improve reading ability, and generate cultural awareness.

In order to provide the most positive experience for your children, we recommend the following:

• Understand that parents/caregivers are responsible for their children’s behavior and well-being inside the library and outside on library property.
• Set a reasonable time limit for your children’s library visits.
• Be present, guide your children in using library services and model positive library behavior during your visit by staying close by. No public place, including the library, can guarantee the safety of children.
• Plan to pick up your children before closing time.

Enjoy your visit. We look forward to serving your family.

Safe Place

Source: Nationalsafeplace.org

All Sarasota County Library System locations are designated Safe Places. Safe Place is a national youth outreach and prevention program for young people under the age of 18 (up to 21 years of age in some communities) in need of immediate help and safety. As a collaborative community prevention initiative, Safe Place designates businesses and organizations as Safe Place locations, making help readily available to youth in communities across the country. Safe Place locations include: libraries, YMCAs, fire stations, public buses, various businesses, and social service facilities.

SCLS works with Licensed Safe Place Agency YMCA Family Management Services.

Step One – A young person enters a Safe Place and asks for help.

Step Two – The site employee finds a comfortable place for the youth to wait while they call the licensed Safe Place agency.

Step Three – Within 30 minutes, a qualified Safe Place volunteer or agency staff member will arrive to talk with the youth and, if necessary, provide transportation to the agency.

Step Four – Once at the agency, counselors meet with the youth and provide support. Agency staff makes sure the youth and their families receive the help and professional services they need.

The Sarasota County Library System carefully selects and purchases materials so that patrons have access to a wide range of materials in a variety of formats to meet research, recreational and educational needs.

• Materials chosen for collections meet certain criteria established by the Library System documented in the Collection Development Policy.
• Materials are selected by professional librarians using reputable and respected professional review sources. 
• Recommendations from library patrons are also accepted by submitting a Purchase Request form.
• Donations (including from local authors) are also reviewed by the same criteria in our Collection Development Policy. For more information, please review this FAQ. 
• Please search our library catalog or AskUs if you have questions locating items.

The Rules of Conduct are intended to encourage behavior that supports the library's mission to provide the best possible resources in a welcoming environment.

The County Facility Rules promote behavior that supports the mission of Sarasota County Government, the proper use of its facilities by the public, the protection and preservation of County facilities, and the health and safety of visitors and employees at County facilities.

Sarasota County Libraries provide computers and free Wi-Fi for public use at all ten libraries.
Use of library computers implies acceptance of the policies and rules available at the start of each Internet session.

• Free wireless access in the libraries is provided by Sarasota County Government.
• Terms of service and acceptable use are presented for agreement at the start of each wireless session and may be downloaded: Sarasota County Government Wireless Internet Access Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy.

Sarasota County Libraries are a part of TBLC's Reciprocal Borrowing agreement.

Libraries who are members of TBLC’s reciprocal borrowing agreement have agreed to allow walk-in patrons to check out materials free of charge from any participating library. Patrons may use their own library card with a reciprocal borrowing sticker attached to check out materials. Participation by libraries in the reciprocal borrowing program is voluntary.

Find out more about this agreement by visiting TBLC's site.

Effective March 1, 2018, Sarasota County Libraries now limits renewals on all items to five (5) renewals.
Materials may be renewed by telephone, online, in the app or in person with your library card. 

• Login to the enhanced library catalog
• Login to the basic library catalog
• Get the Sarasota County Libraries app.

Items may not be renewed if on reserve for another borrower.

Sarasota County residents are served by the Pinellas Talking Book Library, a free service administered through the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative. 

Through the Pinellas Talking Book Library, residents of all ages who are unable to read standard print material due to visual, physical or learning disabilities are provided recorded, Braille and large-print books and magazines as well as a collection of descriptive videos and playaways. 

For more information on the Pinellas Talking Book Library and how to access its services, visit www.pplc.us/tbl/ or call 727-441-9958.

• Pinellas Talking Book Library is part of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), a network of libraries serving people who have difficulty using or reading regular print. 
• For more information on the NLS, please visit www.loc.gov/nls/. 

Sarasota County Libraries are improving access to library resources for living with vision loss.

See what is available at your local library.