Lending Library Terms and Conditions

Lending Library Terms and Conditions

Virtual Lending Library
Terms & Conditions

Description of the Service:

This service allows Gaia Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation (GC) members to lend and borrow books from each other and from Gaia Community itself. There is no affiliation between Gaia Community and LibraryThing, nor between the Librarian and LibraryThing. Nothing in these Terms & Conditions is intended to abridge any rights or responsibilities afforded by other laws and ordinances.

Lenders and borrowers must be members of GC; the Librarian is considered the lender for books owned by the community. Minors may participate through their parents, if the parents are members. Associate members shall be accorded the privileges and responsibilities of an adult member for the purposes of this program.

Borrowers:

Participation in the Virtual Lending Library (VLL) is voluntary and at-will. Borrowers who wish to discontinue participation in the program must first return all borrowed materials and resolve any outstanding late fees.

Borrowers are limited to three books checked out at a time. Children of Borrowers may also each have two books checked out at a time. All books that are checked out will have a due date, communicated to the borrower at the time it is lent. Borrowers are responsible for returning books when they are due; fees of $1.00/week will be assessed for late returns. Late fees will be paid to GC to reimburse LibraryThing expenses and to build a library of community-owned books. These fees are not paid to Lenders.

Borrowers participate at their own risk. Neither the Librarian nor GC shall be held liable for books lost or destroyed. Borrowers are responsible for reimbursing the lender or replacing the item. The Librarian is available to assist in negotiations and will enforce this rule.

Borrowers may be asked to return books early, known as a recall. Reasons for a recall include a Lender leaving the VLL, or if a ritualist or committee member requests the book for official GC business. Recalled books should be returned within a week.

Borrowers agree to abide by LibraryThing’s Terms of Use while using the site.

Ritual Teams and Committees:

By notifying the Librarian, and with the agreement of the Lender, books may be checked out to ritualists and committee members for GC business for up to ten weeks. Ritualists and committee members may also request a recall of a checked out book if it is needed for official purposes. With respect to this program, members participating in the Excellence in Ritual class or internship shall be considered a ritualist.

If a committee finds that they cannot function on a regular basis without a particular book, they should contact the Librarian.

Lenders:

Participation by individuals in the Virtual Lending Library (VLL) is voluntary and at-will. Lenders agree to offer only books that are their own property. Lenders who wish to remove books from circulation should contact the Librarian. The Librarian will comply with the request within 14 days and will contact the Lender when completed. If books that a Lender wishes to remove from the program are checked out, the Librarian will recall them.

Lenders participate at their own risk. Neither the Librarian nor Gaia Community shall be held liable for books lost or destroyed. The Librarian will assist in negotiations between the Lender and Borrower to replace lost or destroyed items or reimburse the cost of a lost or destroyed book. Late fees will be paid to Gaia Community to reimburse LibraryThing expenses and to build a library of community-owned books; these fees are not paid to Lenders.

All books that are to be checked out will have a due date, which will be communicated to the Borrower by the Librarian. Lenders may be asked to agree to extended checkout times for ritualists and committee members; they are not required to comply with these requests. Rare, valuable, or out-of-print books may be made available for reference purposes only, instead of placed into circulation; contact the Librarian directly to use this option.

Lenders who choose to open their own LibraryThing account agree to abide by that site’s Terms of Use as well.

Limitations on Use:

Nonpayment of late fees, repeated loss of books, or other non-compliance with the Terms & Conditions of the program may result in suspension or revocation of VLL privileges. Any such suspension or revocation will be communicated to the member in writing (electronic or otherwise) beforehand. Children of Borrowers who are suspended or banned from the program may also cause their parents to be suspended or banned, based on the judgment of the Librarian.

Nonpayment of late fees shall be defined as having an outstanding balance of $8.00 or more. Until all fees are paid, that Borrower may not check out new books or negotiate longer checkout periods.

The Librarian shall be empowered to suspend privileges for definite periods, not to exceed eight weeks. If the Librarian determines that a member should be suspended for a longer period or banned from the program, the Librarian shall bring the issue before the Committee of the Whole at a regularly scheduled Ritual for Business. The member in question will be informed of this, and encouraged to attend that Ritual for Business.

If a Borrower or Lender disagrees with the Librarian or these Terms & Conditions, the issue should be brought to the Librarian, the Ombudsman of the community, or a regularly scheduled Ritual for Business.

Revisions:

Gaia Community may at any time revise these Terms & Conditions by updating this document. By using the VLL, you agree to be bound by any such revisions and should therefore visit this page periodically. Last revised on August 8, 2008.