The City of Groves

Meeting Room Policy and Application

Read our Acceptable Use Policy, print form, fill out and come in to reserve your meeting space or fax it in to 409-962-3379

To obtain a library card, the address verification process, fines and fees and checkout periods scroll down.

Groves Public Library Safe Child Policy

Amended and Reviewed June 6, 2007

Groves Public Library is a city facility that offers services to a wide range of citizens, and children are especially welcome. The library does not act in loco parentis.

Children and the Library Environment

The library has the responsibility to provide an environment that is safe and comfortable to every patron who is appropriately using its services and facilities.

However, the library is not intended to be a daycare, after school facility, summer camp or babysitting service. Parents, guardians, teachers, and caregivers---not the library staff or the City of Groves--- are responsible for the behavior and supervision of their children in the library. Although the staff will always respond with care and concern, they cannot assume responsibility for children’s safety and comfort. Parental supervision of children helps to prevent accidents and injuries since the library is a public facility open to all citizens where common space and resources are shared. The library is a public institution where patrons have a right to quality library services in a safe and relaxed environment.

Supervision of the child is basic to the prevention of harm. Adults who are attentive and aware of children’s behaviors are in the best position to safeguard their well-being.

A child could be tempted to go off with a stranger, become ill, get mixed in with a school group or become lost. The library might have cause to close its doors early due to an emergency situation. Any of these or other emergencies could take place in a public building. Parents should be aware of the Library's hours and keep in mind that those hours may change due to holiday schedules, inclement weather, or other unforeseen emergencies.

Parents must make contingency plans for their child’s immediate pick-up due to unexpected closings. To avoid having your child anxious or frightened, please inform him/her of your whereabouts and how to contact you in an emergency.

A child any age left in the library over two hours may become bored, vulnerable because of weather conditions, inadequate meal arrangements, or long hours without contact with the parent or caregiver.

Library staff will not deliberately seek out children who are at the library without a parent in attendance; however, a child frequently becomes disruptive to other library users when they become bored. It is for the safety of each child that the Groves Public Library has adopted this Safe Child Policy.

Acceptable Behavior

Children and young people are expected to adhere to the same standards of patron conduct expected of adults. Using profanity or other language that is abusive to other parents or employees, abusing library furniture, equipment, or materials, fighting on library property, running in a library building are all examples of unacceptable behaviors.

If a child is being unruly and no parent or guardian is present with the child, the staff will call or have the child call for a ride home if they cannot safely leave the library to return home on his or her own. If parent does not arrive within one hour (or furnish the staff a reasonable expectation of when they will arrive) to pick up the child, the Groves Police Department will be alerted to either assist with the enforcement of discipline in the library or to ensure the safety of an unattended child.

Children ages 8-12 who arrive on their bikes, or walking without the supervision of a parent or guardian are subject to the rules of behavior above. However, staff cannot be expected to know if children of any age are leaving with a parent, a friend or a stranger.

Parents or guardians of children of any age who have special needs because of a disabling condition such as impaired physical or mental ability, disruptive behavior, emotional problems, inadequate attention span, incomplete social skills, etc must remain with their children at all times while they are in the library.

Unattended Children

Definition: Unattended child: A child under eight years old and who is at the Library without the supervision of a parent, responsible adult, or sibling over the age of fourteen (14).

Any child under the age 8 who is in the library without a responsible adult caregiver can be classified as an unattended child. Children are not safe when left unattended in the library. A responsible adult/guardian, or caretaker age fourteen (14) or over should accompany children under the age of 8 and be present to supervise, guide and control their charges remaining within sight and conservation distance of the child.

Children 8 – 12 may use the Library unattended for an amount of time appropriate to their age and maturity. All children should have the telephone number of someone who can assist them in an emergency. The Library staff may not take responsibility for the care of any age child.

No child (EXCEPT THOSE WHO ARRIVED ON THEIR OWN) will be left outside the library after closing hours without being accompanied by a caregiver or guardian age 17 or over. Since library staff cannot stay to supervise a child or transport the child home themselves—then the Groves Police Department must be called to take custody of the child in order to ensure the child’s safety.

Staff must close the facility on time. It is not acceptable for staff to be late in doing so because a child cannot find a parent or guardian to pick them up on time. Staff cannot be compensated for overtime. Parents are responsible for knowing the library’s hours of operation.

Children, who are inside the library unattended, will be asked to make arrangements to be picked up by a parent or guardian two hours in advance of the library staff leaving the premises. The library will be closed to unattended children one hour (1) before the doors are actually locked.

If the parent or guardian has not arrived or made arrangements with the staff as to what time they are to arrive within 15 minutes of the library doors being locked, we reserve the right to alert the Groves Police Department to the situation so that an officer may give the child safe transport.

If the child is placed in the care of the Groves Police Department, the staff will put a note on the front door of the library that states----

"An unattended child has been placed in the care of the Groves Police Department. The phone number is 409.962.0244 and the Police Department is located at 3947 Lincoln Avenue." Note: Staff cannot include the child’s name.

Staff will file an incident report each time an unattended child is left in the library after closing. A copy of the incident report will be given to the Library Director on the next working day after the incident. The Library Director will send the parent a notification for the parent to be more prompt in the future. Further infraction may result in the child not being allowed unattended access to the library in the future.

During special library programs for children, we advise parents to remain on the premises and accessible to the child until the program has ended in case of an emergency.

Under no circumstances will library staff transport any minor in their personal vehicle. Two staff persons must remain at the library with the child until the authorities arrive to take the child into custody.

To Obtain a Library Card :

Groves Public Library does not charge for library membership. However, we must ascertain your current, valid physical address.
When making application for a library card, you must be able to provide us with clear, current information. You must be eighteen years or older to fill out a Groves Public Library application card. You will be asked to provide the following:

Name,
Physical address with proof of current address,
Home phone,
Place of employment and
Employment phone.
You must present a valid Texas Drivers License or a valid Texas ID showing your current address. If you have not changed your driver license to show your current address, you must be able to provide verification of your current address with any of the following: current utility bill, car insurance, driver's license, property tax form, rental agreement, telephone book listing, voter registration card or any other governmental form that shows your current address. If you cannot present either of these forms of ID, let us know.

Address Verification Process:

Beginning November 20, 2006, we require potential patrons to complete the application process above, once this is done, we will send out an address verification letter to the address given by the patron on the application card. Once the letter is received at the patron's home address, they may return, receive their library ID card and check out the allowable number of materials. The address verification letter is good for thirty days. If the patron fails to return for their ID card in the thirty day period, they may be asked to complete the process over once again.

Bring Your Library Card each time you come to check out materials:

You will be asked for your card when checking out materials. This is for your benefit, so others will not simply be able to know your name and use your account. If you are a patron of GPL, the staff will check your card to see if any overdue materials or fines are present on your account. If so, you will not be allowed to use the computers or access the Internet until your account is cleared.

Applying for a Child's Library Card:

You must be a child's parent, legal guardian or grandparent with custodial rights to receive a card for your child. Grandparents or caretakers of children can bring a child into the library to check out materials as long as the parent has previously made applied for a library card for that child. Otherwise, the grandparents or caretaker must use their own library cards to check out materials for the child.

Checking out on a card that is not your own

When your card is issued you have agreed to abide by the rules set forth for Groves Public Library, return all library materials on time, be responsible for any fines that accrue on your library account and to pay for any lost or damaged materials. No one is allowed to use someone else's card unless that person is physically present at the library at the time.

Replacement Cards:
It is required that you show your card when you check out material. If you lose your card, there is a $1.00 fee for a replacement card. Patrons may be granted to check out once without the card if they have misplaced their card, but next time they will need to purchase a new card. Staff may ask the patron to verify certain information to assure that the person is not using someone's else's account.

Check out and Loan Period
You may check out:
Books or Audios: 8 max per visit for 3 weeks.
Videos: 4 max per visit for one week.
Magazines: 5 max per visit for one week.
DVDs: 2 max per visit for one week.

Children and persons under 18 may not check out videos or DVDs. They are allowed to check out 8 books and 5 magazines.

Fines and Renewals
The fine for all print material and audio books is 25 cents per day per item. You can renew by phone to avoid a late charge. If the book is not on the reserve list, we will renew it for you. Video and DVD fines are $1.00 per day per item with a 50-cent rewind fee. Failure to pay library fines and overdue charges will result in suspension of library privileges including use of the library computers.

Using the Internet

You do not need to obtain a library card to use the computer workstations at Groves Public Library. We believe in free access for all users. Simply stop at the circulation desk and sign in for your space on the workstations. By signing in for our computers, you are agreeing that you will not hold the City of Groves, Texas responsible for any unacceptable information accessed while on the Internet.

Click to view our Donation and Gifts Policy.

Click to view our Meeting Room Policy with Application

Click to view our Collection Development Policy

Serving the community of Groves, Port Arthur, Port Neches, Nederland and all the citizens of Texas

Welcome to the Groves Public Library