Pend Oreille County Library District Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a library card?
Residents of Pend Oreille County may get a library card by bringing in proof of your physical address and filling out a patron card registration form. Parents or legal guardians must sign for any child under the age of 17. A child must be 5 or older to obtain a library card.
You may use your library card at any Pend Oreille County Library as well as libraries in the Stevens County Rural Library District and Colville and Chewelah Public Libraries.
Out-of-county residents may also get a library card. The cost for nonresidents per card is $25.00 for a year, $10 for three months, or $15 for a year for senior citizens age 62 and over.
Our eligibility policy extends borrowing privileges and Internet privileges to anyone who has a library card from any library system. By showing us your library card and identification, this authorizes you to receive a library card from the Pend Oreille County Library District after you have filled out and signed the proper registration forms. This is done as a courtesy to residents of other communities.
What are your hours of operation?
NEWPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY HOURS:
Monday 10-5, Tuesday 10-8, Wednesday 1-5, Thursday 10-8, Friday 10-5,
Saturday 10-3
CALISPEL VALLEY LIBRARY HOURS:
Tuesday 11-8, Wednesday 1-5, Thursday 11-6, Saturday 11-3
IONE PUBLIC LIBRARY HOURS:
Tuesday 10-1 & 2-6, Wednesday 1-7, Thursday 10-1 & 2-6, Saturday
10-3 (1st and 3rd Sat.), (Closed 2,4, & 5th Sat.)
METALINES PUBLIC LIBRARY HOURS:
Monday 10-12 & 1-6, Wednesday 1-6, Friday 10-4, Saturday 10-3, (2nd
& 4th Sat.), (Closed 1,3, & 5th Sat.)
HOLIDAY CLOSURES
New Year’s Day: January 1st
Martin Luther King’s Birthday: 3rd Monday in January
Presidents’ day: 3rd Monday in February
Memorial Day: Last Monday in May
Independence Day: July 4th
Labor Day: 1st Monday in September
Veteran’s Day: November 11th
Thanksgiving Day: 4th Thursday in November
Friday after Thanksgiving Day: 4th Friday in November
Christmas Day: December 25th
At discretion of the Director, the library may close early on Thanksgiving Eve, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve. Libraries may be closed if a local celebration makes it impractical to hold regular library hours. If a holiday falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday will be observed with libraries closed on Friday. If a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday will be observed with libraries closed on Monday.
What is the checkout period for library items?
All items: 4 weeks (28 days)Book drops are located outside all Pend Oreille County Libraries for your convenience. Please do not use for videos or overlarge books.
What is the limit on number of materials checked out?
Each library card holder may check out up to 40 items.
What are the overdue fines?
The fine for overdue materials is $1.50 per item for items from POCLD. Charges may vary for items from other other libraries in the Cooperative Information Network (CIN). For information on these other libraries, please refer to CIN Member Libraries.
Is there a maximum overdue fine?
The maximum fine for all overdue items is $6.00. The fee for a lost item is the cost of the item plus any applicable fines.
May I renew materials by calling on the phone?
Yes, you may renew materials by calling your local branch on the phone.
For phone numbers, please refer to Contact
Library Branches.
You may also renew your materials from the online Library Catalog:
1. Go to Public Access Catalog
2. Go to Your Library Account
3. Enter your library card # and your last name
4. Click on the items you wish to renew
5. Click renew
Done!
Can I be notified by email about overdue materials?
The Pend Oreille County Library District now offers email notification to patrons who have a library card. Patrons will receive email notification when an item is overdue. The email notification will let a patron know when an item is overdue the first day after the due date. The patron then has 9 days to get the item to their nearest library branch before a fine occurs. Patrons will also receive email notification when a book they have requested through the Cooperative Information Network (CIN) system has arrived and is ready to be picked up. Please contact your local library if you are interested in receiving email notification.
Is it possible to order material from other libraries?
Yes, you must have a library card. This Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service usually takes one to two weeks. There is a charge of $2.00 per item for any Interlibrary Loan ordered to help cover the cost of postage. Payment is due when item is received. Also, if ILL item is not picked up, a $2.00 charge will be added to patron's card.
How can holds be placed?
Library patrons may place a hold on an item from the library using the PAC (Public Access Catalog). You can ask the branch manager or library assistant on duty to put the hold on for you, or you can go to the PAC online and place the hold yourself. You must use your library card # and your last name in order to place a hold from the PAC.
Do you have public computers?
Yes, if you have a library card you may use any of our public-use computers. To use, you must read our rules for usage and sign an agreement. You are then eligible to sign up for one hour per day. Patrons under 18 years of age must have the consent (in writing) of a parent or guardian.
Is there a charge for using library computers?
No, use of the computers is free. The only charge is for printing, which is 10¢ per page for black and white and 25¢ per page for color.
What is available on the library computers?
- Access to our web page and catalog
- Access to the Internet
- Access to Microsoft Office
- Access to online databases
- Access to a scanner and scanning software
Do you have a copy machine?
Yes, the charge for making copies is 10¢ per page (20¢ for 2-sided) for black and white copies and 25¢ for color copies.
Do you have a fax machine?
Yes. To send a fax the charge is 10¢ per page, plus 50¢ for the first minute and 30¢ for each minute thereafter. Extra charges may be incurred if the fax is overseas. When a fax is received, the charge is 10¢ per page, and it is important that the fax have a cover page with a phone number where you can be reached.
What other services are available?
- Microfilm readers (reader & printer available in Newport, readers only in Ione & Metalines.)
- Microfilms of local newspapers
- In-library TV, VCR and DVD player
- Sorenson Video Relay Service, a free service for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community that enables anyone to conduct video relay calls with family, friends, business, etc.
How is the Library District funded?
Pend Oreille County Library District is a junior taxing district and its major source of revenue is a property tax dedicated to library services. The District does not and has never received federal, state, or any other special use tax such as from license fees.
The maximum levy rate allowed for the Library District is 50 cents per $1000 of assessed valuation – i.e. $50 per year for $100,000 home. The tax is applied to only property in Pend Oreille County.
Thirty-five of the thirty-nine counties in Washington have Library Districts, including Stevens County and Ferry County to the west and Spokane County to the south. All Library Districts in the state are funded in the same manner. Property owners in Stevens County, Ferry County, or Spokane County pay the same levy rate as property owners in Pend Oreille County.
The Washington State Laws regarding public libraries are in the RCW (Revised Code of Washington) beginning in Title 27 Section12
About Property Tax in General:
State law requires County Assessors to appraise property at 100 percent
of its true and fair market value in money, according to the highest and
best use of the property.
Reductions, Exemptions and Deferrals:
State law allows for several methods of reducing, exempting or deferring
property taxes. Agriculture, open space, or timber lands are eligible
for reduced assessed value, which means that the tax is also reduced.
Seniors and disabled persons may be eligible for property tax exemptions
or deferrals. Churches, federal, state and local government units, and
many nonprofit agencies do not pay property taxes when their property
is used for a tax-exempt purpose.
Appeal of Appraised Value:
You may appeal your property's appraised value by contacting the County
Assessor’s office or the County Board of Equalization.
Property Tax Limitations:
Library District property tax revenue increases are limited both by the
rate of inflation (Implicit Price Deflator) and by the 1% cap.
2000 population census for Pend Oreille county:
Total population 11,732
Population – incorporated towns:
Newport 1,921
Cusick 212
Ione 479
Metaline 162
Metaline Falls 223
Population – unincorporated parts of county: 8,735