Library Policies

Rappahannock County Library is dedicated to open access to information for the public. Internet access is available to library patrons in good standing.  Patrons and guests without their library cards must present a valid form of identification when they sign up to use Internet terminals.

Internet Use Policies

• Not all sources on the Internet provide information that is accurate, complete, current, legal or acceptable to all citizens. The Rappahannock County Library assumes no responsibility for any damages, direct or indirect, that arise from the use of its web server or from its connection to other Internet services.
• Access to computers is limited to those individuals who have a library card in good standing and who are 12 years old or older. Children under 12 may bring a parent or guardian to access the Internet together. The parent or guardian is solely responsible for determining what information may or may not be appropriate for their child to access or observe.
• Internet terminals are available on a first-come, first-served basis, unless reserved beforehand.
• The library is a public space. Material accessed on or retrieved from the Internet may be offensive to some or may not be appropriate to display to others.
• Computer use may be limited to one hour per user per day at the library’s discretion.
• Users will limit their time to 30 minutes if others are waiting for an Internet terminal.
• Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in the loss of Internet access.

Acceptable Use

The Rappahannock County Library expects staff and patrons to use responsibly the electronic resources it provides. There are federal and state laws that prohibit access to certain materials and resources. See [18 U.S.C. Secs. 1030, 1462, 1465 and Code of Virginia sections 18.2-152.1 et seq., 18.2-374 et seq.]

Internet terminals may not be used for the following purposes:

•  Violation of any applicable federal, state or local laws, ordinances, rules or regulations;
• Destruction of or damage to equipment, software or data belonging to the library or others;
• Gaining or attempting to gain unauthorized access to any computing, information or communications devices or resources;
• Disruption or unauthorized monitoring of electronic communications;
• Unauthorized copying of copyrighted or other protected material;
• Unauthorized use of computer accounts, access codes or network identification numbers assigned to others;
• Violation of software license agreements;
• Violation of the privacy or another person or party;
• Any and all other matters which the library, in its sole discretion, and in consideration of the best interests of the public, determines to be an unacceptable purpose.

Filtering Requirement

The Rappahannock County Library has applied filtering software to its Internet terminals in compliance with the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA). Under this law, if you are over age 17, you have the right to ask that the filter be turned off. Proof of age may be required.

Wifi

The Library offers a free, public, and unsecured wireless network accessible through a variety of devices, such as laptops and smartphones. The wifi network may not be used for the following purposes:

1. Violation of any applicable federal, state or local laws, ordinances, rules or regulations;
2. Destruction of or damage to equipment, software or data belonging to the Library or others;
3. Gaining or attempting to gain unauthorized access to any computing, information or communications devices or resources;
4. Disruption or unauthorized monitoring of electronic communications;
5. Unauthorized copying of copyrighted or other protected material;
6. Unauthorized use of computer accounts, access codes, or network identification numbers assigned to others;
7. Violation of software license agreements;
8. Violation of the privacy or another person or party;
9. Any and all other matters which the Library, in its sole discretion, and in consideration of the best interests of the public, determines to be an unacceptable purpose.

Use of the Library’s hardware, software, Internet service, wireless network, and electronic information resources is entirely at the risk of the user. Rappahannock County Library shall not be liable for any damage that may occur to any computer, peripheral equipment, device, or storage media; loss of data or
confidential information; unauthorized access to or alteration of data transmission; and/or any other direct, indirect, special, incidental, consequential, or exemplary damages resulting from or arising out of use of the Library’s Internet service, equipment, or other devices; wireless network, and/or
electronic information resources or inability to use these services; or any other matter relating to these services.

The user agrees to hold the Library harmless from any claims, losses, damages, obligations, or liabilities relating to the use of Library computers, network, or other equipment, or related to the use of information obtained from the Library’s electronic information system.

Adopted September 1995
Revised October 2017
Reaffirmed January 2018

MATERIALS SELECTION AND WITHDRAWAL

1. We will observe the principles stated in the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read Statement of the American Library Association, specifically:
   1. We will try to provide a well-rounded collection of books and diverse other materials that reflect the interests and needs of the entire Rappahannock County community.
   2. There will be no restricted area of the library for shelving controversial books or other items, and no materials will be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.
2. The professional staff is responsible for the selection of materials to be added to the collection. Every effort is made to strike a balance between cost of materials, selection of materials according to their value, and selection of materials according to their demand by patrons. Materials will be acquired using standard professional selection criteria as well as requests and other input from the Rappahannock County community. The Library will resist any pressure to restrict the choices of library patrons and will not censor the library collection on behalf of any group or individual. No materials will be excluded because of the race, nationality, gender, religion, or political or social views of the author or the subject. To the extent that budget and space in the library building allow, the Library staff will attempt to provide materials that present to the fullest practical measure all points of view. In seeking to develop a collection that represents many viewpoints and provides information and entertainment to a variety of patrons, the Library will acquire books and other materials that may not be acceptable to the beliefs of everyone. The presence of resources in the Library does not indicate endorsement of their content by the Library staff, by the Board of Trustees, or by any individual or organization providing funding to the Library.
3. The Library will accept donated books and other materials with the understanding that these may be added to the Library’s collection or disposed of, as deemed appropriate by Library staff. Suggestions from patrons regarding additions to the collection are also welcome, although the Library Director will make the final decision on purchasing such items.
4. Access to materials in the Library will not be restricted to anyone. The responsibility for use of materials by children and adolescents belongs to the parent or legal guardian; selection of library materials will not be influenced by the possibility that materials may come into the possession of children and adolescents. Library materials will not be marked or identified to show approval or disapproval of their contents, and no library material will be sequestered except to protect it from damage or theft.
5. Withdrawal of material from the library’s collection is the responsibility of the Library Director who will ensure that an up-to-date and useful collection of materials will be maintained through continual withdrawal and replacement. Items that might be withdrawn include dated materials that are no longer relevant, badly worn or damaged materials, items with poor circulation statistics, together with space considerations.
6. The Library staff and the Board of Trustees recognize that some materials are controversial and that patrons may question library materials that do not support their tastes and views. Although library materials are carefully selected to be included in the library’s collection, there can arise differences of opinion regarding whether materials are suitable in a public library. Library staff are available to discuss concerns and to identify alternate materials that may be available. If concerns are not satisfied through a discussion with staff and if a patron requests that material be withdrawn from the collection or restricted within the collection, a formal reconsideration of library materials may be requested. The following governs this process:
   1. The patron must complete a Request for Reconsideration of Material form. Forms are available at the Library Circulation Desk. Forms must be completed in their entirety and delivered in person to the Library Director.
   2. Only individuals who are library cardholders in good standing and who are County residents and/or County property owners may make such requests.
   3. Only one item may be considered in each request and the item may not be reconsidered in a subsequent request.
   4. Only one request from a patron will be accepted at any one time.
   5. The material being challenged must be read, listened to, and/or viewed in full by the patron.
   6. The Request for Reconsideration of Material form will become part of the Rappahannock County Public Library’s public record. This Request for Reconsideration of Material form should be submitted to the Library Director who, with appropriate professional staff, will review the form and the material in question to determine whether its selection follows the criteria stated in this Materials Selection and Withdrawal policy. Within 15 business days, the Library Director will make a decision on the request and communicate that decision to the requestor, stating reasons for the decision. If the individual is not satisfied with the decision, a written appeal may be submitted within 30 business days to the Library Board of Trustees. If the Library Board of Trustees plans to address the appeal at one of its meetings, the requestor will be notified of when and where the meeting
      will be held. The Library Board of Trustees reserves the right to limit the length of public comments at this meeting.
7. The ultimate authority for selection and withdrawal of library materials rests with the Library Board of Trustees through its role in setting and interpreting policy.

Adopted June 1993
Revised November 2017
Reaffirmed January 2018
Revised and approved by the Board of Trustees, April 27, 2023

The Rights of Requesters and the Responsibilities of the Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees under the Virginia Freedom of Information Act

The Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), located in § 2.2-3700 et seq. of the Code of Virginia, guarantees citizens of the Commonwealth and representatives of the media access to public records held by public bodies, public officials, and public employees. A public record is any writing or recording ̶regardless of whether it is a paper record, an electronic file, an audio or video recording, or any other format ̶that is prepared or owned by or in the possession of a public body or its officers, employees, or agents in the transaction of public business. All public records are presumed to be open and may only be withheld if a specific statutory exemption applies.

The FOIA statute identifies the purpose of FOIA as promoting an increased awareness by all persons of governmental activities. Further, the FOIA statute requires that the law be interpreted liberally, in favor of access, and that any exemption allowing public records to be withheld must be interpreted narrowly.

Summary of FOIA Rights
• Requesters have the right to request to inspect or receive copies of public records or both.
• Requesters have the right to request that any charges for the requested records be estimated in advance. The Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees must notify the requester in writing that it will make reasonable charges not to exceed its actual cost incurred in searching for, accessing, duplicating, and supplying requested records and will inquire of the requester whether he would like to request a cost estimate in advance of supplying the records. (See Charges for Providing Requested Records section of this policy.)
• If requesters believe that FOIA rights have been violated, they may file a petition in district or circuit court to compel compliance with FOIA. Alternatively, they may contact the FOIA Council for a nonbinding advisory opinion.

Making a Request for Records from the Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees

The requester may submit a request for records by U.S. mail, fax, email, in person, or over the telephone ̶ FOIA does not require that any particular method be used to convey a request. FOIA does not require that the request be in writing nor that the records are being requested pursuant to FOIA.

From a practical perspective, it may be helpful to both the requester and the person receiving the request to have the request in writing. This allows the requester to create a record of the request. It also provides a clear statement of what records are being requested so that there is no misunderstanding over a verbal request. However, the Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees cannot refuse to respond to a FOIA request if it is not put in writing.

The request must identify the records being sought with "reasonable specificity." This is a common-sense standard. It does not refer to or limit the volume or number of records requested; instead, it requires that the request be specific enough so that we can identify and locate the records being sought.

The request must ask for existing records or documents. FOIA provides a right to inspect or copy records; it does not apply to a situation where the requester is asking general questions about the work of the Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees, nor does it require the Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees to create a record that does not exist.

The requester may choose to receive electronic records in any format used by the Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees in the regular course of business. For example, if the requested records are maintained in an Excel database, the records may be provided to the requester electronically, via email, on a computer disk or flash drive, or via a printed copy.

If we have questions about the request, please cooperate with staff's efforts to clarify the type of records being sought or to attempt to reach a reasonable agreement about a response to a large request. Making a FOIA request is not an adversarial process, but we may need to discuss the request to ensure that we understand what records are being sought.

Requests for records of the Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees should be directed to Amanda Weakley, Library Director and FOIA Officer. She can be reached by phone at (540) 675-3780, by mail at P.O. Box 55, Washington, VA 22747, or by email at amandawrcpl@gmail.com.

In addition, the Freedom of Information Advisory Council is available to answer any questions about how FOIA works. The Council was created in the legislative branch of Virginia state government to issue opinions on the operation and application of FOIA, to publish educational materials, and to provide training about FOIA. However, the Council is not a records repository and does not process records requests on behalf of other public bodies, nor is the Council an investigative or enforcement agency. The Council may be contacted by email at foiacouncil@dls.virginia.gov, or by phone at (804) 698-1810 or toll-free at 1-866-448-4100.

The Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees’ Responsibilities in Responding to a Request

The Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees must respond to a request within five working days of receiving it. "Day One" is considered the day after the request is received. The five-day period does not include weekends, holidays, or other days when the Rappahannock County Library is closed for business.

The requester does not have to state why the records are desired. FOIA does, however, allow the Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees to require the requester to provide his name and legal address.

FOIA requires the Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees to make one of the
following responses to the request within the five-day time period:
1. We provide all of the requested records, in their entirety.
2. We withhold all of the requested records because all of the records are subject to a specific statutory exemption. If all of the records are being withheld, we must send the requester a response, in writing. That writing must identify the volume and subject matter of the records being withheld and state the specific section of the Code of Virginia that allows us to withhold the records.
3. We provide some of the requested records but withhold other records. We cannot withhold an entire record if only a portion of it is subject to a specific statutory exemption. In that instance, we may redact the portion of the record that may be withheld and must provide the remainder of the record. We must also provide written documentation stating the specific section of the Code of Virginia that allows portions of the requested records to be withheld.
4. We inform the requester in writing that the requested records cannot be found, or do not exist, or we do not have the requested records. However, if we know that another public body has the requested records, we must provide contact information for the other public body to the requester.

If it is practically impossible for the Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees to respond to the request within the five-day period, we must state this in writing, explaining the conditions that make the response delayed. This will allow us an additional seven working days to respond to the request, giving us a total of 12 working days to respond to the request. In the case of criminal investigative files requested pursuant to § 2.2-3706.1 of the Code of Virginia, we are allowed an additional 60 working days to respond to the request, giving us a total of 65 working days to respond to the request in this situation.

If the request is for a very large number of records, and we feel that we cannot provide the records within 12 working days without disrupting our other organizational responsibilities, we may petition the court for additional time to respond to the request. However, FOIA requires that we make a reasonable effort to reach an agreement with the requester concerning the production of the records before we go to court to ask for more time.

Charges for Providing Requested Records

The FOIA statute allows a charge to be made to the requestor for the actual costs of responding to FOIA requests. The Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees will make reasonable charges not to exceed its actual cost, including staff time, incurred in searching for, accessing, duplicating, and any other costs directly related to supplying the requested records. Any duplicating fee charged will not exceed the actual cost of duplication. We will not impose any extraneous, intermediary, or surplus fees or expenses to recoup the general costs associated with creating or maintaining records or transacting the general business of the Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees and we will not include any general overhead costs.

Prior to conducting a search for records, we will notify the requester in writing that we will make reasonable charges as described above and inquire of the requester whether he would like to request a cost estimate in advance of our supplying the requested records as set forth in subsection F of § 2.2-3704 of the Code of Virginia. This will allow the requester to know about any costs upfront and provide the opportunity to modify the request in an attempt to lower the estimated costs. The five days that we have to respond to the request does not include the time between when we send you the estimate and when you respond. If you do not respond within 30 days, then your request will be deemed to be withdrawn.

If we estimate that it will cost more than $200 to respond to the request, we may require that a deposit be made, not to exceed the amount of the estimate, before proceeding with the request. The five days that we have to respond to the request does not include the time between when we ask for a deposit and when it is received. As above, if you do not respond within 30 days, then your request will be deemed to be withdrawn.

If money is owed by the requester from a previous FOIA request that has remained unpaid for more than 30 days, the Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees will require payment of the past-due bill before it will respond to the new FOIA request.

Cost Schedule

Paper copies:

• $0.10 per page. If printing is on both sides of a page: $0.20 per page.
  Copying charges will not be assessed when the total cost is less than $1.00.
• Staff time will be charged at the rate stated below when copying requires a quarter hour or more, which is likely in situations involving manual placement of records on the copier, such as positioning pages from books or reducing oversized documents.

Electronic Copies E-mailed:

• Existing electronic copies will be provided at no additional charge above and beyond the cost of staff time as noted below.

Copies Transferred to Other Media:

• If the requester wants electronic records held by us copied to other media, and we have the capability of doing so, we must be provided with the media, such as a thumb drive. To protect the integrity of our systems, these must be “clean,” that is, have no other data or programs stored on them. If we have to wait for the requester to supply the media, that time does not count against the period in which we have to reply.

Staff Time:

• Costs for staff time for searching, retrieving, copying, and other allowable costs will be the actual direct labor cost per hour applied to the time spent, rounded down to the nearest quarter hour.

Types of Records

The following is a general description of the types of records held by the Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees:
• Meeting Minutes of the Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees (available online for May 2022 and forward)
• Financial Statements and Operating Budgets
• Library Policies
• Records of contracts which the Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees has
entered into, within the timeframe established by the Library of Virginia pertaining to the retention of contract documents

If the requester is uncertain whether the Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees has the record(s) sought, please contact Amanda Weakley directly at the Rappahannock County Library by phone at (540) 675-3780, by mail at P.O. Box 55, Washington, VA 22747, or by email at amandawrcpl@gmail.com.

Commonly Used Exemptions

The Code of Virginia allows any public body to withhold certain records from public disclosure. The Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees commonly withholds records subject to the following exemptions:
• Personnel records (§ 2.2-3705.1 (1) of the Code of Virginia)
• Records subject to attorney-client privilege (§ 2.2-3705.1 (2)) or attorney work product (§
2.2-3705.1 (3))
• Vendor proprietary information (§ 2.2-3705.1 (6))
• Records relating to the negotiation and award of a contract, prior to a contract being
awarded (§ 2.2-3705.1 (12))

Download the FOIA Request Form

Adopted June 2023

1. ADOPTION
The Rappahannock County Library Board of Trustees (Board) adopts the following procurement procedures for single or term contracts not expected to exceed $50,000 in accordance with §2.2-4303.G of the Code of Virginia. A copy of this policy shall be posted on the Library Board website.
2. PURPOSE
This policy shall apply to the purchase of goods or services, including professional services, by the Board when the cost of the same is not expected to exceed $50,000. Procurement exceeding $50,000 shall follow the Code of Virginia 2.2-4303, Methods of Procurement.
3. PURCHASING AGENT
The Library Director is hereby designated purchasing agent for the Board and is vested with all necessary powers and authority to act on behalf of the Board with respect to all purchases which are authorized by this procurement policy. The purchasing agent is authorized to make awards for all purchases of goods and non-professional services valued at $5,000 or less, and purchases of professional services valued at $10,000 or less. Action by majority vote of Board members attending a meeting shall award all contracts valued at more than $5,000, and for professional services valued at more than $10,000.
4. ETHICS PROVISIONS
Sections 2.2-4367 through 2.2-4377 of Code of Virginia, Ethics in Public Contracting, shall apply to the procedures established by this policy.
5. PURCHASING PROCEDURES
Procurement procedures for goods and services, including professional services, shall provide for competition wherever practical.

A. FOR PURCHASES OF GOODS AND NON-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OF $5,000 OR LESS
The purchasing agent may make such purchases by obtaining prices in whatever manner he/she deems expedient, including by telephone. At least two prices shall be obtained for purchases greater than $500 unless the purchasing agent cannot reasonably locate more than one supplier. The purchasing agent may accept the lowest price but is not required to do so. The purchasing agent shall keep written notes of who he/she obtained prices from, what they were, the date each price was obtained, and which supplier was chosen to supply the goods or services sought. In obtaining prices, a bidder shall not be told the amount of any other bids made until all bids are received and the bidder shall not thereafter be allowed to lower or modify his/her bid.

B. FOR PURCHASES OF GOODS AND NON-PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OF MORE THAN $5,000 BUT NOT EXCEEDING $50,000
For such purchases, competitive sealed bids or competitive negotiation, although preferred, is not required provided the aggregate or the sum of all phases is not expected to exceed $100,000. The purchasing agent shall prepare a brief written description of the goods or services to be purchased on Form A, which shall be posted publicly at the library for a minimum of seven days. The form may also be posted on the Library website. In addition to the posting, persons known to supply such goods or services shall be contacted and asked to submit bids. Initial contact may be by any mode, but to be a qualifying bid, a bid shall be made by completing the bidder's half of Form A At a minimum, bids shall be solicited from persons who have supplied their names and addresses to the purchasing agent for placement on a bidder's list for the type of goods and services sought. An attempt shall be made to obtain at least two bids, but the Board is not required to accept the lowest bid. The conditions stated on Form A are incorporated herein by reference and shall apply to every purchase exceeding $5,000 but not exceeding $50,000.

C. FOR PURCHASES OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OF $10,000 OR LESS
The purchasing agent may make such purchases by obtaining prices in whatever manner he/she deems expedient, including by telephone. Form B shall be used as the contract mechanism.

D. FOR PURCHASES OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OF MORE THAN $10,000 BUT NOT EXCEEDING $50,000
For such purchases, competitive negotiation, although preferred, is not required provided the aggregate or the sum of all phases is not expected to exceed $80,000. The purchasing agent shall prepare a brief written description of the professional services to be purchased on Form B, which shall be posted publicly at the library for a minimum of seven days. The form may also be posted on the Library website. In addition to the posting, persons known to supply such goods or services shall be contacted and asked to submit a proposal. Initial contact may be by any mode, but to be a qualifying proposal, a proposal shall be accompanied by the offerer's half of Form B. At a minimum, proposals shall be solicited from persons who have supplied their names and addresses to the purchasing agent for placement on an offerer's list for the type of services sought. An attempt shall be made to obtain at least two proposals, though two offerers are not required if no other supplier of the services is reasonably available.
The Board or its designee(s) together with the purchasing agent shall conduct a simplified competitive negotiation process consisting of proposal review and compensation negotiation with the offerer deemed to provide services that best align with the services needed. If mutual agreement on contract terms and compensation cannot be obtained, negotiations with the preferred offerer will cease and negotiations will transition to the offerer deemed next preferred, who will then be deemed the preferred offerer, and so on. The Board is not required to accept the lowest bid. The conditions stated on Form B are incorporated herein by reference and shall apply to all professional services purchased exceeding $10,000 but not exceeding $50,000.

6. EMERGENCIES
In case of an emergency need for goods or services, established procedures will be followed as much as is practicable under the circumstances. The purchasing agent will notify the Library Board President in writing of any quotes obtained and any decision made, and that communication will be then be kept for official records.

Adopted June 2019