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Public Meeting Room Policy Main Policy Reviewed - 4/24/25 Small Group Room Guidelines Revised: 1/26/24 Back to List Purpose The library encourages public use of meeting rooms as gathering places to exchange ideas; access and share information and participate in programs created for public enjoyment, public education and civic engagement. The meeting rooms will be available on an equitable basis regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use. Permission to meet at the Library does not in any way constitute or imply endorsement of the users’ policies, beliefs or programs by the Library staff or Board of Trustees. Apply to use a public meeting room ! (Small group rooms do not require an application.) Room Use Priority Priority will be given to: Library sponsored and co-sponsored activities and events. All other groups will be given consideration on a first-come/first-served basis. The Library reserves the right to reschedule confirmed meeting room reservations to accommodate library meetings or events. In such rare instances, the Library will make every reasonable effort to give ample notice and to assist the group in reserving another date or library meeting room. Eligibility Meeting rooms are available for non-commercial use by local not-for-profit organizations, governmental agencies, and educational entities. Local refers to non-profit organizations based in or serving residents of the Lake County Public Library district. Groups are considered not-for-profit when their mission serves an educational, cultural, charitable, political or civic purpose. Not-for-profits include 501(c)3, 501(c)4, 501(c)5, 501(c)6, 501(c)7, 501(c)8 corporations. Meeting room reservations requests by not-for-profit organizations must include a copy of the 501(c) certificate. This requirement may be waived by the Director in the case of local, organized, small not-for-profit unincorporated associations that provide other supporting documentation. The person filling out a meeting room reservation request on behalf of the group must have a Full Access library card in good standing from Lake County Public Library and be at least 18 years old. Exceptions to this requirement may be made for representatives of federal, Indiana, or local agencies or political subdivisions. First time users must submit an application for use. The Library reserves the right to review each prospective meeting room request and determine whether the group qualifies and the planned use fits within the guidelines and terms of Library policies and this Meeting Room Agreement . Meeting Room Fees Eligible groups may reserve and use library meeting rooms for non-commercial activities without charge under the following conditions: The group is a local not-for-profit organization, governmental agency, or educational entity The meeting is open to all people who wish to attend. No fees or donations are collected or solicited for admission or participation in the meeting or event. No fundraising takes place during the meeting. A local not-for-profit organization, governmental agency, or educational entity using the room for non-commercial activities will be charged the rental fees* listed under the following conditions: Meetings are not open to and advertised to the general public, e.g., board meetings, committee meetings, training sessions, and the like. A group has restricted attendance to a limited or designated audience. The group requires an exchange of money, goods, or services for attendance (regardless of the exchange being on or off our premises). This includes meetings held by federal tax exempt organizations as well as governmental agencies. Meeting Room Capacity Fee Merrillville - Meeting Rm A 150 $150 Cedar Lake 50 $50 Griffith-Calumet 50 $50 Hobart 30 $50 Lake Station-New Chicago 50 $50 St. John 50 $50 Dyer-Schererville - Whole 50 $50 Munster 50 $50 Highland 50 $50 Merrillville - Meeting Rm B 25 $50 Dyer-Schererville - Half 35 $25 Merrillville - Meeting Rm C 15 $25 Merrillville - Meeting Rm D 15 $25 Cleaning Fees: Hourly Rate Reservations To insure and promote the accessibility of library meeting rooms to a wide variety of community groups eligible groups may: book three consecutive meetings system-wide at a time on a rolling basis. reserve meeting rooms up to 6 months in advance, as available, up to 20 times a year. only use rooms during normal library operational hours, Monday – Saturday. Acceptable Use Guidelines No sale of goods or services, fundraising, or solicitation for future sales or services will be permitted without prior Library Administration approval. “Solicitation” is any act or attempt to advertise, market, or sell any product or service; to seek membership in any organization; or to obtain a donation/contribution. This includes the collection of “free-will” offerings. Public property, such as Library buildings, facilities, parking lots, grounds and other real property, is held in trust for the public. It is to be used for governmental and public purposes and governmental property is not to be used for private gain. Library meeting rooms are designed to meet general, non-commercial, informational, educational, cultural and civic needs. Excluded are purely social events which include but are not limited to parties or entertainment and meetings for the benefit of private individuals. The meeting room kitchens are not intended for cooking, but to provide a convenient space for the preparation of light refreshments. No meals may be served unless prior approval is given in writing by Library Administration. All activities and programs conducted in library buildings must comply with federal, state, and local laws and are subject to the rules, regulations, and policies of the Library. Meeting rooms are not available if the Library is closed due to an emergency or inclement weather. Library personnel have free access to enter any meeting room at any time. The Library Board has vested in Library personnel the authority to supervise meeting room use and to interpret policy; however, final authority rests with the Library Director. Responsibility of User The group must have a signed application on file agreeing to our policies, to be signed on an annual basis by an authorized representative of the group. The individual agrees to be the responsible party. If unavoidable circumstances prevent attendance by the applicant, he/she is still personally responsible for the proper use of the facility and payment for any damage. Minimum attendance may be required. Groups must stay within the designated maximum seating capacities of assigned rooms. Cancellations by groups must be received by the Library at least 48 hours in advance. A penalty in room use privileges may be imposed on groups who do not cancel their meetings by the designated deadlines. Any publicity materials must clearly indicate that the program is under the sponsorship of the group and not the Lake County Public Library. The Library will provide basic housekeeping service such as regular cleaning as part of meeting room maintenance. Any additional cleaning or repair required beyond normal library maintenance will be billed at an hourly rate. The cost of any materials required for any repair will be billed to the responsible party. Excessive amounts of garbage (beyond the capacity of trash receptacles provided in the meeting room) must be removed by the room user to outside trash receptacles. The Library is unable to provide storage space for materials or equipment between meetings. Children and youth groups are required to use the meeting rooms under adult supervision. All meetings must be over and the rooms vacated 30 minutes before the library closes. Meeting Room Amenities Kitchen Screen Podium Wifi Each meeting room is equipped with a standard number of tables and chairs. A group may change this arrangement for their specific use. Furniture should be left in a clean, neat, and orderly arrangement at the close of the meeting. Revocation and Refusal of Authorization for Use Authorization to use library facilities may be revoked. Persons or organizations refused the use of the meeting rooms or persons or organizations whose privileges to use the meeting rooms have been revoked shall have the right to appeal in writing to the Library Director. Such appeals must be submitted in writing within 10 days after notice of the refusal to use the meeting rooms or the revocation of use of the meeting rooms. The privilege of using Library meeting rooms will not be granted or will be revoked if the activities or intended activities of the meeting room users negatively impact normal operations in any of the following ways: The meeting is conducted in a noisy, disorderly or inflammatory manner. The size of the meeting presents personal safety or building security issues, or creates an undue parking demand on library lots or the surrounding neighborhood. The activities of meeting room users disrupt or will be disruptive to other library patrons’ use of library facilities or distract library staff from the performance of their duties. The meeting room users neglect to pay all required fees, or neglect to pay for damages to the meeting room. Misrepresentation of information supplied on Meeting Room Agreement form Repeated failure to show up for scheduled reservations or frequent cancellations Physical abuse of facilities and/or equipment Failure to adequately supervise participants of meeting Failure to vacate the room by the scheduled reservation time Violation of Library Policies Small Group Room Guidelines Lake County Public Library provides small group rooms for the use of eligible cardholders. The rooms may be used in accordance with the following guidelines: Eligible Users must be at least 18 years old and and present their own LCPL card for small group room use. (In House Use cards are acceptable for small group room bookings). The library cardholder who booked the small group room is responsible for other users and must remain in the small group room. Users are limited to one 2-hour reservation per day. After two hours of use, users may continue until the room is reserved for a new user. Please be respectful to staff and other users by leaving the room quickly (within 5 minutes) when notified that time has ended. Reservations accepted up to 2 months in advance. Users may have up to 2 reservations at a time – limited to one reservation per day. Room users may not exceed a room’s capacity. Capacity ranges from 1 to 10 people depending on branch; call or email the library to see if your group can be accommodated. Library staff are not responsible for personal belongings left unattended. Small group rooms unoccupied for more than 15 minutes may be reserved by another user. Small group rooms close 15-minutes before the branch closing time. Violation of these guidelines or the Library’s Rules of Conduct could result in loss of Small Group Room Privileges. Back to List Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Lake County Public Library - 10/26/95 Revised - 3/25/04 Revised - 5/26/16 Revised - 3/23/17 Revised - 8/29/19 Reviewed - 4/24/25 Small Group Room Guidelines Issued: Administration, 3/8/18 Revised: 1/26/24

Ask A Librarian Surprise Bundle Requests We now have a special form for surprise bundle requests! Give it a try . Obituary Requests We receive an overwhelming number of requests to scan and email obituaries. In order to make sure everyone's needs are served, we will only fill 4 obituary requests per person per week. Thanks for understanding! Purchase Requests If you've tried to follow the ILL/Purchase Request steps and still need help, let us know. Be sure to include as much information as possible, like the title, author, and ISBN number if you have it. Quick Links Request for Resolution (PDF) Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials (PDF) Purchase Request FAQ Call Your Branch Please note that we will not respond to surveys submitted via this form. We can answer anything from "How do I find a book?" to "How many protons does molybdenum have?" (42, by the way. You're welcome.) We attempt to reply to all questions within 48 hours, so just sit back, relax, and wait for a well-sourced, reputable answer to land in your inbox.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library FAQ Donate School Disctricts Join the Imagination Library Lake County Public Library is pleased to bring Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to our school districts! Children under age five in every LCPL school district are eligible to participate. (Not in our school district? Another organization may support your area! Check Imagination Library availability for any location here .) You can apply online , print an application (PDF; for a more accessible option, apply online ), pick up an application at any LCPL branch, or give us a call at (219) 769-3541 ext. 308. Apply Online Donate What is Imagination Library? The Imagination Library provides one free book every month to children from birth to age four living in a supported school district. All parents have to do is apply and their eligible child will begin receiving a new book in the mail every month until they turn five. There are no fees, the books are delivered directly to the child's home, and the child gets to keep them forever. Why is this important? Studies show that children who grow up surrounded by books do better in school. The Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, for example, found that reading aloud to children at a young age has a positive impact on brain development. The National Commission on Reading states that “The single most significant factor influencing a child's early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school.” It's the LCPL Foundation's goal to give every child possible the advantage of having books and reading opportunities at home. Parents can get an Imagination Library application at any LCPL location . We made the paper! Read about the Imagination Library in the Chicago Tribune . Frequently Asked Questions How do I apply? You can pick up an application at your favorite LCPL branch, apply online,(https://imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability/) or print an application here. (https://www.lcplin.org/_files/ugd/fcf8a0_4d2c060958044c8890948871bba7f547.pdf)Fill it out and return it to the library or scan it and email it to imagine@lcplin.org.(mailto:imagine@lcplin.org) You can also give us a call at (219) 769-3541 ext. 308 to complete an application over the phone. What books are included in the program? A current list of the books by age group is posted on the DPIL website.(https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/book-list/) How do I manage/make changes to my Imagination Library account? 3-5 business days after your application has been accepted, you'll receive an email from Imagination Library with log in instructions. Check your spam folder if you haven't gotten it! Here is the log in page.(https://imaginationlibrary.com/bos/) You can go here to check your child's status, update your mailing address and email, and see what books are set to be mailed each month and when. How long before my child starts receiving books? The first book will arrive generally within 8-12 weeks. Books are sent by Third Class mail. They are not sent on the same day each month. I think we missed a book delivery. If a child misses a book there are several steps to follow to track down the possible reasons. Start here. (https://support.imaginationlibrary.com/article/287-missed-books) DPIL does not mail replacement copies for missing or damaged books. Books are mailed throughout the month. After the mailing date it could take another 2-3 weeks before the book arrives at the child’s home. For BOS users, the mail dates can be found under Daily Operations>Books>Books Mailed. Support Dolly Parton's Imagination Library for LCPL Kids The Imagination Library is free to families because it is funded by the LCPL Foundation in partnership with the Imagination Library. The Imagination Library acquires the books at cost from Penguin Random House, and LCPL is only responsible for shipping fees. The LCPL Foundation has provided the seed money and pledged annual support for as many children as their budget allows. But as the program grows we will need your help to bring books into every child's home. You can donate by check at any LCPL location, or mail a check to 1919 W. 81st Ave, Merrillville, IN 46410 Attn: Director's office. Please make checks out to LCPL Foundation. If you would like your donation to remain anonymous, just let us know! $156 supports one child for the duration of the program. Every dollar helps - and yes, your donation is tax deductible! Donation Tiers Our Sponsors Supported School Districts LCPL school districts include Griffith Hanover Highland Hobart Lake Central Lake Ridge Lake Station Merrillville Munster River Forest Not sure if you're eligible? Check your address here. Use the "Search by Address" tab and enter your home address to see which school district and library district you belong to. You can learn more about what districts are and are not part of the Lake County Public Library district here . Still have questions about school districts? Call us at (219) 769-3541 ext. 374.

Science Kits Learn more about the world around you! Science kits contain all the parts you need for fun experiments, plus questions to think about and suggestions for further reading. Each kit comes in a box or backpack and checks out for one week. Take home a telescope, explore with a nature hike backpack, make a prediction with a weather forecasting kit, and more! How to Reserve Browse & Reserve Borrowing Kits: Kits are available to LCPL full access cardholders 18 years or older in good standing. You can borrow one kit at a time. Kits may be reserved up to 1 year in advance. The borrower is responsible for ensuring that all parts of the kit are returned in the bag on time and in good condition. You will be asked to sign a waiver at the time of reservation. Each kit is recommended for a certain age group but all kits should be used with adult supervision. For more information, suggestions for new kits, or assistance using the myTurn reservation system, please give us a call at (219) 769-3541 or email us .

Movies & TV Stream Movies and Shows! You have two options for streaming movies and TV shows: Kanopy and Hoopla. Each has advantages! Scroll down to see the differences. Both require a Full Access or Digital Access card and PIN. Get Started Hoopla Check out ebooks, digital comics, audiobooks, and more! Get Started Kanopy Stream over 30,000 films, documentaries, and television shows on your desktop, TV, or mobile device.ﾠ Feature Overdrive/Libby Hoopla Supported Devices Many versions of iOS, Android, Kindle, Windows Mobile, Nook, and other eReaders. Check and see if your device is supported. Many versions of iOS, Android, and Kindle Fire. Check and see if your device is supported. Number of Checkouts 10 at a time (all Overdrive items count toward this total). These replenish when an item is returned. 16 per month (all Hoopla items (audiobooks, albums, movies, etc) count toward this total). These replenish each month, not when you return an item. Offline Use? Yes! You may download your books to any device. Yes, through the mobile app only. Holds 10 at a time. Not needed! You can check out a title even if someone else has it checked out. Check Out Period 14 days. Returns automatically. 21 days. Returns automatically.

Health & Medicine Look up information on symptoms, find a doctor, or just research a particular condition. These databases will help you find answers to your concerns about health! Recommended Resources Get Started Coronavirus Research Database Trusted content from journals, pre-prints, conference proceedings, dissertations and more related to COVID-19 and other coronaviruses. Get Started Health Source - Consumer Edition Nearly 300 full-text consumer health periodicals, including American Fitness, Better Nutrition, Fit Pregnancy, Harvard Health Letter, HealthFacts, Men's Health, Muscle & Fitness, Prevention, Vegetarian Times, and many others. (Via ﾠINSPIRE) Get Started INSPIRE Free to Indiana residents: a searchable database of databases. Find hundreds of further resources for your research! Get Started NWI 211 Support for residents of Lake, Porter, Newton, Jasper, Starke, and Pulaski Counties. Find info on emergency food, health care, shelter, foreclosure assistance, and more. Or, dial 2-1-1 to speak with a trained specialist. Get Started Ompractice Access to over 100 live camera-on fitness and mindfulness classes a week to help reduce stress, improve flexibility, get strong, and age well. Tutorial

Business Use our business and finance databases to get stock advice, research legal cases, create marketing plans, build mailing lists, and more. Tutorials: How to Use These Resources Recommended Resources Get Started Business Source Elite Detailed company profiles, full-text articles from top marketing and management journals, as well as articles covering MIS, POM, accounting, finance and economics. viaﾠ INSPIRE Get Started Consumer Reports Formed in 1936, ConsumerReports is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering you to make informed choices about the products you buy. Read articles on product safety, unbiased reviews of popular products from kitchen appliances to baby clothes, get shopping tips, and more. Tutorial Get Started Data Axle Reference Solutions (Formerly ReferenceUSA) Create marketing plans, conduct competitive analysis, raise funds, and locate people. Tutorial Get Started Driving-Tests.org Everything you need to prepare to take your Indiana driving test! Contains FAQs and practice tests for cars, motorcycles, and CDL. Resources also available in Spanish! Get Started INSPIRE Free to Indiana residents: a searchable database of databases. Find hundreds of further resources for your research! Get Started Legal Forms Library (Gale) Find sample forms and actual forms available for use. Examples include adoption forms, parental consent forms, and general applications. Get Started Lynda.com/LinkedIn Learning A library of video courses taught by industry experts. Learn business, software, technology, and creative skills! Take courses in 3D animation, music production, marketing, programming languages, and more. Tutorial Get Started Morningstar Investment Research Center Research stocks and funds, build a portfolio, and find information on publicly traded companies. Tutorial Get Started New York Times Access current articles on world news, business, food, tech, sports, arts, politics, and much more. You will be prompted to redeem a code for 24 hours of access and create a New York Times account if you don't already have one. After 24 hours you can return to this page and click the link again for another code. Tutorial Get Started Plunkett Research Online Research industry statistics and trends. This database contains very in-depth industry reports. Get Started Value Line Information on stock and investments. Includes an Investment Education section, free reports, and featured relevant news items. Tutorial Get Started Wall Street Journal - Home Access Current coverage of business, politics, entertainment, sports, and more. This link may be used outside of the library, but requires a Full Access or eLibrary Card number and PIN just like our other online resources. You will also be prompted to create a Wall Street Journal account.ﾠ Get Started Wall Street Journal - In-Library Use Current coverage of business, politics, entertainment, sports, and more. This link works within LCPL buildings only, and does not require a log-in. Get Started Washington Post - Home Access Current coverage of business, politics, style, technology, world news, and more. You will be prompted to create a Washington Post account, after which you will gain free access for 7 days. When access expires, return to this page, click the link again, log in with your Washington Post account, and enjoy another 7 days of free access. Repeat as needed. Get Started Washington Post - In-Library Use Current coverage of business, politics, style, technology, world news, and more. This link works within LCPL buildings only and does not require a log-in. Get Started Weiss Financial Powerful tools to protect your finances, invest wisely, grow your wealth, and learn more about your finances.ﾠ Tutorial

Reader's Advisory Recommended Resources Get Started NoveList Plus A powerful tool to help you find both fiction and nonfiction books and audiobooks based on what you enjoy. This database for all ages is searchable by keyword, author, genre, and even story elements like writing style and mood. Also offers author readalikes!

Protection of Privacy of Library Users Updated 2/27/2025 Back to List Protection of Privacy of Library Users It is the policy of the Board of Trustees of the Lake County Public Library to insure, so far as possible, the privacy of the users of its service and not to make any inquiries into the purposes for which a user requests information, services or materials. All library records are for the sole purpose of protecting public property, tracking library use and circulation and are not to be used for any other purpose, either directly or indirectly, nor to identify specific individuals or the types of materials used by any individual library user. Under no circumstances shall the library staff answer to a third party about what any individual is accessing, searching, attending, reading, downloading, using or requesting, by phone, in person or electronic methods, from the library’s collections, materials, online resources or programs. Furthermore, such records shall not be made available to any agency of local, state or federal government except pursuant to such process, order, or subpoena as may be authorized under the authority of, and pursuant to, local, state or federal law relating to civil, criminal, or administrative discovery procedures or legislative investigatory power. The Board of Trustees shall resist the issuance or enforcement of any such process, order, or subpoena until such time as a proper showing of good cause has been made in a court of competent jurisdiction. Moreover, any costs incurred by the library in any search through user records, even under a court order, shall be chargeable to the agency demanding the search. Back to List Adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Lake County Public Library - 01/14/71 Updated 2/27/2025

Background Check Policy Adopted By the Board of Trustees – 9/24/2020 Back to List Lake County Public Library may order a background check on new employees, promotion consideration and volunteer applications. The Library may order additional background reports for employment purposes, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law. The employee, candidate or volunteer will fill out a background check authorization form and return itto the Human Resources Department. The Human Resources Manager will order the background check (through a screening service) upon receipt of the signed release form and will be the company’s representative to review the results. All background information will be maintained in the Human Resources Department. In instances where negative or incomplete information is obtained, the Human Resources Manager and the Director will assess based on a case by case scenario. If a decision is adversely made based on the results of a background check, there may be certain additional Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requirements that will be handled by Human Resources in conjunction with the employment screening service (if applicable). The Director’s background check (during the search for a Director) will be discussed with the Human Resources Manager and the Board of Trustees Personnel Committee. The Lake County Public Library reserves the right to modify this policy at any time without notice. Back to List Adopted By the Board of Trustees – 9/24/2020

Bestseller Express Bestseller Express books are the newest, hottest books on our shelves. Just look for the rainbow Bestsellers Express sign to see what's in! It's called an "express" collection because the books are due back in 7 days instead of the regular two weeks. You can't renew items from this shelf and you can't place holds on them, either, so there are often copies of hot new titles with extremely long wait lists. If you spot one you've been waiting for on this shelf, it's your lucky day! Bestseller Express FAQs Can I still place a hold on bestselling titles? Yes! Sometimes a title may be in both the regular circulating collection and the Bestsellers Express collection. Holds are filled using books in the regular collection, while Bestsellers Express copies remain on the shelf for anyone lucky enough to spot them - it's always worthwhile to come in and take a look at the Bestsellers Express shelves if you're languishing at the end of a long holds line! Can I check out a Bestsellers Express book if I have a hold on the same title in the regular circulating collection? Yes, you may check out a Bestsellers Express book even if you already have a hold on a different copy of the same title. Your hold will then be cancelled to free the item up for another reader. What are the circulation rules for Bestsellers Express? • Limit: 2 Bestseller Express books • 7 day loan • No renewals • No transfers to family or friends • No holds • $1.00/day fine (max fine: $10) A copy of these rules can be found on the back and front cover of every Bestsellers Express book. You may return the books to any branch.

Library Districts The Seven Library Districts of Lake County, Indiana Lake County is composed of seven independent public library districts. You are in the Lake County Public Library district if you live in one of the following school districts: • Griffith • Hanover • Highland • Hobart • Lake Central • Lake Ridge • Lake Station • Merrillville • Munster • River Forest The other six library districts of Lake County are: Crown Point Community Library East Chicago Public Library Gary Public Library Hammond Public Library Lowell Public Library Whiting Public Library Why So Many Districts? Each library district is a separate governmental unit, with its own Board of Trustees, administration, staff, collection, and services, designed to meet the needs of the community that it serves. While all of the libraries have similarities, each district also offers a unique mix of materials, services, and programs. Cooperative agreements exist among most Lake County library districts, allowing residents to utilize an even wider variety of resources (i.e., residents of the Hammond Public Library district may obtain a card that can be used at Lake County Public Library). Learn more about statewide borrowing . Library districts are arranged above in alphabetical order.