[HISTORY: Adopted by the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Bergenfield 7-20-1976 by Ord. No. 1059. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 3-20-2018 by Ord. No. 18-2521; 2-18-2025 by Ord. No. 25-2638]
A. 
No person shall detain or fail to return any book or article borrowed from the Bergenfield Free Public Library and no person shall fail to pay any fine imposed by said Library in violation of the rules and regulations of the said Free Public Library after 30 days have elapsed from the date of posting by certified mail, return receipt requested, of a notice demanding return of such item or payment of such fine, addressed to said person at the last address furnished to the Library. In the event the certified mail notice is not accepted by such person, the notice shall be sent by ordinary mail, and the thirty-day period shall commence on the date said notice is mailed.
B. 
In addition to the fines and fees established by the Library Board for material type, loan period, overdue charge per day and replacement costs, any patron accruing fines over $250 for overdue materials shall be subject to legal proceedings.
No person shall willfully or maliciously cut, tear, deface, disfigure, damage or destroy any book, periodical, pamphlet, artistic reproduction, phonograph recording, audiovisual material or other article or any part thereof which is owned by, borrowed from or is in the custody of such Library.
No person with intent to defraud shall register or furnish a false name or address, or use any card other than the one issued by the Library or approved by the Library for the purpose of borrowing any book or article from said Library.
No person shall remove any book, periodical, pamphlet, artistic reproduction, phonograph recording, audiovisual material or any other item or article from the Free Public Library Building without first complying with the rules and regulations and procedures of the Library for borrowing such items or articles.
The Library Board shall adopt and post in a conspicuous place in the Free Public Library Building rules, regulations, and procedures governing the borrowing of books, periodicals, pamphlets or any other item or article which may be available for such borrowing to the public and the payment of fines for retention of items beyond permissible times.
The Library Director is authorized to file a complaint in the Municipal Court for violation of this chapter under the following conditions:
A. 
A certified letter, return receipt requested, shall be sent by the Library Administration no sooner than six weeks after the book or material is overdue and/or a fine is due under the library's posted rules and regulations, informing the person that the book or material is overdue and/or that a fine is due and that he is subject to prosecution pursuant to this section.
B. 
In the case of a minor, the letter shall be sent to the parents of the minor involved.
C. 
The book material or article shall be overdue and/or the fine shall remain unpaid for at least 30 days after the posting of the required notice.
[Amended 2-19-1985 by Ord. No. 2005]
In the event a person has lost any item borrowed from the Public Library, he shall not be deemed to have violated § 194-1 of this chapter by detaining or failing to return the same if, within the time specified in said § 194-1, he shall pay to the Library an amount equal to the total of the replacement costs, and cost of processing and cataloging.