User Registration and Access to Collection

User Registration and Access to Collection. A. Library Community. All libraries, including public, academic, institutional, school, and special libraries, are eligible for service. Staff of libraries checking out Library Commission materials in person on behalf of a local library must present a local library card in the name of the borrowing library. At the request of a library director, the Library Commission shall issue a Library Commission card in the name of the borrowing library. Libraries new to the services of the Library Commission must submit an application for a Library Commission card. An individual possessing signatory authority for the library must sign the application, accepting responsibility for materials borrowed. B. State Government. Employees and officials of Mississippi State government are issued Library Commission cards to access the specialized services of the Library Commission which are provided to State government. Individuals must complete an application to the Library Commission to obtain a Library Commission card. Library Commission staff may confirm employment with the State agency prior to issuing or renewing a Library Commission card. State employees are required to notify the Library Commission in the event of a change of employers or departure from State service. The Library Commission provides specialized services to state employees. C. Individuals with Visual or Physical Impairments. 1. Access to Blind and Physically Handicapped Collection - Access to the Library Commission’s Blind and Physically Handicapped Collection is limited to: those individuals, regardless of age, who have completed the federal registration form certifying that the individual meets at least one of the requirements set forth by NLS; and institutions which have completed the federal registration form certifying that the institution serves individuals, regardless of age, who meet at least one of the requirements set forth by NLS. Persons desiring in-person access to materials shall present a valid photo identification to allow Library Commission staff to verify prior registration. 2. Access to Large Print Direct Mail and Descriptive Video Service - Registered Blind and Physically Handicapped Collection users may access the descriptive video and large print Mississippi Library Commission 5 Revised 052411 direct mail service of the Primary Resource Collection by completing an application. A Library Commission card will not be issued unless requested by the user. Users desiring in-person access to large print materials and descriptive videos shall present a valid photo identification to allow Library Commission staff to verify that the individual is a registered user. Non-large print materials borrowed by users of the Large Print Direct Mail Service will not be mailed by the Library Commission and must be returned to the Library Commission at the borrower’s expense. D. Intellectual Property Researchers. Intellectual property researchers may utilize the resources of the Patent and Trademark collections on the Library Commission premises without obtaining a Library Commission card. Researchers wishing to check out patent related materials must obtain a Library Commission card following the same requirements as set forth for the general public. Children ages sixteen (16) and under must be accompanied by an adult unless special arrangements have been made in advance. Patent and trademark research library staff offer a thorough orientation to the research process but are strictly prohibited from interpreting intellectual property law, offering legal advice, or performing patentability searches or trademark registration searches for users. E. General Public. Members of the general public must obtain a Library Commission card to check out materials. 1. Adults - Individuals age seventeen (17) and over who are registered borrowers in good standing from any Mississippi public library system may obtain a Library Commission card. A valid local library card from a Mississippi public library, issued in the same name, and another form of photo identification must be presented at the time application is made for a Library Commission card. The Library Commission reserves the right to contact the issuing public library to verify standing. 2. Children - Children age sixteen (16) and under must be accompanied by an adult when using the resources of the Library Commission unless special arrangements have been made in advance. Children, with the exception of children who are eligible users of the Blind and Physically Handicapped Collection, are not allowed to check out materials. F. Remote Access to Select MAGNOLIA Databases. The Mississippi Alliance for Gaining New Opportunities through Library Information Access (MAGNOLIA) is a statewide consortium funded by the Mississippi State Legislature which provides online databases for Mississippi’s publicly-funded K-12 schools, public libraries, community college libraries, and university libraries. Individuals may search the databases in libraries across the State or at the Library Commission. Select databases are available from home or office computers using a password. Passwords may be obtained at a local library. A registered user of the Library Commission may obtain a password from the Library Commission.