The community resource for education, exploration, enrichment & enjoyment.

1. Borrowing Policy
2. Overdue Fine Policy
3. Computer/Internet Policy
4. Printing Policy

If you do not find a desired item, you can request the item from another library in the eiNetwork Member System. This can be done for you at the front desk or you can request the item yourself using the on-line catalog. Items borrowed will have the time period for the loan, number of renewals and fines assessed based on the location where they are checked out. It is no longer based on the owning library unless that is the location of check out for the materials.

If no library in the Allegheny County system owns the item for which you are looking, you can fill out a yellow slip at the front desk to request that we consider purchasing the item for our collection, or you can fill out a blue Inter-Library Loan slip to request the book from a library outside the eiNetwork consortium. There is no fee for this, but remember that you must have a library card to borrow any materials from the library.

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Overdue Fine Policy

Fines will be assessed as follows:
50¢ per day - For Videos, DVD's and CD ROM's
25¢ per day - Adult / Young Adult materials in the library
10¢ per day - Children's material in the library

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Computer/Internet Policy

You MUST have a valid library card in order to access the computers. Enter your library card number in the space provided to log on.

Valuable local, national, and international sources of information can be accessed through the Internet. Whitehall Public Library neither monitors nor controls this information. Users of the Internet must evaluate the validity of the information.

In compliance with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), all Whitehall Public Library computer terminals will be filtered. CIPA requires that access be blocked to sites that are obscene, contain child pornography or are harmful to minors within the meaning of applicable sections of Title 18 U.S. Code. The filtering will also help ensure that access is blocked to sites that are illegal, obscene, or sexually explicit within the meaning of 18 PA. Cons. Stat., Sec. 5903. Any adult (age 17 or older) may request that the filter be disabled without significant delay by an authorized staff member. A parent/guardian may request the filter be disabled for a child (age 16 or younger) in the event that the filter blocks a legitimate site.

Material that is deemed inappropriate will not be tolerated, and can result in permanent loss of Internet privileges at the Whitehall Public Library.

The Library reserves the right to end an Internet session, to designate computers for a specific purpose, to set time limits, and to require registration with a valid library card or driver's license.

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Printing Policy

All black & white copies that are printed from the Internet are 10 cents per page.

Color printouts are $1.00 per page

NOTE: No copies can be printed from a wireless connection.

We recommend usage of a flash drive to save work done on the PC at the library. PCs have a DVD/CD Read/Write drive available. Customers can save files on the desktop however these files will be deleted at the close of the library day for your security. Software can not be downloaded to the computers.

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Library Theft Act

LIBRARY THEFT ACT Act 95 of Session 1982
18 P. S. 3929.1

House Bill 671

Amending Title 18 (Crimes and Offenses) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, adding an offense and providing a penalty.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Title 18, act of November 25, 1970 (P. L. 707, Number 230, known as the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, is amended by adding a section to read:

3929.1 Library theft.

(a) Offense defined - A person is guilty of library theft if he willfully conceals on his person or among his belongings any library or museum material while still on the premises of a library or willfully and without authority removes any library or museum material from a library with the intention of converting such material to his own use.

(b) Grading -

(1) Library theft constitutes a:

(i) Summary offense when the offense is a first offense and the value of the material is less than $150.

(ii) Misdemeanor of the second degree when the offense is a second offense and the value of the material is less than $150.

(iii) Misdemeanor of the first degree when the offense is a first or second offense and the value of the material is $150 or more.

(iv) Felony of the third degree when the offense is a third or subsequent offense, regardless of the value of the material.

(2) Amounts involved in library thefts committed pursuant to one scheme or course of conduct, whether from the same library or several libraries, may be aggregated in determining the grade of the offense.

(c) Presumption - A person who willfully conceals any library or museum material on his person or among his belongings while still on the premises of the library or in the immediate vicinity thereof shall be prima facie presume to have concealed the library or museum material with the intention of converting such material to his own use.

(d) Detention - A peace officer, employee or agent of a library who has probably cause to believe that a person has committed library theft may detain such person on the premises of the library or in the immediate vicinity thereof for the following purposes:

(1) To conduct an investigation in a reasonable manner and within a reasonable length of time to determine whether such person has unlawfully concealed or removed any library or museum material.

(2) To inform a peace officer of the detention of the person or surrender that person to the custody of a peace officer.

(e) Exemption from Liability - A peace officer, employee or agent of a library who detains or causes the arrest of any person pursuant to this section shall not be held civilly or criminally liable for false arrest, false imprisonment, unlawful detention, assault, battery, slander, libel or malicious prosecution of the person detained or arrested provided the peace officer, employee or agent of the library had at the time of the detention or arrest probable cause to believe that the person committed library theft.

(f) Public display of law - A copy of this section shall be publicly displayed in the reading rooms and other public rooms of all libraries in such number and manner as will bring this section to the attention of patrons.

(g) Prior offenses - Prior to the commence or trial or entry of plea of a defendant 16 years of age or older accused of the summary offense of library theft, the issuing authority shall notify the Pennsylvania State Police for determination as to whether or not the defendant previously has been convicted of the offense of library theft. The results of such determination shall be forwarded to the police department if the department is the prosecutor, or to the issuing authority of the prosecutor is other than a police officer. The issuing authority shall not proceed with the trial or plea in summary cases until in receipt of the determination made by the State Police. The district justice shall use the information obtained solely for the purpose of grading the offense pursuant to subsection (b).

(h) Fingerprinting - Upon conviction the issuing authority shall order the defendant to summit within five days of such order for fingerprinting by the municipal police of the jurisdiction in which the offense allegedly was committed or the State Police.

(i) Definitions - As used in this section the following words and phrases shall have the meanings given to them in this subsection:

"Conceal." To conceal library or museum material so that, although there may be some notice of its presence, it is not visible through ordinary observation.

"Library." Any public library, any library, archives or manuscript repository of educational, historical or elementary institution, organization or society, any museum and any repository of public records.

"Library or museum material." Any book, plate, picture, photograph, engraving, painting, drawing, map, newspaper, magazine, pamphlet, broadside, manuscript, document, letter, public record, microfilm, sound recording, audiovisual materials in any format, magnetic or other tapes, electronic data processing records, display object, exhibit, work of art, artifact, or other documentary, written or printed materials regardless of physical form or characteristics, belonging to, on loan to, or otherwise in the custody of a library.

"Premises of a library." Includes but is not limited to the library and all parking areas set aside for the parking of vehicles for the convenience of the patrons of such library.

Section 2. Effective date. This act shall take effect immediately, Approved the 27th day of April, 1982.

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