[Libs-Or] Residency requirements redux

[Cindy Gibbon]

Hi, Kristen.  I will throw some other approaches into the mix here.  Since
tourists contribute to the economy and since homeless people (many of whom
are children) need the library more than just about anybody, we take a
different approach to figuring out how we can help people use the library.

We do let tourists use the hotel address where they are staying as their
local address.  Homeless folks often use the address of a shelter where
they are able to get mail.  Knowing where the shelters or other homeless
services are in your community helps facilitate this.  We mail a welcome
postcard as a means of address verification.

It can also help to have a stash of paperbacks (donations work well) or
some kind of limited use card (maybe just a couple of items checked out at
a time) that you can offer to a person who can't verify an address.  You
won't have lost much if the material doesn't come back.  Even a library
with not many resources can make the donated paperback option work.

Another trend that we are seeing is libraries that actually put an e-book
kiosk in an airport or other location in the community and allow people who
are just passing through to have a temporary card for limited use.  We
haven't done that yet but are looking at it and weighing the
opportunities.  A resort town might be able to emulate that somehow to be
more welcoming to tourists.

Just a few alternative thoughts to consider,

Cindy

*Cindy Gibbon*
Access & Information Services Director
Multnomah County Library
*Voice:*  503.988.5496
*Fax:*  503.988.5441
cindyg at multcolib.org


On Sun, May 10, 2015 at 4:37 PM, Kirsten Brodbeck-Kenney <
kbrodbeck-kenney at lincolncity.org> wrote:

> Possibly a very specific question: If your library has residency
> requirements for a card, how do you handle residents of RV parks? Not
> mobile home parks, mind, but the type of place where people can park their
> RV either short- or long-term? We've been handling them in essentially the
> same way as we would a motel, which is to say that we generally don't
> consider people who live in such accommodations to be residents, with some
> exceptions for those who've been able to demonstrate a long-term rental or
> similar. I'm curious if this is something anyone else has encountered?
>
>
>  Kirsten Brodbeck-Kenney, MLIS
> Library Director
> Driftwood Public Library
> 801 SW Hwy 101, #201
> Lincoln City, OR 97367
> 541-996-1251 (desk)
> 541-996-1262 (fax)
> www.driftwoodlib.org
>
>
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