The library is a public entity established by the citizens of Wakefield to meet a range of
needs. Behaviors that diminish another person’s ability to use the library are unwelcome.
The following behavior standards apply on the premises, including library grounds.

Patrons and staff will treat everyone with civility and respect.

Securely covered beverages and neat food consumption are allowed only in areas of the
library where they cannot damage the building, furnishings, and equipment.

Smoking and vapor products are prohibited.

Weapons are prohibited.

The library is a public building. Library staff are not responsible for persons or property.
- Children requiring supervision for safety or behavior should not be left unattended.
- Belongings should not be left unattended.

Disruptive or dangerous behavior, as determined by library staff, is prohibited. Such
behavior includes but is not limited to
- Loud or annoying sounds. Phone conversations are restricted to the Avon St. foyer.
- Lack of shoes or shirt
- Strong scents.
- Obstruction of entrances, exits, or aisles.
- Running.
- Animals other than properly leashed and trained service animals.

Improperly removing library materials or property, and the destruction or defacement of
the library building, property, or materials is punishable by law.

Report disturbing behaviors to a librarian.

Anyone whose behavior is inappropriate is subject to having his/her picture taken for
purposes of identification. Any property abandoned or associated with disruptive behavior
is subject to confiscation and examination.

This serves as notice. The library need not issue further warnings regarding these behaviors
before issuing a No Trespass notice. Librarians have the authority to implement library
policies and to determine appropriate standards of conduct. Patrons whose behavior is
objectionable will be asked to leave. Minors may be asked to leave until a parent/guardian
has been consulted. Failure to leave immediately, as requested, is regarded as trespassing.

Approved by the Board of Library Trustees September 18, 2008, Revised November 25, 2008, November 17, 2014, November 17, 2021

1. A library patron must be properly registered.

2. Beebe Library does not charge fines for overdue materials. Patrons are invited to make donations
to the Friends of the Library.

3. Long overdue material may be assumed to be lost. A library patron who has been billed for long
overdue materials may not borrow materials until the patron’s record has been cleared.

4. A library patron who owes overdue materials, and/or fees or fines, to another library may be
denied borrowing privileges at Beebe Library.

5. Beebe Library reserves the right to limit the number of items which any patron may borrow, and
to limit or forbid renewals. Among other considerations, the library strives to ensure that a
sufficient collection is maintained for public use. Patrons are asked not to borrow more items at one
time than they can reasonably expect to use.

Revised June 20, 1997; December 21, 2005; May 21, 2009; March 23, 2022 by the Board of Library Trustees.

I. The Community: Service Population

Wakefield is a suburb north of Boston. Approximately seven square miles, it is predominantly residential, with some light industry, two large office parks, and a downtown business district. The town borders Route 128; commuter rail and MBTA bus service is available. Picturesque Lake Quannapowitt attracts recreational users from surrounding areas.

For purposes of collection development, census data, including population demographics, households, and school enrollment, will be reviewed annually.

The community has diverse civic, political, historical, recreational, artistic, fraternal, ethnic, and religious clubs and organizations, and numerous religious denominations. In addition to regional media, Wakefield is served by one daily and one weekly local newspaper, as well as a local cable
television station.

By Massachusetts standards, Lucius Beebe Memorial Library is a medium-sized public library, centrally located in the downtown business district. The current library facility is a historic building erected in 1922, with an addition and renovation in 1967 and 1997, respectively. The library is designed to accommodate 110,000 volumes. Beebe Library has a collection of physical items in print and non-print formats, digital images, electronic reference sources, and databases and digital books available through affiliation with the North of Boston Library Exchange and the Massachusetts Library System. The library typically circulates close to 300,000 items annually.

As a certified Massachusetts public library and a founding member of the North of Boston Library Exchange (NOBLE), Beebe Library strives to meet the diverse needs of members of its service population. While emphasis is given to assisting the literacy and educational endeavors of the public school department, as well as the families of preschool children, the library also considers the needs of its elder population and, as a downtown anchor building, the needs of local businesses and their employees.

II. Library Mission

The library’s Core Purpose is:

To engage our community in lifelong learning that builds knowledge and promotes understanding.

The library divides its public service delivery between Youth Services and adult Readers’ and Information Services, with designated areas in the building for each. Circulation Services and Technical Services serve all patrons. Both public service departments recognize duality in their roles– to provide lifelong learning inspiration and support, and to encourage recreational reading. Increasingly, learning is encouraged through activities in addition to reading.

In the development of its collection, the library recognizes that it is impossible for a medium-sized public library to provide a comprehensive, balanced collection that is strong enough to meet all community needs. As a member of an automated resource sharing network and the state- supported Massachusetts Library System, Beebe Library supplements its resources with materials borrowed from other libraries nationwide.

The library strives to support local government, business, and civic groups, and to build a strong sense of community in Wakefield.

III. Responsibility for Collection Development

The Board of Library Trustees considers and adopts a Collection Development Policy, which they authorize the Library Director to administer. The Director designates staff to develop selection and acquisition procedures and to make purchasing decisions subject to approval. The Director allocates the materials budget annually.

IV. Materials Selection Process

Librarians use a variety of tools to aid in awareness and selection of materials, including such sources as professional review journals, popular print and broadcast media, bookstores, electronic interest groups, publishers’ catalogs, purchase alerts, and patron and staff recommendations. Librarians exercise judgment, experience, and expertise in the application of the following Criteria for Materials Selection, making acquisition decisions as objectively as possible. Evaluation of a work includes the entire work, not just individual parts of the work. A work’s overall contribution to the collection is a critical determinant for acceptance or rejection. No single criterion can be applied to all materials, and various criteria carry different weights in different circumstances. Contextual considerations - budget and space availability, interlibrary loan availability – also shape the selection process.

Criteria for Materials Selection

The library considers all acquisitions, whether purchased or donated, in terms of one or more of the following:
• Level of funding for materials
• Relevance to library’s mission and service roles
• Informational and recreational needs of users
• Local demand
• Current usefulness or interest
• Community needs surveys and assessments
• Authority and accuracy
• Importance as a record of the times
• Relevance to the existing collection’s strengths and weaknesses
• High standards of quality in content and format; critical reception
• Price and availability
• Format, durability, and ease of use
• Suitability of format for subject and user’s needs
• Relevance to the history of Wakefield
• Equity, diversity, and inclusion

V. Scope of the Collection

Children and Young Adults – Beebe Library cooperates with the public school libraries so that their respective services may complement each other. Library staff strives to assemble nonfiction materials that complement the curriculum and respond to the homework needs of students through elementary, middle, and high school. The library makes an effort to provide titles that appear on school reading lists and to promote summer reading. The children’s collection serves children through grade five. The collection focuses on highly
recommended picture books for preschoolers and on popular reading and the information needs of school-aged children. The collection emphasizes materials that develop reading ability, inform children about the world around them, stimulate the imagination, and entertain.

The young adults’ collection serves young people from sixth through ninth grade. The collection includes materials that address the interests and issues specific to this age group.

Adults – The adult collection supports the library’s mission to provide informational and recreational materials to promote a love of reading, and to engage our community in lifelong learning that builds knowledge and promotes understanding.

Local History Materials – The library collects books, papers, manuscripts, photographs, and other materials on local history, with a special emphasis on the history of Wakefield. Based on demand, and within the space constraints of the collection, the library also collects materials on the history of the surrounding area, and to a lesser degree, Massachusetts. A separate collection development policy describes the purpose and criteria of this collection in greater detail.

Formats – The library provides materials and services that reflect the diverse educational, informational, and recreational needs of its users. In so doing, the library provides access to content through print, multimedia, and technology. The library recognizes that content and medium should be suitably matched, and that library patrons have different learning styles and preferences for how they receive information. Therefore, Beebe Library provides materials in a variety of formats, including, when appropriate:

Print – such as hardcovers, paperbacks, magazines, and newspapers

Non-print – such as audio and video formats, microforms, puzzles and games, and artwork. Also equipment for which the cost per use may be unreasonably high for a single household to acquire.

Digital resources – such as online databases; digital books, recordings, and images; digital historical archives; software programs; and the Internet.

Beebe Library considers all types and formats of media to be in the realm of human expression and part of the human record. Because the library functions in a rapidly changing society, it is flexible about changes in communicative material, both in form and style of expression. The library does not reject materials for acquisition solely on the basis of medium. Materials in alternative formats are judged in terms of the Criteria for Materials Selection (above).

VI. Collection Maintenance

In order to maintain a collection that is current, reliable, in good condition, well used, and which relates to the needs and interests of the residents of Wakefield, materials are withdrawn on a systematic and continuing basis. The library withdraws materials judged to be dated, inaccurate, seldom used, in poor condition, or otherwise not in compliance with the Criteria for Materials Selection (above).

Withdrawn materials are handled in compliance with legal requirements regarding the disposition of public assets. With the permission of the Town Council, the library transfers withdrawn materials to the Friends of Beebe Library in exchange for contributions of equal value, except in certain circumstances where the materials are needed by another municipal department, library, educational institution, or non-profit institution. Outdated materials with no remaining value are discarded.

The library applies the Criteria for Materials Selection in deciding whether to purchase replacement copies.

VII. Gifts

The library evaluates all gift materials, including memorials and honoraria, according to the Criteria for Materials Selection. Not all gifts are recommended for addition to the collection. A special bookplate with an appropriate inscription may designate accepted gifts. If a gift is integrated into the collection, the library reserves the right to decide the conditions of display, housing, access, and withdrawal of the material. Gifts that are declined are passed to the Friends of the Library for the book sale, or returned to the donor with a brief explanation of why the item is unsuitable.

Beebe Library does not appraise gift materials for tax purposes. The library will, upon request of the donor, provide a written receipt for gifts, indicating the approximate number/quantity and general description of materials donated.

VIII. Controversial Materials: Intellectual Freedom

Beebe Library does not promote particular beliefs or views. Rather, it provides resources for the various opinions that apply to important, complex, and controversial questions, including unpopular and unorthodox positions. Language, situations, or subjects that may be offensive to some community members do not disqualify material which, in its entirety, is judged to be of value.

The library does not mark or identify materials to show approval or disapproval of contents. The library also does not mark materials to restrict their use by ages, or sequester them except to protect valuable items from damage or theft. The library does not rely on private advisory codes or rating services in developing collections, nor does the library remove such ratings if they are an integral part of the item or its packaging.

The library recognizes parents and legal guardians as the parties responsible for the reading and viewing habits of children. The selection of materials for the adult collection is not restricted by the possibility that children may obtain materials their parents or guardians consider inappropriate.

Concerns about materials in the library’s collections may be directed to any staff member. Patrons may pursue unresolved complaints by submitting a Statement of Concern about Library Material, obtainable from any of the library’s public service desks or from the Administration Office.

In the interest of protecting the individual’s right to have access to materials, the Library recognizes the guiding principles of the following documents:

The First Amendment of the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution

The Library Bill of Rights (American Library Association Council)

Access to Library Resources and Services for Minors; An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights
(American Library Association Council)

The Freedom to Read Statement (A Joint Statement by the American Library Association and the
Association of American Publishers)

IX. Revisions of the Policy

This statement of policy will be reviewed by Library Trustees annually, and revised as times and
circumstances require.

April 17, 1997; Revised Oct 20, 2005, April 11, 2016; April 13, 2022 by Board of Library Trustees

NOTE: The policy is based on the NOBLE network’s Confidentiality Policy, adopted March 13, 2006 by the North Of Boston Library Exchange, Inc.  In adopting the policy, the Trustees declined to forfeit confidentiality for minors with overdue materials.  Beebe Library will not avail itself of that exclusion.
The libraries of the North of Boston Library Exchange (NOBLE) recognize and protect the confidentiality of the use of our libraries and commit to preserving the privacy of that information in the NOBLE system.
All staff, circulation and reference procedures and automated systems will treat the identity of borrowers and the profile of an individual’s search for information in the way that most protects the patron’s confidentiality.
Protected information includes, but is not limited to: borrowing; reserve requests; fine records; records identifying names of users with specific materials, equipment or electronic resources; area of research; the frequency, number or nature of library visits; and all library registration files. NOBLE libraries maintain no record of those items that have been borrowed and returned unless an overdue charge is outstanding. Access to patron information within the library must be limited to a need-to-know basis, enforced by authorization passwords.
Patron information will only be released to its owner upon presentation of positive identification. Patrons may obtain a PIN (Personal Identification Number) from their library upon presentation of positive identification to access their borrowing record privately at an Internet-connected computer.
Under no circumstances will any information regarding either patron registration or circulation be released to a third party, except as described below.
* No records can be made available to any inquiries, including law enforcement, unless a subpoena or warrant has been served by a court of competent jurisdiction. Records will be made available immediately upon presentation of a valid warrant. Records will be released in response to a subpoena after consultation with legal counsel. Whereas a subpoena or a search warrant under the USA Patriot Act (P.L.107-56) suspends state statutes, confidential patron information will be turned over to federal law enforcement officers if such documents are presented. Library representatives shall not honor requests from federal law enforcement officers unless a subpoena or search warrant is presented pursuant thereto. Only Federal officers can use the Patriot Act to request information. Please refer to the process document on the Staff Information System for procedures.
* The records of minors with their own cards are also considered to be private to those persons.  Parents or legal guardians who are responsible for a child’s library materials may obtain records pertaining to overdue items.
* Information may be released as minimally necessary to validate patrons using third-party services contracted by a library or NOBLE.
All contractors to whom patron data or access to patron data is provided must execute a document in the format provided by NOBLE specifically citing that the patron data will not be retained nor sold or otherwise distributed or disclosed.
NOBLE recognizes and utilizes Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 78, Section 7, which states: “Library authorities may disclose or exchange information relating to library users for the purposes of inter-library cooperation and coordination, including but not limited to, the purposes of facilitating the sharing of resources among library jurisdictions as authorized by clause (1) of section nineteen E or enforcing the provisions of sections ninety-nine and one hundred of chapter two hundred and sixty-six.” Library user information can only be used by the library to contact residents of their own community (public libraries) or persons directly affiliated with their own institution (non-public libraries) for library use only in accord with applicable laws and regulations. Should a library use a contractor for such purposes, the contractor must execute a document in the format provided by NOBLE specifically citing the data will not be retained nor sold or otherwise distributed or disclosed.
This policy is based on the Code of Ethics of the American Library Association, which in Article III states: “We protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted” and Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 78, Section 7, which states, “…that part of the records of a public library which reveals the identity and intellectual pursuits of a person using such library shall not be public record as defined by clause twenty-sixth of section seven of chapter four”.
All officers, employees, volunteers, contractors and governing authorities of member libraries accept these tenets by virtue of their participation in NOBLE and are hereby instructed to comply with this policy. Member libraries recognize that only through strict adherence to this policy can the public be confident that their privacy is protected. Any failures to observe this policy must be reported to the library director and/or the NOBLE management team.

Adopted by the Board of Library Trustees as amended, May 18, 2006.

Lucius Beebe Memorial Library is grateful to its many donors, whose gifts and contributions enhance the library building, materials, and services. The library recognizes that implicit in these donations is donor appreciation for the library’s mission and quality of service. In acknowledging such support, the library will provide appropriate, equitable recognition that serves the best interests of both the library and its donors.
In consultation with the Library Director or her designee, recognition may include

  • Endowed accounts titled with a Donor’s name.
  • Bookplates and virtual bookplates.
  • Program sponsorships.

Recognition will not include any permanent labeling, or naming of any room or area of the library or its grounds, other than by an opportunity outlined and approved by the Board of Library Trustees.

Adopted by the Board of Library Trustees, November 20, 2019.

Purpose – The Board of Library Trustees may allow use of the library’s exhibit space by individuals and groups for such civic, educational, philanthropic, and recreational purposes it deems for the interests of the community.  Exhibit space will be granted on an equitable basis to qualified individuals or groups, regardless of their beliefs or affiliations, provided the content of the display is within the broad standards of community acceptability.

All library patrons who enter the building are exposed to an exhibit, depriving them of the opportunity to exercise free choice as to whether to view the exhibit.  As is the case with book selection, the library (as represented by the Library Director or her designee)  will exercise judgment as to current usefulness or interest, authority and competence of presentation, importance as a record of the times, relevance to the collection, and standards of quality in content and format.  All sides of an issue deserve equal representation over time.

Exhibit spaces may not be used for entrepreneurial or commercial purposes, for the solicitation of business, for profit or for fundraising.  Religious proselytizing and partisan political recruitment are similarly prohibited; educational exhibits on these subjects are allowed.  Use of exhibit spaces for library purposes takes precedence over other uses.

The library reserves the right to refuse or remove any material judged unsuitable or to rescind an exhibit for violation of this policy.  Acceptability of an exhibit is at the discretion of the Library Director, whose decisions may be appealed to the Board of Library Trustees.

Impartiality – In presenting exhibits, the library does not imply endorsement of the beliefs or viewpoints of their subject matter.  The library endeavors to present a broad spectrum of opinions and a variety of viewpoints.  Those objecting to an exhibit may submit their own proposal according to this policy.
Press releases or other promotion of the exhibit shall not imply library endorsement of the viewpoints put forth in the exhibit.  Publicity shall be written or approved by the library.

Booking – Exhibit space may be booked through the Library Director’s office or by her designee and will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis.  Exhibit space may be booked up to one year in advance.  The duration of most exhibits will be one month; however, the library reserves the right to schedule exhibits so as to present opposing viewpoints.

Unless the library elects to do so, exhibitors will set up and remove their own exhibits.
The library does not insure exhibits.  The exhibitor assumes full responsibility for loss or damage to materials on display.  All items placed in the library are exhibited at the owner’s risk.

Exhibit Release – Exhibitors are advised since the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library does not insure for fire, theft, or other casualty resulting in loss, damage, or destruction of personal property belonging to private individuals while on display at the library, the Trustees of the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, their agents, servants and/or employees cannot and will not be held responsible for any damage or loss to works or collections occurring while materials are on display at the library.

Please find our Exhibit Release form here.

Adopted by the Board of Library Trustees, November 19, 1992. Revised February 14, 2018.

Library Flag Poles
The library flies an American flag in accordance with the policy set forth in article 3 of Use of
Flagpoles on Town Property adopted June 13, 2022 by Town Council of the Town of Wakefield,
Massachusetts.

A State of Massachusetts flag may be flown from the second library flag pole. No other flags or
banners will be hung from the Library Plaza flag poles.

Promotional Banners
Exterior promotional banners are restricted to those promoting library initiatives, programs, and
events. Such banners will conform to a size, shape, and design approved by the Library Director.

 

Adopted by the Board of Library Trustees October 26, 2022.

Gift materials that enhance the collection according to the guidelines of the Materials Selection Policy may be added to the collection. The Library will consider gifts of hardbound books on the following conditions:

1. A written form which describes the books, provided at the Library, must be completed.
2. After review of the list, a member of the Library staff will contact the prospective donor, indicating which books, if any, the Library will accept as donations.

A written receipt for donations is available next to the secretary’s desk. The Library is not, however, able to place monetary value on gifts. Gifts to the Library in the form of “memorials” or “honorariums” are also subject to the guidelines set forth in the Materials Selection Policy. Accepted materials will be designated by a special bookplate with an appropriate inscription. Unaccepted material will be returned to the donor with a brief explanation of why the material was unsuitable. Monetary gifts are also welcome and receipts will be issued on request. Checks should be made out to “Board of Trustees, Lucius Beebe Memorial Library.”

Approved by the Board of Trustees June 10, 1988

In response to advances in technology and the changing needs of the community, the Library develops resources and services that meet the cultural, educational, informational, and recreational needs of its diverse community by providing access to electronic information. Electronic databases and networks such as the Internet supplement and sometimes replace traditional printed resources. In addition, electronic search skills are increasingly important to patrons in their various life roles.

The Library does not select the material available on the Internet. The Library is not accountable for the accuracy, content, nature, or quality of information obtained through the Internet, nor does the Library endorse viewpoints presented on the Internet. As with other library materials, the responsibility for determining what is valuable or appropriate lies with the library patron or, in the case of minors, their parents or guardians.

The educational and informational use of electronic resources may take precedence over any recreational use of those same resources when their limited availability requires that the Library ration their use. Otherwise, all Internet resources are provided equally to all patrons. Users are advised to refrain from using these resources for illegal activities. The following prohibitions and caveats apply to both adults and minors:

a. Accessing material that meets the definitions of pornography, most especially child pornography, is prohibited. Minors shall not access material “harmful to minors.” Blatantly offensive visual or text-based materials constitute potential sources of sexual harassment to other patrons and to library staff and will not be tolerated.
b. Attempts to gain unauthorized access to computer systems or otherwise compromise system security (“hacking”) are prohibited.
c. Users are advised to exercise caution in divulging personal information through direct electronic communications, as doing so can compromise personal safety and privacy. Unauthorized disclosure of personal information about a third party is prohibited. The library’s wireless network is not secure and, unless a user is connecting to a web page that employs encryption, information is not protected during transmission.

This policy governs use of the Internet through library telecommunications equipment including the library’s wireless network, regardless of the point of access.

Library staff will intercede when this policy is violated and violators will be asked to leave. Violation of this policy may result in discipline including, but not limited to, loss of access to the computers and, in appropriate cases, exclusion from the library. When and where applicable, law enforcement agencies may be involved.

Adopted by the Board of Library Trustees May 21, 1998; Revised November 21, 2002, June 16, 2011

Purpose
The Board of Library Trustees allows the use of meeting rooms for civic, educational, philanthropic, and recreational purposes having a substantial nexus to the Wakefield community.  At a minimum, such a nexus requires that any group seeking to use a meeting room provide a sponsor who resides in Wakefield, Massachusetts and signs the reservation form prescribed below.  In allocating the use of meeting rooms, the Board of Trustees and library staff shall not discriminate on the basis of the political or religious beliefs of applicant groups, or on any other constitutionally or statutorily prohibited basis.  However, the provision of meeting room space is not the primary mission of the library, and must always be subordinate to the paramount need to provide a safe, peaceful, and respectful environment in which to read and study. No use of meeting rooms will be allowed that is likely to disturb library patrons in their customary use of library facilities, impede library staff in the performance of their duties, or endanger the library building or collection.  Use of meeting rooms for library purposes shall take precedence over all other uses.
Meeting rooms shall not be used for entrepreneurial or commercial purposes, for the solicitation or development of business, for profit or for fundraising.  No goods or services shall be promoted, sold, or exchanged upon the premises or by sample, pictures, or descriptions.
Exceptions to this policy may be made at the discretion of the Board of Library Trustees as it deems in the best interest of the library and the community.
Requirements for Room Reservations
All groups using any meeting room shall complete, submit and, at the request of the library staff, update an application on a form approved by the Board of Library Trustees.  Such a form shall incorporate by reference this policy and shall recite that the applicant group has received a copy of this policy and agrees to abide by the terms and conditions of this policy.
Reservations shall be made through the office of the Library Director, or its designee.  No group may reserve or use any meeting room unless it complies in all respects with the provisions of this policy and submits, in fully executed form, the application and indemnification agreement called for in this policy, and any insurance certificate requested pursuant hereto.  No meeting room reservation shall be deemed complete until the library staff receives a complete, signed original form (together, if applicable, with an original insurance certificate).
Any false, misleading or incomplete statement on the application form shall be grounds to forbid the use of meeting rooms by the applicant group.
The Board of Library Trustees and the library staff reserve the right to reject a reservation request if the anticipated meeting is likely to be unreasonably disruptive to regular library functions, too large for the applicable room capacity, disorderly, dangerous to persons or property, or in any other way inconsistent with or in contravention of any of the terms and conditions of this policy.  In determining whether such a likelihood exists, the Board of Library Trustees and/or the library staff may take into consideration the contents of the application form, the history of the group’s meeting room use in the library, the history of the group’s use of meeting facilities elsewhere, and such other information as they may deem appropriate.
The Board of Library Trustees reserves the right to determine, in its reasonable discretion, whether any proposed use of a meeting room will require a police detail or other extraordinary police protection, and if so the anticipated cost thereof.  In making this determination, the Board of Library Trustees may take into consideration the contents of the application form, the history of the group’s meeting room use in the library, the history of the group’s use of meeting facilities elsewhere, and such other information as such Board may deem appropriate, and may consult with the Chief of Police or his designee.  If the Board of Library Trustees determines that such police protection will be reasonably necessary, the group seeking to reserve the use of a meeting room shall be required, as a condition of such reservation, to pay to the Board of Library Trustees by such date in advance of the meeting as the Board of Library Trustees reasonably sets, the anticipated cost of such police protection, and such sum shall be applied thereto, with any surplus being returned to the group after the meeting.  The group shall be liable to the Board of Library Trustees and/or the Town of Wakefield for any deficiency.
Reservations shall be accepted, subject to the provisions of this policy, in the order received. Multiple advance reservations will not be accepted for the lecture hall. The library reserves the right to limit the total number of annual reservations made on behalf of a single group.
Failure to notify the library of cancellations may result in forfeiture of future bookings.
Minors may not reserve a meeting room, nor can they serve as sponsors.
Rules for Use
Library meeting rooms are available to the employees of the library and, at the discretion of the library director, to other municipal employees, for conducting business regarding the internal operations of their departments. Such meetings not subject to the Open Meeting Law are not required to be open to the public.
All other meetings shall be open and free of charge to the public.  No person shall be excluded from attendance except in order to comply with the occupancy limit applicable to the meeting room in question.
The occupancy limits are as follows: seventy-five (75) persons for the Lecture Hall and twelve (12) persons for the Trustees Room.
Groups shall, at their own expense, procure any license or permit necessary for the conduct of their meetings.
Groups using meeting rooms may arrange the available tables and chairs as they choose, provided that all pieces of furniture are returned to their original positions at the close of the meeting.  Because the library is unable to set up and break down rooms, groups requiring this service should ask at the Reference Desk for alternate sites in the Wakefield area.
Smoking and alcohol are prohibited.  Light refreshments are permitted provided the group cleans up.  No food is to be left on the premises. A small kitchenette is adjacent to the Lecture Hall and may be used by groups using the Lecture Hall, provided that the area is completely cleaned by the group after the meeting.
Each group using a meeting room shall be responsible to ensure that the meeting room is returned to the same condition after the meeting as it was prior to the meeting.  Failure to restore the meeting room to such prior condition shall render the group liable to the Board of Library Trustees for the cost of repair and clean up and may result in forfeiture of future bookings.
Under no circumstances may use of the meeting rooms interfere with the use of the library by other patrons, the work of the library staff or any other aspect of normal library operation.
All persons attending a meeting in a meeting room shall comply with all requests by library staff and, if applicable, the Wakefield Police Department.  Individuals who fail to comply will be required to leave the library building. Groups who fail to comply, or whose leaders fail to comply, will be prohibited from using the meeting rooms.
Indemnification and Insurance
All groups (except for municipal employees conducting business relating to internal operations) using any of the meeting rooms shall execute and deliver a written undertaking in a form to be prescribed by the Board of Library Trustees by which such groups shall agree to hold the Board of Library Trustees, and the Town of Wakefield, and all library staff, harmless from and to indemnify them against all costs, damages, losses, claims, and expenses incurred, directly or indirectly, as a result of such group’s use of a meeting room.  Such costs, damages, losses, claims, and expenses shall include, without limitation, any damage to the meeting room or any other part of the library building, grounds or collection; the cost of employee overtime, if occasioned by the use of the meeting room; the cost of police protection, if deemed necessary by the Board of Library Trustees; and any claim asserted by any third person against the Board of Library Trustees, the Town of Wakefield, and/or any library staff on account of any alleged injury causally related to the meeting, together with defense costs including reasonable attorneys’ fees.
The said written undertaking shall also constitute a release by the group and each and all of its members of any claim against the Board of Library Trustees, the Town of Wakefield and the library staff for any injury to persons or damage to property suffered by such group or any of its members during or as a result of the use of the meeting room, except insofar as such injury or damage is directly and solely caused by the negligence or intentional misconduct of any person belonging to or acting on behalf of the Board of Library Trustees, the town government of the Town of Wakefield or the library staff.
The Board of Library Trustees reserves the right to require any applicant group to supply a certificate of insurance, from an insurer licensed to do business in Massachusetts, in such amount and in such form as the Board of Library Trustees may reasonably deem appropriate, such amount not to exceed $1 million, naming the Board of Library Trustees as an additional insured, and covering damage to the library building, grounds and collection and injury to persons occasioned by the meeting.  Such certificate shall evidence that the insurance it represents is not cancelable except on at least ten (10) days’ written notice to the Board of Library Trustees. In the event of such cancellation, the meeting reservation shall be canceled unless the group forthwith substitutes a new insurance certificate meeting the aforesaid requirements.
Publicity
In allowing a group to use a meeting room, the Board of Library Trustees and library staff do not imply any endorsement of the group’s beliefs, policies or program.  No group shall in any of its publicity state or suggest that the Lucius Beebe Memorial Library, the Board of Library Trustees, the Town of Wakefield or the library staff sponsors or endorses the meeting, the group or any particular set of ideas.
Groups may identify the library and provide its address in their publicity for the meeting, but may not give out the library’s telephone number or invite potential attendees to contact the library.
Parking
There is limited on-street parking and limited parking at nearby municipal lots, both subject to posted limits.
Hours and Fees
Meeting rooms are available during the library’s regular hours of operation. There is no charge for meeting room use.  A donation to the Friends of the Library is strongly recommended, however.
A meeting room not having been restored to its previous condition and vacated by closing time, thus necessitating the services of a custodian beyond closing time, may result in a fee of $50 and forfeiture of future bookings.  Checks shall be made payable to the Town of Wakefield and shall be given to the custodian before departure.

Revised and Adopted April 17, 1997; Sept. 19, 2001; Nov. 21, 2002; April 13, 2004; Nov. 14, 2007; Dec. 20, 2007; March 19, 2009; June 20, 2018; December 19, 2018

For more information about reserving a room, please visit our Meeting Room page.

The Friends of Beebe Library generously provides funding for the museum pass program.
The library and community cooperate to make the museum pass program work. Very occasionally, a problem arises in the administration of the program. Beebe Library is unable to compensate patrons for any inconvenience or expense resulting from problems such as scheduling conflicts, the late return of passes, or changes in museum hours and information. The library advises patrons to verify museum hours before making plans, and asks patrons to notify the library of any changes.

The library accepts reservations for museum passes from registered Wakefield residents and institutions. To ensure equitable allocation of this resource, certain restrictions apply. Registered non-residents may borrow museum passes on a same-day walk-in basis.

A reservation may be denied if a patron fails to abide by the reservation and circulation procedures. There is a $5.00 late fee for passes returned after 9:15 a.m., and a $5 per day overdue fine thereafter.

Revised and Adopted September 22, 1994; October 10, 2007; June 12, 2008

To learn more about the museum passes available or make a reservation, please visit our Museum Pass page.

As a community institution, the library strives to be alert to the well-being of its patrons. Librarians recognize a humanitarian responsibility to summon social and/or protective services if the welfare of a patron indicates a need.

When a librarian is concerned that a patron may be subject to abuse, the library may contact the appropriate authorities. The library makes no investigation or determination. Librarians will respect the privacy of all parties concerned.

When a librarian encounters an unattended young child who appears to need the care of an adult, the librarian will notify the police.

When a librarian encounters a minor who appears to be of school age and in need of services, the librarian will contact a School Resource Officer.

When a librarian encounters an adult who appears to be unable to care for himself/herself, the librarian will ask for identification, if needed, and notify the residence, caregiver, and/or appropriate authorities. If the patron declines to identify himself/herself, the library will notify the police.

Disorderly patron behavior is addressed in the Disruptive Patron Policy.

Note: This policy supersedes the policy Unattended Children, Truants, Adults in Need.

Approved by the Board of Library Trustees November 18, 2013. Revised November 17, 2021

The Board of Library Trustees may allow use of designated space by the general public for notices of civic, educational, philanthropic, or recreational events. Notices that are of general interest to the community are permitted subject to the availability of space and at the discretion of the Library Director or her designee. Handbills promoting candidates are not permitted, but announcements of political meetings are acceptable.

Posting does not imply endorsement by the library.

Notices are to be submitted at the Circulation Desk, at which time they become library property. Subject to approval, the library may display them for up to two weeks or may remove them at any time for any reason.
Due to space limitations, small notices are encouraged. Postings on 3 x 5 cards up to 8.5” x 11” paper are welcome.

Adopted by the Board of Library Trustees November 19, 1992; Revised September 19, 2001; January 14, 2013.

Beebe Library uses video-only security cameras in public areas both within and outside the library building.

Purpose
The cameras aid in the protection of persons and property, and assist staff in the performance and management of their duties.

Privacy
The library makes every effort to protect patron confidentiality. Cameras cover only public areas where patrons have no reasonable expectation of privacy. Locations are selected to avoid positions that may identify any person’s use of specific library resources.

Recorded data is confidential and may not be copied or transmitted without the authorization of the Library Director or her designee.

Access

Camera images are to be viewed by staff only.

Cameras may be monitored at any time, but the library does not guarantee that cameras are monitored at all times.

Trained and authorized staff only, including the Head of Technical Services, Administration, and the Library Maintenance Supervisor, may have access to stored images.

Beebe Library will produce images recorded by library security cameras when required by law enforcement agencies in their legitimate pursuits.

Recordings are accorded the same level of confidentiality provided to library users by Massachusetts law, in that libraries may disclose to law enforcement surveillance camera images that do not reveal any person’s use of specific library resources.

Library patrons seeking access to recorded data must make their request through law enforcement in accordance with applicable law.

Storage
Unless saved and stored, camera recordings are available for a limited time.
Specifically identified footage may be saved in a secure location and/or transferred to law enforcement. Any such transfer and storage will be in aid of the protection of persons or property.

Adopted December 20, 2017 by the Board of Library Trustees

Service to library patrons is immeasurably enhanced by cooperative efforts among libraries willing to share their resources. The goal of mutual benefit is predicated on the assumption that every participating library will make a contribution to the collective effort. When a library fails to maintain minimum standards in collection development, staffing, and/or hours of service, then its reliance on other libraries becomes disproportionately great, and its contribution to the common good becomes disproportionately small.
In Massachusetts, the measure of whether or not a library maintains minimum standards is its participation in the certification and state aid program administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC). A Massachusetts library that is not a participant in the state aid program – certified either by compliance with requirements or by waiver – cannot demonstrate that it is able to reciprocate in resource sharing arrangements.

Recognizing this, the MBLC requires that libraries participating in the state aid program lend materials on a reciprocal basis, but imposes no such requirement to lend to libraries that are not participants, nor to the patrons from communities whose libraries are not participants.

As a participant in the state aid program, Beebe Library shares its resources with Massachusetts public libraries and the residents of Massachusetts communities whose libraries have been certified by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

In the interests of protecting the resources purchased by Wakefield taxpayers, and as an incentive to neighboring communities to fairly fund their own libraries, Beebe Library regretfully declines to extend borrowing privileges and library services to Massachusetts public libraries that are not certified, and to residents from Massachusetts communities that do not have certified libraries.

As a participant in the state aid program, Beebe Library honors its obligation to make available its reading and reference rooms to all residents of the Commonwealth regardless of the certification status of their hometown libraries, but Beebe Library makes the availability of services contingent on the certification status of the hometown library.

Adopted by the Board of Library Trustees March 25, 2004.

Beebe Library is supported by the taxes of people with varying political, social, and religious beliefs. The library provides a forum for opposing viewpoints in its collection development, its exhibit spaces, and its meeting rooms.

The library is committed to preserving the right to privacy of its patrons. Patrons are entitled to use the library without being asked to declare their opinions or allegiances to any causes.

In order to maintain the impartiality of the library and the confidentiality of library patrons, the Board of Library Trustees prohibits the use of library premises for selling goods or services; soliciting donations or otherwise raising funds; religious proselytizing; or promoting any causes other than those directly related and beneficial to the library (e.g., the Friends of the Library booksale, or the sale of materials at library-sponsored events) and/or those specifically approved by the Board of Library Trustees.

The public does have the right to solicit signatures for nomination papers and ballot question petitions, and to distribute related printed materials in a reasonable and unobtrusive manner in open public areas. The library designates the use of lobby spaces, in a manner that does not infringe on the movement of patrons or exceed ambient noise levels of those areas, as appropriate sites.

At the discretion of the Library Director, the library may allow use of designated space for the passive collection of goods for charitable organizations subject to the following:

• The organization is a charity duly organized under State and Federal law. The charity has a local or regional presence and purpose.
• The organizer provides proof that he/she is an authorized agent for the charity.
• The organizer provides a clean, appropriately-sized collection box, clear and concise signage, and is responsible for publicity.
• The items to be collected are specified. No cash or checks are collected. Items are clean and sanitary and fit in the container provided. The container is emptied or removed regularly to prevent overflow.

Space may be made available once per year for a period not to exceed two weeks. Collection periods and frequency may be increased at the discretion of the Library Director. Provision of such space does not imply endorsement by the library.

Adopted by the Board of Library Trustees November 19, 1992; Revised April 15, 1993; May 18, 2000; September 19, 2001; January 14, 2013, September 15, 2014.

Thank you for considering volunteering your time and labor to advance library service in Wakefield.
The library has identified jobs and positions for which it hires, trains, and supervises volunteers. Once these positions are filled, there may be no need for additional services.
The library recognizes its role as a community partner in providing learning opportunities through volunteer service. Nonetheless, the costs to provide such opportunities must be balanced with overall benefits to the library.  For this reason, the library provides opportunities to:

  • Senior Tax Work-Off volunteers, in consultation with the Wakefield Senior Center
  • One social service agency annually
  • Applicants who commit to a schedule, length of service, and duties of benefit to both the library and the applicant.

Much of the library’s volunteer work is routine and not terribly inspiring.  All positions require training.  Please be aware that your interests and abilities may not suit the library’s needs at this time.  If you are accepted as a volunteer, the changing needs of the library could mean that we will ask you to alter your duties.  Additionally, if your work is no longer necessary or proves unsatisfactory, you may be released.
Despite the fact that you are not being paid for your services, we must be able to depend on them.  Since the public will not know that you are a volunteer, your work will be viewed as a reflection of the work of the total staff.  Indeed, the work of the staff can be very much affected by your contribution.  Therefore, we look for the same level of performance and dedication to your job that we expect from our employees.

You will be assigned to a member or members of the paid staff under whose supervision you will work.  You and your supervisor will agree on a specific work schedule.  We need you to be punctual, to dress and act appropriately, and to follow standard operating procedures.  We ask that you give us two weeks’ notice prior to leaving.

If you plan to use the library as a reference in searching for another job, consider requesting a performance review from your supervisor.

If a vacancy for a paid position should open in the library, you will certainly be given consideration and you will have an advantage if your volunteer training is relevant.

However, there are many variables to be considered in hiring permanent staff, and we do not recognize an obligation to give priority to a volunteer.

If these guidelines are in keeping with your expectations, please submit an application (available at the Information Board).  You will be interviewed by the Assistant Director (781-246-6335), at which time you can raise any questions about these guidelines.

The Board of Library Trustees and the staff appreciate your willingness to serve your community through our public library.

Adopted by the Board of Library Trustees, November 16, 1989. Revised September 21, 2015.