Library trustees adopt changes to Policy 120: ID rules clarified, out-of-state fee raised to $25

The Monterey Board of Library Trustees adopted revisions to Library Policy 120 after a second reading and brief discussion on acceptable identification and fees.

The principal changes are: removal of an address-verification requirement for obtaining a library card, and an increase in the monthly out-of-state card fee from $10 to $25. Staff explained that the policy change removes redundancy with other sections, and that procedures will spell out which photo IDs the staff will accept (government- or school-issued photo IDs are preferred; school IDs are typically used for minors).

Trustees and staff discussed the rationale for charging non-California residents: many statewide e-resource agreements are paid through California funding and in-state consortia, so out-of-state users do not contribute to those pools. Staff also noted that out-of-state fee usage is rare ("three, four, five times a year"), and the fee is monthly. The board moved, seconded and adopted the policy changes by voice vote.

The staff said they will publish the revised policy on the library website and update the procedures manual to provide consistent guidance to frontline staff on accepted identification and special cases (e.g., international students, temporary residents).