Membership Terms & Conditions

Date of Issue: Valid as at 31 May 2022

Queenstown Lakes District Council and Central Otago District Council (referred to in these terms as ‘us’, ‘we’) owns and operates the libraries and related services within the Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago districts.

Glossary

Account

Means a Member account created to record the personal details, loan information and other related records to the borrowing activity of a Member

Adult Member

Means a Member who is aged 18 years or above, up to 65 years old

Damaged Item

Means a Physical Item that is returned with one or more of the following present:

  • Tears
  • Ripped pages
  • Removed pages
  • Defaced pages
  • Annotations
  • Water damage
  • Stains
  • Any other damage that renders the Physical Item unsuitable for future loaning

Digital Item

Means any one or more of the following:

  • E-Book
  • E-Audiobook
  • Online learning resources
  • Online publication (e.g. magazine, newspaper)
  • Podcast
  • Streaming video
  • Any other item that comprises a digital file to be viewed online and/or is available for download

Guarantor

Means a person aged 18 or over who consents to pay the Fees and Charges on behalf of a Junior Member

Item

Means a physical or digital item loaned by a Member

Junior Member

Means a Member who is aged under 18 years

Loan Limit

Means the number of Items that may be loaned by a specific class of Member

Loan Period

Means the length of time in days that an Item may be loaned by a Member

Member

Means any category of member including but not limited to a temporary, adult, junior or bulk member or any other category of member as determine by the Library who is issued with a membership number from the Library

Membership Card

Means a physical card issued by the Library to a Member

Non-Returned Item

Means a Physical Item that has not been returned to a Library for more than 60 days and which has not been renewed or declared lost by the borrowing Member

Overdue Item

Means an Item that has not been returned by the expiry of a Loan Period or a Renewal Period (as applicable)

Overdue Item Fine

Means an amount payable on a daily basis for the period that an Item is an Overdue Item

Physical Item

Means any one or more of the following:

  • Book
  • Magazine
  • Journal
  • Newspaper
  • Board game
  • DVD
  • Audiobook
  • Any kit or collection of items which may be borrowed by a Member

Renewal Period

Means the period of time that an Item may have its Loan Period renewed

Senior Member

Means a Member who is aged 65 years or above

Acceptance of these Terms

When these Terms Apply These terms are deemed to be accepted when an individual, organisation or a Guarantor completes and submits a registration form for an individual or organisation to become a Member.

Who these Terms Apply To These terms apply to all Members and where the context requires, to a Guarantor.

Privacy

Personal Information A Member’s personal information is collected, used, stored and disposed of in accordance with our published privacy statement located on our website.

Update to these Terms

Terms may be Updated These Terms may be updated by the Library from time to time. Updates will be published to our website.

Member Accounts

Accounts A Member must hold a current and valid Account to be permitted to loan Items.

Current Address and Contact Details A Member or Guarantor (as applicable) must keep the Library informed of any changes or updates to one or more of the following:

  • Postal Address
  • Email Address

Member Categories The Library reserves the right to determine different titles and categories of Member Accounts from time to time. A Member Account may be updated by the Library to reflect such categories without notice to the Member, except in the case of a change from Junior to Adult Member as per the clause below.

Migration of Junior to Adult Member The Library reserves the right to require a Junior Member to re-apply for membership on attaining the age of 18 to change their Account to an Adult Member category.

Membership Cards

Membership Card Contact Information A Member must inform the Library of a change of name, postal address or email address.

Lost or Stolen Membership Cards A Member must report a lost or stolen Membership Card to the Library in person, by email or by phoning their local Library branch.

Liability for borrowed Items A Member shall remain liable for all Items borrowed against their Membership Card prior to the date a card is reported lost or stolen.

Membership Cards A Member may only be issued with one Membership Card. These are not transferable to another individual.

Guarantors and Junior Members

Guarantor Requirement A Guarantor is required to be registered to the Account of a Junior Member to activate and maintain the Account.

Guarantor Liability A Guarantor is liable to pay all Fees, Charges and Overdue Item Fines connected to the Account to which they are named as a Guarantor. This liability is as a principal as if the Guarantor were the primary borrowing Member.

Loaning Items

Loan Limits The following applies in respect of loan limits:

  • We reserve the right to set limits on the number of Items that may be loaned by a Member.
  • Loan Limits may differ between Physical and Digital Items.
  • Current Loan Limits for Items are as published on our website and/or at our branch from time to time.

Loan Period The following applies in respect of loan periods:

  • We reserve the right to set limits on the duration a Digital or Physical Item may be loaned.
  • Loan Periods may vary between Digital and Physical Items.
  • Current Loan Periods for Items are as published on our website and/or at our branch from time to time.

Loan Charges Some Items in the collection attract a loan fee. Loan fees for Items are as published on our website and/or at our branch from time to time.

Renewing Items

Requirement to Renew A Member must renew items that are overdue or are reaching the expiry of their Loan Period. This becomes a Renewal Period.

Methods to Renew A Physical and/or Digital Item may be renewed by any of the methods made available and notified to a Member from time to time. This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Online via the Library app
  • In-person over the counter
  • Replying to a reminder email
  • Contacting the local Library branch by phone

Failure to Renew Where a Member fails to renew an Item by the expiry of the applicable Loan Period or Renewal Period, that Item becomes an Overdue Item.  

Returning Physical Items

Requirement to Return A Member must return a Physical Item to any QLDC or CODC Library.

Location of Returns A Member may return a Physical Item to any QLDC or CODC Library.

Condition of Returned Physical Item A Member must return a Physical Item free from damage, otherwise a fee may be applied (see section Non-Returned or Damaged Physical Items).

Overdue Items and Fines

Overdue Item Fines The following applies in respect of Overdue Item fines:

  • An Overdue Item may be subject to any Overdue Item Fines, where applicable to the Member type.
  • Overdue Item Fine rates shall be payable at the current, published rates as published on our website and/or at a Library branch from time to time.
  • Overdue Item Fines shall accrue daily against each Overdue Item.

Non-Payment of Fines

Restrictions on Further Borrowing The Library reserves all rights to refuse to loan any further Items to a Member who has Overdue Item Fines in excess of $20 on their Account at any time.

Debt Collection for Overdue Item Fines The Library reserves all rights to instruct a debt collection agency to collect unpaid Overdue Item Fines at the discretion of the Library management. A member will be liable to meet any fees, costs and expenses payable in connection with any debt collection to recover an Overdue Item Fine.

Non-Returned and Damaged Physical Items

Fees for Non-Returned Items A Non-Returned Item will incur a replacement fee and a processing fee to update Library records on its status payable at the current, published rates as published on our website and/or at a Library branch from time to time (Lost and Damaged Items Return Fee).  

Lost Physical Item A Member or their Guarantor (as applicable) must inform the Library if a Physical Item loaned by that Member is lost. Such items shall be subject to the Lost and Damaged Items Return Fee.

Other Charges

Queenstown Lakes District Council and Central Otago District Council may charge different amounts for different library services and this is at the discretion of the respective Councils. These fees are as published on our website and/or at a Library branch from time to time.

Unauthorised Use of Items

Physical Items A Member must adhere to the following in relation to Physical Items:

  • No Removal of Items A Member shall not take or attempt to remove a Physical Item from a Library without checking the Item out for a Loan Period.
  • No Selling A Member may not sell or trade a Physical Item.
  • No Annotation or Modification A Member may not modify, annotate, mark-up, draw on, alter, deface or otherwise change a Physical Item.

Digital Items A Member must adhere to the following in relation to Digital Items:

  • Website Terms of Use as published on our website in relation to loan, use and access to Digital Items via our website.
  • Any notice and supplementary terms of use imposed by the Library from time to time as published on our website, an app or any other means.

Governing Law

These terms are conditions are governed by the laws of New Zealand.

Electronic Acceptance

Any legal requirement for acceptance of these terms may be met by using electronic means in accordance with the Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017. In this clause the term “legal requirement” has the meaning given to it by section 219(2) of the Contract and Commercial Law Act 2017.

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