SUBJECT:  PRIORITY SERVICE FOR RESIDENTS

I. 	PURPOSE  

The Naperville Public Library is a tax-supported institution operating under the provisions of the 
Local Library Act (75 ILCS 5/), which provides that the Library “shall be forever for the use of 
the residents and taxpayers of the city…subject to such reasonable rules and regulations as the 
library board may adopt in order to render the use of the library of the greatest benefit to the 
greatest number of such residents and taxpayers.” While the Local Library Act places restrictions 
on the borrowing of materials by nonresidents, it is largely silent on the provision of other 
services to those who do not live within a library’s service area.  The state of Illinois has a rich 
tradition of cooperation between libraries in the areas of resource sharing and the provision of 
services to all residents when possible, and the Naperville Public Library shares this philosophy.

The Library also holds membership in the Reaching Across Illinois Library System. System 
membership requires the Library to participate in “reciprocal access” programs, such as 
interlibrary loan and reciprocal borrowing. The duties and obligations of system membership are 
governed by the policies and rules enacted by the Reaching Across Illinois Library System and 
the Illinois State Library, a Department of the Office of the Secretary of State. The purpose of 
this policy is to establish guidelines for the Board and staff to follow when adopting policies to 
best meet the library and information needs of the residents of Naperville while fulfilling the 
Library’s obligations as a member of the Reaching Across Illinois Library System and the 
Library’s desire to cooperate with other libraries in the provision of service to the residents of 
Illinois.

II.	SCOPE

The concept of priority service for residents shall be a guiding principle in the establishment of 
policies regulating the use of the Library and its programs, services, and facilities.

III.	PROVISIONS

The Library shall periodically assess each of its services and adopt policies that extend service to 
all except in those cases where financial, staffing, space, availability of resources, contractual, or 
legal requirements justify their limitation to Naperville residents.
NAPERVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY							Policy No. 040
	

Approved: 4/21/04; Approved: 4/19/06; Approved: 4/16/08; Approved: 4/21/10; Approved: 4/18/12