Library Policies & Services

Art Exhibition Policy

Art Exhibition Policy
Art Exhibition Application

Space in Town of Franklin owned buildings and facilities is available for the public exhibition of artwork. If you are interested in showing your work in the Franklin Public Library, please submit the Art Exhibition Application to the office of the Town Administrator.

Library Circulation Policy

Library Cards: The Franklin Public Library is a member of the Minuteman Library Network.  Any resident of Massachusetts may be issued a Minuteman card. Proof of address is required. Examples of proof of address are photo identification, a piece of mail, or a utility bill. Residents of towns within the Minuteman Network and Dean College students should get their card from their home library. Library cards are free.

Patrons can also apply for a temporary online library card here.  Please complete registration by coming in to the library with your temporary card number within six months.

Loan Periods: Books, audiobooks, and games may be checked out for three weeks. Magazines, speed reads, DVDs, and Blu-Rays older than six months may be checked out for two weeks.  New Blu-Rays may be checked out for one week.  Literacy items check out for three weeks.  Museum passes check out for one day.

Renewals: Items may be renewed either by telephone, at the library or through the "My Account" feature of the Web catalog. If renewing by phone, please have your card number and item information ready. If renewing over the Web, you will need a PIN number in addition to your library card number. Sign up for a PIN at any circulation desk in the Minuteman network, or through the "My Account" feature of the Minuteman Catalog.  Books, audiotapes, books on CD, and literacy items may be renewed 2 times if there is no request pending.  Blurays and DVDs over three months old, magazines, and games may by renewed 2 times if there is no request pending.  Museum passes may not be renewed.

Overdue Fines: Books, CDs, literacy materials, magazines and audiobooks are assessed a ten cent fine per day up to a maximum of five dollars. Console games are assessed twenty-five cents per day up to a maximum of five dollars. DVDs and BluRays accrue a one dollar per day fine, with a five dollar maximum.  Museum passes are assessed a fine of $10.00 per day with a maximum of $20.00 on non-disposable passes. There is no longer a grace period for overdue fines.

Returning Items – Please deposit all items into the Book Drop slots outside the building entrance by the School Street parking lot.

Fines & Fees

Fines may be paid at any Minuteman Library or online. Your account will be frozen if there is either over $10.00 in fines, ten overdue books, or one or more items billed.
 

Interlibrary Loan

Minuteman Library Network Requests
You may request items from your home computer or in the library through the Minuteman Library Network catalog.  You will need your library barcode number and pin.

When materials you request are received at the library, you will be notified by email, text, or phone that your materials are ready for pick up.  You will have one week to pick up your materials.

Commonwealth Catalog
Items not available through the Minuteman Library Network may be available from other libraries in the commonwealth of Massachusetts.  To locate an item, search the Commonwealth Catalog. You may place a request for these items which will then be delivered to your local library for pick up.

Interlibrary Loan
If you are unable to locate materials through the Minuteman Catalog or the Commonwealth Catalog, contact the Reference Department at 508-520-4941 to request materials from libraries throughout the United States.

MLN Mobile App

Get our app for quick access to favorite library features on your phone or tablet.

With the free Minuteman Library Network app:

• Never forget your library card. Store a digital copy of your Minuteman card and manage your checkouts and holds in My Account.
• Scan a book barcode or search the Minuteman library collections to find and reserve an item on the go.
• Access your library's digital collections, museum passes, calendar, and more, without ever opening your web browser.

Text Messaging Alert Service

Save on time and data with text message notices and renewals. Text the word "SIGNUP" to 833-201-1813 to get started.

Get library notices sent directly to your mobile phone or tablet with Text Message Notices. Find out when your hold is ready for pick-up or get reminders about your items and account status.  Simply text a reply to renew your items or get details about your library account. To get started, text "SIGNUP" to the phone number 833-201-1813. You will receive a response with instructions shortly. For more information, please visit the Minuteman Library website.

Reserving a Room
 

The Library has four rooms that are available to be reserved by the public. No fee is charged for the use of Library space.  All meeting space usage must comply with the Town of Franklin's Municipal Use Policy. Per the policy, these rooms may be used by Franklin-based non-profit, civic, community groups and organizations. The rooms are not available for non-Franklin based groups, commercial activities, transactions or enterprises, or for private or non-profit fundraising for non-municipal organizations. Use in any facility is not available for private, personal for-profit meetings, events or functions. No solicitation of goods or services is permitted on Town property, except those fundraising activities that directly support the Town's facilities or programs.

On the first floor, there is the Friends of the Franklin Library Community Room (capacity of 25), and the Meeting Room (capacity of 50).On the second floor, there is a Study Room which accommodates four people, and a Conference Room that seats six to eight people. To make a reservation, please visit our link Reserve a Room.  For inquiries regarding the Community Room or Meeting Room, contact Library Director Felicia Oti via email or call 508-520-4941. To reserve space in other Town of Franklin Departments, visit https://franklinma.viewpointcloud.com/  . The Meeting Room and the Community Room cannot be reserved for ongoing, regularly scheduled meetings. All events must be open to the public and advertised as such. Any one qualified organization can reserve no more than four meetings annually between the Community Room and the Meeting Room.

If you are simply looking for a quiet place to work or study, there are several options. The Horace Mann Reading Room is on the first floor, directly across from the Meeting Room. The Benjamin Franklin Reading Room and Gallery is a large room with six tables on the second floor. Devices may be charged from the base of the table lamps. If an especially quiet option is required, visit the study carrels on the fourth floor.

Equipment

Wi-Fi Hotspots

The Franklin Public Library has received five hotspots from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners through the American Rescue Plan.  The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners has distributed over 3000 hotspots to approximately 220 public libraries for loan to library users. Funded through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the hotspot lending program focuses on IMLS' primary goal for these funds, digital inclusion.

Any resident from a municipality certified in the State Aid to Public Libraries program by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners is eligible to borrow a hotspot.  Patron registration in the library system may be required. Hotspot borrowers must be 17 years old and in good standing with the library. Only one hotspot is allowed per household.  Each hotspot will support up to 10 connected devices.

Hotspots may be borrowed for one week. Renewals are not permitted.  Hotspots must be returned to the library and may not be checked out again for at least a 24-hour period. Hotspot borrowers will be fined $1 per day, up to $10 . Loss of a hotspot will incur a  $35 fee. Borrowers will adhere to the library’s internet acceptable use policy when using the mobile hotspot.  While checked out, the hotspot remains the responsibility of the borrower. Borrowers should not lose control of the device by lending to friends or associates. Any attempt to alter the configuration of the hotspot is strictly prohibited and may result in loss of borrowing privileges.

Hotspots may be reserved --just like a book-- through the library catalog https://find.minlib.net/iii/encore/record/C__Rb3628341 , or by calling the library service desk at 508-520-4941 during normal business hours. Hotspots are filtered by default using T-Mobile’s content filtering for education. Borrowers may request that hotspot filtering be disabled when borrowing a device.  The library will not ask for a stated reason. Hotspots should be returned to a library service desk.  Do NOT place the hotspot in the book drop. Hotspots should be returned with the power cord, SIM card, battery and case to the Library in the same good working condition as it was when it was checked out. If the hotspot is not returned within 7 days after the due date, service will be turned off and the hotspot will become unusable.

If the hotspot is damaged or not working, return it to the library desk. Report the nature of the damage to a staff person. Problems? Direct borrower technical support is provided by T-Mobile to library hotspot borrowers at: (844) 341-4834.

Computers

Franklin Public Library Computer Use and Internet Access Policy

The Franklin Public Library has eighteen desktop computers available for public use.  Fourteen are in the adult section, and four are in the Children's Department.  Internet access and Microsoft Office are available on all of the public computers.

Printing is available at 10 cents per page for black and white, 50 cents per page for color.

Each user is allowed a maximum of 2 hours each day.   Sessions are 60 minutes each, which may be extended if there is no one waiting to use a computer.

Free WiFi is available throughout the building.  No password is required. Use of the Library's wifi is subject to the library's Computer Use and Internet Access Policy.

Copiers

The Franklin Public Library currently has two copiers available to the public.  Both offer black and white printing, and one offers color printing.  Black and white printing is $.10 per page, and color printing is $.50 per page.

Telescope

In 2016, the library received a donation of a 4.5 inch Orion Starblast telescope from the Aldrich Astronomical Society.  This telescope was provided with funding from MathWorks of Natick, MA, and will be maintained by the Aldrich Astronomical Society, Inc. as part of their Adopt a Library Program. It is now free for patrons to check out for one week to explore the night sky!  Instructions and astronomical charts are included with the telescope.