Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

This page contains answers to the following questions:

  • Who manages the libraries?
  • Why don’t the SaddleBrooke Community Libraries offer eBooks?
  • Thinking of donating books to the SaddleBrooke libraries?
  • Are the three libraries all one system?  Why are there differences?
  • Where do you get the money to buy books?  What about the books donated by residents?
  • Aren’t the Friends and the libraries the same?
  • Why can’t I deduct the value of books I donate to the libraries from my income taxes?  Can I donate them to the FSL instead of the library?
  • Why aren’t the SaddleBrooke Libraries part of the public library system?
  • Can you borrow books for me from other libraries, such as Pima County Library System?
  • Why don’t you have computers and printers in the library for residents and guests to use to access their e-mail or the internet?  Where else can I go?
  • Why don’t the SaddleBrooke Libraries have reference materials?
  • How do you decide what books to purchase?
  • Why aren’t there more new books at the Cholla Library at MountainView Clubhouse?
  • Is there a children’s collection?
  • How does the library protect my information when I register to use the Libraries?

Who manages the Libraries?

There are three libraries in SaddleBrooke, one in HOA1 and two in HOA2. The DesertView and SaddleBrooke One Libraries share the same catalog system. The Cholla Library in the MountainView Clubhouse operates on the honor system and its collection is not cataloged. All three libraries are jointly managed by a Library Management Committee. Members of the committee are the Library Coordinator (a volunteer position) who chairs the Committee, and other volunteer residents who are also responsible for the day to day management of the libraries. The libraries are staffed by more than 80 volunteers. The Library Management Committee is not a club. The libraries are an amenity of the two HOAs which provide the space and some financial support for items such as furniture, computers, and shelving. The homeowner associations do not provide funds for purchase of books.

Why don’t the SaddleBrooke Community Libraries offer eBooks?

After researching the cost and feasibility of offering an eBooks service, the Library Management Committee has decided not to provide eBooks for the following reasons:

  1. It’s not cost effective for our small library system to subscribe to an eBooks service. Establishing an initial collection costs thousands of dollars. The cost per book is higher for libraries. While you may see a price of $12.99 on the Internet, we may have to pay as much as $40 to $90 for the same title because of multiple user licensing agreements. For the cost required to provide eBooks we can offer twice as many books in print format.
  2. While it is convenient to have access to books, videos, and audio books right here in the community, you do not need physical proximity to access eBooks. Since your tax dollars support a variety of e-resources in the public library systems it doesn’t make sense for us to use grant funds to purchase them. If you wish to borrow eBooks you can do so through the Pinal County Library District or the Pima County Public Library, or you can purchase them online.
  3. Our libraries are staffed by volunteers. We do not have employees with technical expertise to answer questions related to all the different devices supporting eBooks. Most eBooks providers do not provide help lines.
  4. Libraries do not own eBooks. Some titles expire after a specified number of uses and have to be repurchased. Not all publishers will sell eBooks to libraries and those that do may set restrictions.
  5. Here are links to some popular sources for eBooks:
    Pima County Public Library: https://www.library.pima.gov/blogs/post/get-instant-access-to-overdrive-ebooks-without-a-library-card/
    Pinal County Library District: https://www.pinalcountyaz.gov/departments/library/Pages/default.aspx
    Free eBooks from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Free-ebooks-download-choose-million-ebook/dp/B005ZFCRQ0
    Bargain and free sources:
    https://earlybirdbooks.com
    https://www.bookbub.com/welcome
    http://booknook.com
    Kindle books for purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Kindle-eBooks

THINKING OF DONATING BOOKS TO THE SADDLEBROOKE LIBRARIES?

The SaddleBrooke Community Libraries welcome donations of materials in good condition. In fact, we rely on donated materials and funds. However, we will only keep books that meet our selection criteria. If your donated materials cannot be used in our collection, they will either be sold to benefit the library, or given to an appropriate agency.

WHAT CAN WE USE?

  • Fiction and nonfiction books not more than 5 years old
  • Audio books in excellent condition (CDs and MP3s)
  • Videos (DVD and Blu-Ray) in excellent condition
  • Large Print books
  • Current magazines
  • Timeless topics such as art, history, Southwest bird and animal identification, Southwest gardening, etc.

Top 5 NOT WANTED Materials

  1.  Books that are moldy, water damaged, yellowed, dirty, marked up or otherwise not in good condition. Throw them out!
  2. Textbooks, religious, spiritual, diet, or medical books
  3. Reader’s Digest Condensed Books
  4. Trade or Professional magazines
  5. Compact disks, used computers or equipment

In general, the library will not keep materials that will be outdated quickly, such as computer topics or medical books. Donations are accepted at all three libraries, Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 4 PM and Saturday 9 AM to Noon.

Thank you for supporting the SaddleBrooke Community Libraries!

We are not able to issue tax receipts for donated materials as the SaddleBrooke Community Libraries are private libraries. Tax deductible financial contributions can be made to the Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries. Contact them through their website: www.SBFSL.org.

Are the three libraries all one system? Why are there differences?

Yes, the three SaddleBrooke Community Libraries are one system, sharing one catalog and check-out system with a common website and reserve system. There are some differences in the collections because we do not have space for everything at all three locations and do not need duplicates of every book. Some differences are because of security. For example, we can lock the DesertView Library when not staffed, so the video collection is there, along with the Southwest collection, which represent a significant investment.

Where do you get the money to buy books? What about the books donated by residents?

We have two major sources of funding for new books and audio-visual material. Grants from the Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries provide approximately 85% of the money for new materials. This is supplemented by proceeds from the sale of surplus donated books. We appreciate the many donations of books and add a large number of them to the collection. However, we need the grant funds from the Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries to be able to purchase new fiction and non-fiction titles every month, as well as Large Print books, audiobooks, DVDs, materials for the Southwest Collection, etc. Without money from the Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries we would not be able to provide as many items, nor the quality collections that we have been able to build.

Aren’t the Friends and the libraries the same?

No, they are two distinct organizations. The Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries (FSL) is a non-profit organization whose primary purpose is to provide funds needed to support the three libraries. The Library Management Committee annually submits a grant request to FSL for funds that will be needed during the next year to purchase new library materials. FSL also provides funding for special projects such as the printing of bookmarks, or equipment that is not funded by the HOAs.

Why can’t I deduct the value of books I donate to the libraries from my income taxes? Can I donate them to FSL instead of the library?

As private libraries, the SaddleBrooke Community Libraries are not open to the public nor do they qualify for or receive any government funding. Neither are they a non-profit organization. Officially, they are a part of the two homeowner associations. While FSL is a non-profit, they have a policy of not accepting materials, only financial donations.

Why aren’t the SaddleBrooke Community Libraries part of the public library system?

The SaddleBrooke Community Libraries are located on private land and owned by the Homeowner Associations, which are private organizations. As such, our libraries cannot legally be part of a public library system.

Can you borrow books for me from other libraries, such as the Pima County Library System?

Because the SaddleBrooke Community Libraries are not, and cannot be, part of a public library system, we also are not able to participate in their inter-library loan systems. Mailing and transportation costs for such systems are usually funded by a government agency or university, which have access to public funding sources. Participating libraries must agree to loan their materials to any other library in the system. This would reduce access to our library materials by SaddleBrooke residents and would also incur costs for mailing, since we are not eligible for public funding.

Why don’t you have computers and printers in the library for residents or guests to use to access their e-mail or the Internet? Where else can I go?

While there is no space for public access computers in any of the three libraries, residents are welcome to bring their own computers to use in the library if using batteries. Cords can create safety issues. There is public Wi-Fi in all three clubhouses. Printers are not provided due to costs of paper and cartridges, as well as service and staffing issues. There is a computer store in the SaddleBrooke Shopping Center which MAY accommodate your request.

Why don’t the SaddleBrooke Community Libraries have reference materials?

Actually we do have very limited collections of reference materials such as dictionaries and atlases. Our mission statement makes it clear that our purpose is to support the “leisure reading interests” of SaddleBrooke residents. To provide a more complete reference service requires three elements:

  1. A regular investment of funds to be sure the materials are the most current available.
  2. Space for a reference collection in one or more of the libraries.
  3. Professional staff to assist users in locating information.

Since we rely on grant funding and book sales to purchase materials we cannot be sure that there will be a steady income stream to keep a reference section up to date. None of our libraries currently have space available for a more comprehensive reference section. The libraries are all staffed 100% by volunteers, most of whom have not had professional library training. And finally, most SaddleBrooke residents have access to the Internet and can locate a far broader range of information than we could possibly provide in the space we have. Professional public library reference services are only a phone call away.

How do you decide what books to purchase?

Over time, we have learned that SaddleBrooke residents enjoy reading many of the latest best sellers, but we also know they have much broader interests. We look at usage patterns for items already in the collection to try to anticipate which authors or topics will be of most potential interest. Several different volunteers are involved in the purchase process and they use a variety of sources to learn about and select new titles. Our policy is to not purchase topics that become outdated very quickly.

Why aren’t there more new books at the Cholla Library at MountainView Clubhouse?

Because the Cholla Library is open whenever the clubhouse is open and it is not staffed regular hours, it is stocked primarily with donated books. All books are loaned out on the honor system. You can find the latest best sellers at the DesertView Library and the SaddleBrooke One Library. We selectively purchase new non-fiction and large print books for the Cholla Library.

Is there a children’s collection?

Yes, there is a collection of books and videos for children and young adults located at the DesertView Library only. Materials are organized by age group. We also have books to help your grandchildren learn about the Southwest – its animals, plants, history, etc.

SaddleBrooke Community Libraries Privacy Policy

The SaddleBrooke Community Libraries Privacy Policy follows the Code of Ethics established by the American Library Association which states: “We protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received.” The SaddleBrooke Community Libraries are committed to protecting user privacy when library resources are used and personally identifiable information is collected.

The SaddleBrooke Community Libraries gather information about current and valid library users for the sole purpose of providing library services. Where it is necessary for the Libraries to identify users, it is our goal to gather only the minimum information necessary. When a library user borrows materials from the Libraries, a barcode number is linked to his/her personally identifiable information to the items borrowed. We ensure that aggregate, summary data is stripped of personally identifiable information.

The SaddleBrooke Community Libraries keep all personally identifiable information confidential. We do not engage in practices that might place personally identifiable information in or on public view. We will not share, sell, license, or disclose any personal data we collect from users to a third party except where required by law or to comply with a court order. Further, we will not use personally identifiable information to contact registered Library users for any purpose other than routine Library business such as notifying users of books being held on reserve, overdue materials, etc.

We do not ask library visitors or catalog or website users to identify themselves or reveal any personal information unless they are borrowing materials or making remote use from outside the library of those portions of the Libraries’ catalog restricted to registered borrowers. We discourage users from choosing passwords that could reveal their identity.

We permit only authorized Library volunteers with assigned confidential passwords to access personal data stored in the Libraries’ catalog system for the sole purpose of performing library work.

The courts have upheld the right to privacy based on the Bill of Rights of the US. Constitution. Confidentiality exists when a library is in possession of personally identifiable information about users and keeps that information private on their behalf.

Approved by the Library Management Committee of the SaddleBrooke Community Libraries effective September 17, 2019