Public Service Policy

Section 4: Information Services

The library recognizes and respects that each question is important to the patron who asks it. Library staff will use authoritative and appropriate sources to respond to all patron questions. In some cases, staff may refer a patron to other agencies that can more completely answer a question. Library staff are limited in the services they can provide in the following areas:

• Legal and Tax Information:  Staff provide legal definitions and specific citations from the codes, but do not interpret passages. Staff do not recommend specific attorneys, but may suggest the patron contact an attorney or the local bar association for further assistance. Staff assist patrons in locating specific tax forms and publications. Staff do not interpret tax regulations or provide tax advice.
• Medical Information:  Staff will assist patrons in finding information about diseases, medical conditions, tests, and treatments in print and electronic resources. Staff do not interpret the information found in these medical resources. Staff do not make diagnoses, give advice, or recommend specific health care professionals.
• Research Requests:  If the information needed to answer a question is very lengthy or must be compiled from several sources, staff will help the patron to locate appropriate materials, show him or her how to use them, and check periodically to make sure the patron is progressing well. When a research request is received remotely, staff will encourage the patron to come to the library in person if the appropriate materials are accessible in the library. An exception is genealogy and local history reference questions which are relevant to our specific genealogy and local history collection and staff expertise. Questions from anywhere in these subject areas are answered by a specific staff member as time permits. Staff may recommend electronic resources and borrowing from other libraries, and may make referrals to other libraries and organizations when those collections would better meet the patron’s needs.
• Notary Public Service:  The Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library provides free limited Notary Public services, primarily at the Main Library, when qualified staff are available. Patrons should call ahead to schedule an appointment. The following guidelines will be followed for the provision of this service:
  • Documents to be notarized must be signed in front of the Notary.
  • Library Notaries cannot provide legal advice or assist in document preparation. The document to be notarized should be completely filled out—except for the signature line—before appearing before the library Notary. Notaries may not notarize any document with blank spaces.
  • The person signing the document must provide the Notary with at least one valid form of identification. The Notary may decline to notarize a document if the signer cannot provide satisfactory identification.
  • The Library’s free notary service is intended for simple documents that do not require specialized expertise. The library does not provide electronic Notary services.
  • Notaries are required to follow Ohio Revised Code Chapter 147.   Notaries will not provide service if a patron, document, or circumstance of the request for Notary service raises any issue of authenticity, ambiguity, doubt, or uncertainty.
  • The Notary may, at their sole discretion, decline to provide Notary service.