Public Records Request Policy

In accordance with the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA), C.R.S. 24-72-201, et.seq., public
records maintained by the Berthoud Community Library District (BCLD) shall be open for
inspection by any person at reasonable times, except as provided in CORA or as otherwise
provided by law. These materials are different from the books and other items that make up the circulating stock of the BCLD. They are the internal management records of the BCLD.
The custodian of records is the BCLD CEO. The BCLD CEO shall establish alternate custodians
for times when the CEO is not available.

 

A person who desires to inspect or to obtain copies of records shall submit a written request in accordance with the request form attached to this policy. Copies of the form shall be available on the BCLD’s website and in the administrative office. The BCLD will endeavor to make the requested records available within one working day. If the records are not readily available, the custodian shall set a date and time for inspection or for providing copies. Under normal circumstances, this shall happen within a maximum of three working days of receiving the request. If there are extenuating circumstances, as provided in CORA, up to an additional seven working days may be required. Working days are any day the BCLD is open to the public.

 

The custodian shall promptly review the request to determine the nature of the records sought, the time required to locate and make the records available, and whether there are questions concerning the release of any of the records or difficulty in providing the records within three working days.

 

If the custodian believes that any of the requested records are not to be released under CORA, or determines that there are extenuating circumstances that will require more than three working days to produce the records, or otherwise believes that the request cannot be met within the specified time frames, the custodian shall promptly seek review by the BCLD’s attorney and shall also inform the BCLD Board of Trustees to ensure the request is being fulfilled as accurately as possible and in accordance with CORA. After consulting with the BCLD’s attorney, if the requested record can be released, the custodian shall contact the requester to provide information as to when and where the records can be inspected or copies obtained.

 

The custodian of records shall determine whether to provide inspection of the original material or to provide a printed copy. The custodian may provide an electronic copy by e-mail. Any inspection of original records shall be in the BCLD and monitored by a BCLD employee. The requester will follow any instructions from the BCLD staff concerning handling of records.

 

Except as otherwise stated in this policy, there is no charge for inspection of records. If the custodian determines to provide a copy, rather than access to the original record, there shall be no charge for the copy. If the requester asks for a copy, rather than or in addition to inspection of the original, the BCLD shall charge the current rate for copies. If copying facilities outside the BCLD are required, the actual cost for those copies shall be charged. The BCLD will provide the requester with an invoice for all charges. The invoice must be paid before the BCLD will provide the copies.