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Policy adopted by the Board of Trustees on February 9, 2015
Policy revised and approved April 17, 2023
In support of its mission to provide services that encourage lifelong learning and professional growth, Bethlehem Public Library will proctor exams for patrons upon request and availability of personnel, facilities, and technology.
Availability:
Patrons who wish to have an exam proctored must submit an application for proctoring at least one week prior to the date when they wish to take the exam.
The Library provides proctoring services during regular business hours only. Any proctoring period must be completed within one hour of the Library’s closing hours for the day on which the exam is scheduled.
Each exam proctoring session may not exceed three hours in length.
The Library assigns proctors based on availability and cannot honor a request for specific staff members.
Fees and costs:
- The Library does not charge a fee for proctoring services for residents of the Bethlehem Central School District. The Library is not responsible for any fees or costs associated with receiving, administering or mailing exam materials after the exam has been completed.
- The Library charges a non-refundable fee of $25 per exam proctoring session for proctoring services provided for residents who live outside of the Bethlehem Central School District. Payment of this fee is due on the day of the scheduled exam and must be presented before the exam is administered.
Guidelines:
- The Library will provide a reasonably quiet space for the administering of the exam, but patrons and the examining institution should be mindful that the Library is a public building, and therefore, complete privacy and quiet cannot be fully guaranteed.
- The Library cannot provide continuous supervision, but the proctor will check on the test-taker intermittently. Therefore, the examining institution should be aware that the test taker was operating on an honor system.
- The Library has the right to substitute a proctor in the event that the assigned proctor is unavailable.
- The test-taker may be returning the exam to a librarian other than the one who initially issued the exam.
- A test-taker who is a “no call or no show” may not be permitted to use the Library’s proctoring services at a future date.
- The Library shall provide the test-taker and/or examining institution with the necessary contact information for delivery of the exam through mail, email, and/or fax.
- Library staff proctoring the exam will not sign an institution’s proctor verification form attesting to more than the staff is able to do under guidelines set forth by the Library’s policy.
- The Library will return completed exam as directed by the examining institution but is not responsible for any costs associated with mailing or returning the exam.
- The Library will not retain copies of any completed exams.
- If a test taker does not attend the scheduled proctoring session, the Library shall hold uncompleted exams for two weeks or until the examining institution’s deadline, whichever comes first. The exam shall be returned to the institution or destroyed.
- The Library shall not be responsible for any exam once it leaves the Library’s possession.
- The Library shall not be responsible for exams that are interrupted or delayed by Library emergencies, power failure, inclement weather, and/or computer hardware or software failures.
Responsibilities of the exam taker:
- To submit the Library’s proctoring application by the deadline indicated in this policy and agree to Bethlehem Public Library’s exam proctoring policy.
- To verify that the examining institution’s proctoring guidelines meet all of the requirements set forth in this policy.
- To coordinate the transfer of the exam from the examining institution to the Library and to verify that the exam has been received by the Library at least one week prior to the date of the administration of the exam.
- To obtain any exam guidelines, instructions, and any pre-exam requirements from the examining institution and submit these to the Library at least one week prior to the date of the administration of the exam.
- To arrive promptly at the date and time scheduled for the proctoring of the exam. If the test-taker is late, the Library cannot guarantee a proctor will be available for the administration of the exam.
- To contact the Library at least one hour prior to the scheduled exam time if unable to make the scheduled proctoring session.
- To come prepared with necessary supplies to take the exam. Provide a valid driver’s license or photo ID for verification, as well as any other credentials required by the examining institution. To take the exam on the honor system. Arrive with a personal lap top and any software needed for the exam, if the exam is approved by the examining institution to be taken on such a device.
- To provide any necessary postage and materials needed to return the exam to the examining institution if not provided by said institution.
Responsibilities of the Examining Institution:
- Be aware of and agree to the guidelines set forth in the Library’s exam proctoring policy.
- To contact the assigned Library proctor by email or phone prior to the date and time of the scheduled proctoring session in order to verify credibility and testing requirements.
- To inform the test-taker on any exam guidelines, instructions, and any pre-exam requirements.