The Kapiti Chorale depends on hiring music from various libraries and other choirs and must maintain a good reputation in order to continue doing so. As well as handling borrowed music well, we need to look after our own copies, and to avoid paying for lost or damaged copies. In order to ensure this, a music handling code has been developed, which we would kindly ask every singing member to respect.

1. When the music copy is issued to each Chorale member, please inspect it for damage or pencil markings. Report these to the Librarian who will note the facts before the music is used.

2. PLEASE USE 2B PENCILS ONLY for annotating scores.

3. If any member withdraws during a session, it is their responsibility to return the music copies to the Librarian as soon as possible. The onus is on the particular member to return the music copies to the Kapiti Chorale. The onus is not on the Chorale to retrieve the music copies. The copies may be given to another Chorale member to return to the Librarian, returned at the end of a practice, or delivered to the Librarian’s house.

4. Please follow the Librarian's directions regarding the return of scores and erasure of your annotations after a concert. If requested to do so, during the interval and afterwards, please rub out all pencil markings on the music copies if possible and return to the boxes provided by the Librarian. Please do not take away any music copies; all must be returned at this time. If anyone cannot remove the pencil markings for any reason, the uncleaned music copies should still be returned to the collection boxes. The Librarian will hold a checking and final cleaning session, or “rubbing out party”, a few days after the concert to check all music copies for cleanliness and damage, and ensure that all markings are removed before scores are returned to the institution which hired them to the Kapiti Chorale, or returned to our library. Volunteers to assist the Librarian in this task are welcome!

5. All lending institutions state a lending period during which the music copies must be returned and there is usually a penalty for a late or incomplete return. Late returns jeopardise our reliability as good borrowers and make the lenders less willing to lend us scores for the furture. Having all the copies returned on concert day gives time for the Librarian to check all copies have been returned and are cleaned.

6. If any choir member loses or damages any music copy, that person is responsible for meeting the penalty required by the hiring institution. If the member who has lost or damaged any music copy does not pay the fine or return the music, they will not be welcome to attend any sessions of the Chorale until the matter is resolved to the Committee’s satisfaction.