Circulation and General Policy Information

Circulation Information for Trustees
 

Loan Period

There is no limit to the number of items that a Trustee can check out.

Regular circulation of library books (including government documents and maps) is 1 semester; renewals are for the same interval (i.e., until the end of the upcoming term). Exceptions follow.

Children’s Literature and Textbooks (EML and EMT) circulate for 6 weeks with three 6-week renewals.  Leisure reading books ("B&T") circulate for 3 weeks with three 3-week renewals.

Bound periodicals can be checked out for 7 days with three 7-day renewals.  Unbound (current) periodicals circulate to faculty for 7 days, with no renewals permitted.

Media materials circulate for 1 month with 1-month renewals, except for feature films, which circulate for 14 days with 14-day renewals.

Reserve materials have limited circulation, and their loan periods depend on item type.

Materials that do not circulate are Reference books, current unbound periodicals, microforms, and any books that are designated non-circulating in the regular stacks. Reference staff can override these restrictions, where appropriate.

Special collections are to be used in the Rare Books room.

Interlibrary loan materials are assigned the due date set by the lending institution.

 Renewals

Through the Library Catalog and information gateway, most materials can be renewed electronically 3 times unless a hold or recall has been placed on the item.  See Renewing Items for instructions on how to do this.

Materials that are brought in to the library for renewal will be discharged and charged back to the patron unless holds or recalls have been placed. Three electronic renewals can then be made before items must be returned to the library.

Materials that cannot be renewed electronically are materials which do not normally circulate (reference books, current unbound periodicals, and other items marked "Non-Circulating") and ILL materials.

 Holds and Recalls

Another useful feature of the Library Catalog is the access to a request button for holds and recalls at the point you discover that a book you want is checked out to someone else. See "How to Place a Hold or Recall Electronically."

 Fines and Replacement Charges

Although you are not charged fines for late items, replacement charges (usually $50.00 per item; $20.00 for Media items) and a replacement processing fee of $20.00 will be assessed for items not returned or renewed. Upon return or renewal of the items, the charges and fees will be forgiven. 

Lost items may be replaced by the borrower if the newly purchased items meet with the approval of the Cataloging librarian.  The replacement processing fee of $20.00 remains in place in these situations, however, to cover the cost of personnel labor time.

Borrower’s Responsibility

Borrowers assume total liability for items checked out from the Coates Library or borrowed on interlibrary loan. This includes responsibility for payment for lost, damaged or mutilated items. Borrowers are responsible for making sure that items are properly returned for discharge from the Library’s circulation system. The responsibility and liability remain with the borrower until the item is properly discharged.

All library materials are subject to recall by other faculty members or students.