Library Services
Circulation Services
Circulation Policies
Summary
Library Access
The Lee and Jim Vann Library serves all of the faculty and
staff of the University of Saint Francis and all of the students enrolled in its
programs. The library is also accessible to alumni and those with established
relationships or affiliations with the university. The general public may use
the library on a limited basis.
Borrowing Privileges
Any person who is affiliated with the University of Saint
Francis as faculty, staff, student or alumnus may borrow any regularly
circulating materials from the library when they present a current University of
Saint Francis OneCard or an alumni card.
The faculty, staff, and
students of other PALNI member institutions are designated Reciprocal Borrowers
and may borrow USF materials as long as they hold a valid ID card with a PALNI
barcode. In addition to PALNI members, USF has a reciprocal borrowing agreement
with several libraries in the local area and those presenting a Reciprocal
Borrowing card from any of these libraries may borrow USF materials as well.
Reciprocal borrowers are allowed to borrow books from the
General Collection but can not borrow videos, journals or
reserve items. Other guests, while free to use the library, may not check out
materials.
Access to certain materials may be restricted per faculty
request for coursework.
Limits
on Materials
Students and Alumni
Students and alumni may check out a maximum
of 23 items. The limit for books is 20 volumes and the limit for
videos/DVDs is 3.
Faculty and Staff
Faculty and staff may check out a maximum of 53 items. The
limit for books is 50 volumes and the
limit for videos/DVDs is 3.
Loan Periods
Students and Alumni
Students,
alumni may check out books for a period of 3 weeks with two renewals. They may check out
Videos/DVDs for a period of 7 days with one renewal.
Faculty and Staff
Faculty may check out books for
a period of 30 days with 2 renewals. They may check out Videos/DVDs for a
period of 7 days with 1 renewal. Faculty and staff are not
charged fines but will be charged for lost materials. Materials not
returned in a timely manner will be considered lost after the third notice.
Reciprocal
Borrowers
Reciprocal borrowers may check out books from the General Collection for a
period of 3 weeks with two renewals.
Renewals
The number of renewals
allowed is the same for all borrowers:
Books – 2 renewals
Videos/DVDs – 1 renewal
Renewals are not
permitted for those materials for which a HOLD has been
requested or when a borrower has accumulated $5.00 or more in
overdue and lost item fines.
Renewals may be completed in person, over the phone or
online.
Online renewals cannot be made on the date due or for overdue
materials.
Overdue Fines and
Notices
Circulating
materials: $.10 per day per item with no grace period
Reserve
materials: $1.00 per day per item with no grace period
Videos/DVDs: $1.00 per day per item with
no grace period
Fines of $5.00 or more will result in the loss of
borrowing privileges. The maximum overdue fine for circulating and reserve
materials is $5.00 per item.
For circulating and reserve materials, notices will be
mailed out approximately seven days, fourteen days, and twenty-one days after the item is
due. The fourth notice is mailed approximately twenty-eight days after the material is due
and is considered a cost of replacement bill. The cost of the replacement may
not be the actual cost of the item but rather the cost of the newest edition or
comparable item, plus a $5.00 processing fee.
Interlibrary
Loans: $1.00 per day per item with no grace
period
Fines of $5.00 or more will result in the loss of borrowing
privileges. The maximum overdue fine for interlibrary loans is $10.00 per item.
For overdue interlibrary loan materials, patrons will be
notified regularly until the materials are returned or the account settled. Damaged or lost materials will be billed by the loaning institution.
Claimed Returned
In the event that a patron claims to have returned
materials which still show on his or her record, the patron will be responsible
for locating and returning the materials. Patrons will be given 6 weeks or
until the end of the semester (whichever is longer) to locate the materials and
turn them in. The library will also conduct at least 10 searches in this time
period. At that time, if the materials still have not been located, the patron
will be billed the replacement cost plus a handling fee. A hold will be placed
on the patron’s record until the replacement costs and fee are paid or the
materials are found. The patron has the option of appealing the bill with the
Circulation Services Coordinator, who is in charge of circulation services. The replacement
cost will be refunded if the patron finds and returns the material within thirty
days
of paying for the material. The processing fee is non-refundable.
Lost Materials
Materials may be declared lost three ways: by the patron,
after the grace period of a claimed returned process, or after four weeks
overdue. Materials that are lost will be billed to the patron for both the
replacement cost and a five dollar processing fee. Students and alumni will not
be removed from hold with the registrar’s office until this bill is paid or the
materials are returned. If the patron returns the materials, both the
replacement cost and processing fee will be waived and overdue fines will be
assessed. If the patron finds the material and returns it within thirty days from
the date of payment, the replacement cost will be refunded but not the
processing fee.
Library Hold
Students and alumni will have a library hold placed on
their record if they have:
Fines of $5 or more OR
Outstanding (overdue) materials
Students and alumni with a library hold will be denied
registration for new classes, transcripts of grades, and diplomas until their
records have been cleared. These patrons are also prohibited from checking out
new materials.
Those faculty and staff who have outstanding materials at
the time employment is terminated will be contacted to return the materials
immediately or pay current replacement costs plus a processing fee.
Reserve Collection
The reserve collection consists of materials requested or
brought in to the library by faculty for use by students in their classes. The
faculty member sets the borrowing period and any other limitations for reserve
items. Users who check out these materials are responsible for the items and
fines accrued. Students must have a current USF ID card to check out material
from the reserve collections. Reserve items cannot be used unless they are
checked out.
2/3/09
