Circulation Policies

Borrower Guidelines

The primary purpose of Lucy Scribner Library is to provide service to the students, faculty and staff of Skidmore College. We welcome the use of this library by others so long as that use does not interfere with our service to students, faculty and staff. Books, government documents, audio-visual materials, and some audio-visual equipment circulate to qualified borrowers; materials in special collections, periodicals, reference materials, and microforms do not circulate. Guests are welcome to use materials within the Library.

Loan Periods

The following loan periods apply for all books, government documents, CDs, records, cassette tapes, pamphlets and maps.

Loan periods for other materials:

• Curriculum Library books circulate for 3 weeks.
• Popular Fiction and Non-Fiction books circulate for 2 weeks.
• Career Planning books circulate for 1 week.
• Videos (DVD & VHS) have a 3-day lending period.
  Any faculty, staff, or student with a valid ID may borrow video cassettes.
• 16mm films are kept in storage and can be checked out at Circulation.
• Periodicals, non-circulating books, and reference books may not leave the library.
  See a librarian for possible exceptions.
• Photographs, reproductions and slides do not circulate unless special arrangements are made with the Visual Resources and Arts Librarian.

Renewals

• Borrowers may renew materials through LUCY2, over the phone, in person, or by email.
• Faculty may renew books once.
• Students, staff and other borrowers may renew books twice within a single semester.
• Videos (DVD & VHS) may be renewed twice.
• Popular Fiction and Non-Fiction books, CDs, and other non-book materials may be renewed once.
• Curriculum Library books may only be renewed once by Friends of the Library.

Recalls and Holds

Items may be recalled if they are needed for course reserve or if they are needed by another patron. Items recalled for course reserve are due immediately no matter how long they have been in circulation. When another patron initiates a recall, the current borrower is guaranteed three weeks with the book or CD before it needs to be returned.

If you need an item which is already checked out to another patron:

• You may initiate a recall through the OPAC (online public access catalog). Once you locate the item record, use the request tab ("Holds/Recalls") at the top of the screen. Enter your username and password. Follow a few simple steps and your request will be submitted. The library will notify you when the item is returned. If the item needed is part of a set, request that particular volume or part.
  (The current borrower is guaranteed three weeks with a book or CD before the item must be returned.)
  Students, faculty and staff may place recalls.
• You may also place a hold on an item. When the item is returned, you will be notified.
• Please note that the Library does not reveal borrowers' names to other borrowers. In certain circumstances the Library may act as an intermediary between the current borrower and the patron who needs the material as long as confidentiality of both patrons is protected.

If you have borrowed an item that has been recalled:

• Items recalled for course reserve are due immediately no matter how long they have been in circulation.
• If the item has been recalled by another patron, you have 48 hours after the recall notice goes out to return the recalled items.
• You are guaranteed three weeks with a book or CD before it can be recalled by another patron.
• Fines on recalled items are $2/day per item.

The failure to return library materials in a timely way when those materials are needed by others members of the Skidmore community may be treated as an academic integrity infraction.

Note:  Borrowers who are not students, faculty or staff may place holds but may not institute recalls.

View Circulation Record Online

From the Lucy2 Library Catalog search screen, click on link: Patron Records/Renewals. Enter your Skidmore UserID and Password. If you do not have a Skidmore ID, follow the link provided to log in with your 16-digit card number.

Missing Items

A formal search request may be initiated for any item neither on the shelves nor charged out.

1. Fill out a Search Request form available at the Circulation Desk
2. Circulation staff will conduct an intensive search for the item for one week.
3. The patron will be contacted at the end of that week as to the status of the item (lost or found).
4. If the item is not found faculty/staff/students may request ILL for the item.

Fines

It is the responsibility of the patron to return items on the date due. The Library charges fines for the late return of books and other library materials to encourage circulation of materials. Reminder notices are sent out by e-mail as a courtesy only. Not receiving a reminder notice or failing to note the due date of a renewed items is not a valid excuse for returning materials late.

Books & CDs
$.25/day per item.
Maximum of $25.00 per item.

Reserve Materials
3 Hour Reserves - $2/hour per item to a maximum of $25.00 per item.
1 and 3 Day Reserves - $2/day per item to a maximum of $25.00 per item.
Reserves allows the equitable use of materials that are in high demand as a result of specific class assignments. Because the materials are limited, it is important to return the items as soon as possible to provide equal access for the entire class.
No renewals.
The failure to return library materials in a timely way when those materials are needed by others members of the Skidmore community may be treated as an academic integrity infraction.

Recalled Items
$2/day per item to a maximum of $25.00 per item.
Items recalled for course reserve are due immediately no matter how long they have been in circulation.
Items which are recalled by another patron must be returned within 48 hours after the notice is mailed..
The failure to return library materials in a timely way when those materials are needed by others members of the Skidmore community may be treated as an academic integrity infraction.

Videos (DVD & VHS)
$1/day per item.
Maximum of $25.00 per item.

Damaged Items
If Library materials have been damaged while on loan to a patron, a fee may be charged to cover repair of replacement costs and processing fees.

Lost Materials

Overdue items not returned within 75 days (21 days for DVDs and videos) of their due date will be considered lost and the borrower charged accordingly. Should the items subsequently be returned to the Library, the maximum fine of $25.00 will be imposed and a refund of the difference authorized.

• Curriculum Library books, $25.00 / book.
• Books and CDs, $50.00 / item.
• Art books, $75.00 / book.
• Videos (DVD & VHS) and other audio-visual materials, $50.00/item.
• For more expensive items, cost plus $10 service charge.

Note: Replacement fees are in addition to fines.

Reserve Materials and Recalled Books
When fines on reserve materials and recalled books reach $25 those items will be considered lost.
The failure to return library materials in a timely way when those materials are needed by others members of the Skidmore community may be treated as an academic integrity infraction.

Videos (DVD & VHS)

Equipment
VHS tapes may be viewed on machines located in the reference area and in media rooms in the library. DVDs may be viewed on any public PC or in the media rooms. Inquire at the Circulation Desk or Reference Desk for more information on media rooms.
Please call Media Services (ext 5940) for in-class equipment needs.

Circulation
Videos (DVD & VHS) are kept at the Circulation Desk. DVD cases are shelved in the Galant Room for browsing purposes. Please bring the empty cases of the DVDs you want to borrow to the Circulation Desk. Faculty members requiring videos for courses may borrow these materials in any quantity and for any period which they require. For non-course use, films and videos circulate for three (3) days with two renewals. Late fees are $1/day per item.

Films (16mm) are kept in storage. Inquire at the Circulation Desk.

Reserving a Video for Class Showing
Faculty may reserve videos (VHS/DVD) for class showing by submitting a Video/DVD Reservation form.

Laptops, calculators, headphones, and Ethernet cables

With a valid Skidmore ID, faculty, staff and fully-matriculated students may borrow:

• laptop comuters (in-library-use-only/3 hr. loan)
• calculators (in-library-use-only/3 hr. loan)
• small headphones (use with TV/VCR, CD-player and computer; in-library-use-only/3 hr. loan)
• large headphones (use with Turntable and Tapedeck; in-library-use-only/3 hr. loan)
• network notebook/laptop cables (1 day loan)

Popular Fiction and Non-Fiction Collection

The popular fiction and non-fiction collections are received on a rental basis and are replaced periodically. Any individual with borrowing privileges from Scribner Library can borrow items from this collection. Books in this collection circulate for two weeks and may be renewed once. There is no limit on the number of books for any one borrower (other than those limits imposed by the class of borrower, e.g., one book at a time for Friends of the Library). Books are shelved by last name of author; if more than one title by the same author is currently in the collection, those books are first by author, then alphabetically by title.

Special Loans

Under special arrangements library materials considered non-circulating may be taken from the Library for a period of time for photocopying, class presentation, etc. Approval must be granted by the librarian at the Reference Desk or the College Librarian. Approval for art books should be sought from the Visual Resources/Arts Librarian.

Direct Access Program (DAP)

The Capital District Library Council (CDLC) is a consortium of many public, academic, and special libraries in the Capital District. The Direct Access Program (DAP) is a service of CDLC which provides patrons of CDLC member libraries with access to the collections of other member libraries.

To participate in DAP, patrons must obtain a DAP card from the library with which they are primarily affiliated. DAP cards are available to Skidmore faculty, staff and full-time students. Apply for a card at the Circulation Desk at Scribner Library; cards must be signed by a member of the Circulation staff or a librarian.

Some DAP libraries will permit all DAP card holders to borrow materials, while others will permit only certain categories of DAP card holders to borrow material directly. A link to the list of participating libraries and the categories of users who may borrow materials is available below. Patrons are responsible for abiding by the rules and regulations of the CDLC libraries from which they borrow.

Materials borrowed through the Direct Access Program may be returned to the Interlibrary Loan Department at Scribner Library. Skidmore College makes no guarantees about the timeliness of the return of materials from Scribner Library nor the reliability of a lending institutions' record keeping procedures.

Skidmore College permits DAP borrowers to borrow up to 10 books at a time, with two renewals for each book. Audio-visual materials do not circulate to DAP borrowers. A DAP card must be shown by the borrowing patron to verify expiration date and status at the sponsoring institution. Complete information from the DAP card or other identification must be secured, including home address and phone; this information will be kept by the Circulation staff.

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Page maintained by: John Cosgrove
Lucy Scribner Library, Skidmore College
Last updated:February 8, 2007 (JC)