Subject: Circulation of Library Materials

Author/Information
Library circulation staff

Effective Date
1997

Purpose
To clarify policies regarding circulation of library materials

Scope
These policies apply to the entire Marygrove College community

Statement of Policy

• Borrowing privileges are extended to current Marygrove students, faculty (to adjunct faculty during the terms during which they are teaching at Marygrove), staff, alumni, I.H.M. sisters, students at the Detroit-area Catholic consortium colleges, and students at the Ecumenical Theological Seminary (ETS). Current Marygrove students also have borrowing privileges at the Detroit-area Catholic consortium colleges' libraries with their current Marygrove I.D. and at other Detroit area academic libraries with a SEMLOL Infopass, obtainable from a reference librarian at Marygrove's library.  Patrons of the Marygrove College Library who have applied for and have MichiCard privileges may borrow materials at any of the libraries that participate in that program.
• I.D. required for check-out of materials:
  • Marygrove students: college I.D. with current term's sticker
  • Consortium college students and ETS students: current college I.D. + driver's license or state I.D.
  • Marygrove faculty and staff: current college I.D.
  • Infopass students: infopass, current college I.D. + driver's license or state I.D.
  • Professors emeritii and I.H.M. sisters: no I.D. required
• Circulation periods:
  • Audiovisual materials, reference books, and periodicals must be used in the library; they may not be checked out.
  • Library patrons may check out most books for a three-week period with one renewal allowed. (Full-time faculty members are allowed longer circulation periods). Patrons may renew library materials once – either by telephone or in person.  Books may be renewed over the phone if they have not been renewed before and are not overdue. Books that have been renewed once must be returned to the library and given at least a one-hour wait time on the hold shelf before they may be checked out again to the same individual.
  • Reserve materials - both print and audiovisual - have shorter circulation periods, varying from three hours to one week. Patrons request reserve items at the Circulation desk.
• Library fines:
  • Patrons may be charged fines of two types: (1) fines accrued because materials were not returned on time, thereby depriving others of their use and (2) charges that must be paid to replace and process library materials that were not returned to the library. Even if a "lost book" turns up, the patron who had it checked out for a lengthy period of time is responsible for paying overdue (but not replacement) charges.
  • Fines for overdue materials:
    • If regular circulating books are returned late, they accrue a fine of $.25 per day. If reserve materials are returned late, they accrue a fine of $1 per day for 1-day, 3-day, and 7-day reserve items and $1 per hour for 3-hour reserve items. The fine for videos returned late is $.50 per hour.
    • Fine policies are publicized in the library. In addition, fine notices are sent to patrons with overdue materials.
    • Students may not check out additional materials if they have a fine balance of more than $5.
    • The library's automated system will block patrons with overdue items or fines from checking out additional library materials
    • Students must have a zero fine balance (the total of any type of College fines) in order to obtain College transcripts. Students are not allowed to register for classes if their total amount of College fines exceeds $100.
  • Fines for items not returned to the library:
    • Patrons will receive a total of 4 notices for an overdue item, the 4th being a bill
    • The charge for a lost item is the actual price of the item (or a flat fee of $50 if the actual price of a book is not available) plus a $10 processing fee
    • A "lost library materials" charge will appear on students' monthly statements from the Financial Services Office in addition to the fines that have been accrued while the item was overdue
    • If students locate unreturned items for which they have been billed, they return the materials to the library and pay late fees in the library. In this case, the student does not have to pay the "lost library materials" charge, but does have to pay the overdue fees. The library notifies the Financial Services Office that the account has been settled.

Date created: April 10, 2000
Date of latest revision: January 16, 2008