Library materials for use outside the library must be checked out at the Circulation Desk. You must present either a current Albion College ID card or a Community Borrower’s Card.  An Albion College ID is available to students as well as faculty and staff (and their dependents).  A replacement ID can be obtained from the Dining & Hospitality department for a fee.  See Sharing Resources with the Albion Community brochure for more information on Community Borrower’s Cards.  A special Community Borrower card can be issued for members of the 7th Congressional District, which limits them to check-out government documents only.

HOW LONG MAY I KEEP THEM?

Students, staff and community borrowers may borrow books, audiocassettes, maps and government documents for 30 days. Faculty loan periods are one year. Students, staff and community borrowers may check out videos and DVDs for 1 week; faculty may borrow for two weeks.

Materials that do not circulate include journals/periodicals, reference, rare, and archived items.  Copiers are available in both buildings;  copies cost $0.05.  You can only make copies using a copy card.   Plasti-Cashiers dispensing copy cards are located in the Stockwell President's Room and the Kellogg Center.  The cost of a copy card is $1.00; each card has an initial credit of $0.50.   Credit can be added to copy cards at the Plasti-Cashier.   Neither machines accept coins.    

An item may be renewed up to four times if it has not been requested by another patron or if it is not needed for course reserve. Reserve items may not be renewed. You may renew your items by telephone, or online at http://library.albion.edu/patroninfo/ if they are not overdue. If the item is overdue and fines have accrued, you must bring the item to be renewed to the Circulation Services Coordinator.

WHERE ARE MATERIALS LOCATED?

If you do not find the book you want on the shelf you may initiate a search by asking the Circulation Desk attendant. You will be notified if the book is located or if it is possible to replace it. If the library doesn’t own the item, you may request it through Interlibrary Loan. See the brochure Interlibrary Loan Document Access: How to Get Books and Articles From Other Libraries or the Interlibrary Loan page for more information.

WHAT IF AN ITEM I WANT IS CHECKED OUT?

When the book you want is checked out, you may request that a hold be placed on it. Depending on the due date, and the urgency of the request, the item may be recalled with a more recent due date. When the book is returned, you will be notified and the book will be held for you at the Circulation Desk. If you need the book immediately, please see the Circulation Services Coordinator (ext. 0383).

Library materials that are needed for a course reserve or for another patron are subject to recall. Fines will be levied from the due date. If you receive a recall notice, you must return the item by the due date or you will be subject to recall fines (see fine section below for charges).

The date your book is due is normally stamped on the due date slip inside the book, or you may check online at http://library.albion.edu/patroninfo/. You may also receive "courtesy" notices of the materials' due dates.  Failure to receive one does not exempt you from fees accrued. Note that this date may change if the book is recalled.

HOW MUCH WILL I BE CHARGED IF I RETURN MATERIAL AFTER THE DUE DATE?

Students will receive an overdue notice one week after the due date if the item has not yet been returned. A second and third notice will follow two weeks apart. If at that time the book has not been returned, a billing notice will be sent. The bill includes the price of the book, as well as a processing fee of $20.00 and a billing fee of $10.00. If you do not respond to the billing notice within 30 days, the bill will be forwarded to the Accounting department. Registration will be delayed, and transcripts may be withheld if fines/bills are not paid. If you return of the book, you will be credited for all but the $10.00 billing fee.

If you receive a recall notice for a book (another patron needs the book you have), a $1.00 fine will be charged for each day the book is overdue.

You may view the current semester's reserves listed either by course name or professor.  Faculty members put selected materials on reserve for their courses. The loan period is short to allow access to materials for all students in the course. Requests for an extension of the loan period must be approved in advance by the faculty member who placed the materials on reserve. The faculty member must supply the Circulation Services Coordinator with written notification. You must have your Albion College ID to borrow reserve materials. Reserve materials are housed behind the Circulation Desk.  

WHAT ARE THE FINES FOR RESERVE MATERIALS?

2-hour (no overnight) and 2-hour (overnight after 10 p.m., due 9 a.m. next day):

•  $ 1.00 Each hour overdue until item is returned
•  $25.00 Maximum fine per item

3-day materials

•  $ 1.00 Each day item is overdue
•  $25.00 Maximum fine per item

Report all lost books immediately to the Circulation Services Coordinator (ext. 0383) to stop fines from accruing.

Billing for lost library books:

•  $20.00 Nonrefundable per item processing fee
•  $10.00 Nonrefundable per item billing fee
•  Material replacement cost (or a default amount of $40.00 if the price is not included in the item record)

Note: if you can provide the library with a replacement copy in good to excellent condition, (subject to approval by the Technical Services Librarian) the replacement bill will be waived. The processing and billing fee will still apply.

Most materials ordered from another library through interlibrary loan or through MeLCat may be picked up at the Circulation Desk. Photocopies of journal articles will be sent to you through the campus mail. See Interlibrary Loan Document Access: How to Get Books and Articles from Other Libraries brochure for more information, or contact the Documents Access Coordinator (ext. 0441).

The student desk attendants can assist with many problems. For clarification of circulation policy and for help with billing problems, ask for the Circulation Services Coordinator (ext. 0383) during normal business hours. Librarians are available for reference assistance, for instruction in the use of the library and the On-line Catalog and for questions relating to general library policy.

07/06 mg