0.0 CONTENTS

1.0 - Purpose

2.0 - Borrowing Privileges--Eligibility

3.0 - Non-Circulating Materials

4.0 - Recalls

5.0 - Renewals

6.0 - Loss and Damage

7.0 - Fines for Overdue Materials and Patron Blocks

8.0 - Confidentiality of Library Records

1.0 PURPOSE

The purpose of the Borrowing Policy is to establish the guidelines for checking out library materials and to assist staff in making lending decisions. This policy does not cover the Marine Resources Library, the John Rivers Communications Museum, or the Avery Research Center.

2.0 BORROWING PRIVILEGES-- ELIGIBILITY BY CATEGORY OF LIBRARY USER

This section of the policy describes the various categories of library users and defines the loan period for library materials from the circulating collections including the curriculum lab, browsing collection, and juvenile books. Browsing books (all patron categories) circulate for a shorter loan period (see chart in attached Appendix 2). All patrons will be required to show ID and may be asked to show proof that they are the persons named on the ID. Persons will not be allowed to borrow the ID of another person to use library materials. See Appendix 1 for borrowing groups, loan periods and privileges by patron status and Appendix 2 for borrowing periods by material type.

• 2.1 College of Charleston Students
  
  
  • College of Charleston students may be undergraduate, continuing education and graduate students who are currently enrolled in one or more courses and who have a valid College of Charleston ID may borrow circulating materials. Persons taking non-credit continuing education courses do not have borrowing privileges.  Students may borrow circulating material during the summer and between the fall and spring semester if they have not graduated and if they present an identification card from the previous semester.
  
  
• 2.2 College of Charleston Faculty and Staff
  
  In the interest of teaching obligations and research needs, the College of Charleston faculty (roster and adjunct) and staff currently employed and who have a valid College of Charleston ID may borrow library materials from the collections.  Retired College of Charleston faculty who live in state may continue to borrow books from the library at no charge.
  
  
• 2.2.1 Immediate family members of faculty and staff may put books on hold at the Circulation desk.  Later, the family member with the College of Charleston ID may check out the materials for that family member.  The person who checks out the books (ID holder) assumes full responsibility for the return of the materials.
  
  
• 2.3 Participants in College of Charleston Special Instructional Programs
  
  
• Students enrolled in instructional programs sponsored by the College of Charleston may borrow circulating library materials with a valid College of Charleston ID.
  
  
• 2.4 Other Institutions
  
  
• 2.4.1 PASCAL Partnership Among South Carolina Academic Libraries
  
  
  • Students and faculty with current ID cards from PASCAL institutions may borrow circulating materials.  Requesting patrons must be in good standing with the library of their home institution.  Students, staff and faculty from PASCAL member institutions may also return books from other PASCAL libraries.  The books will be returned via the PASCAL courier (Interlibrary Loan).
  
  
• 2.4.2 Charleston Academic Library Consortium (CALC)
  
  
  • Currently enrolled students, faculty and staff of The Citadel, Charleston Southern University, the Medical University of South Carolina, Trident Technical College, the Charleston School of Law,  the Marine Resources Division/South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) / National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) staff located at the Coastal Center for Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research Laboratory (CCEHBR) and the Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML) are given borrowing privileges. These users must present a current ID from their institution. CALC faculty may request extended, semester-long loans. Such requests are made in person to the Circulation Department at the time of the check outs.
            Note: Persons with a Charleston County Library card are not eligible for borrowing privileges
  
  
• 2.5 Visiting Scholars
  
  
  • Visiting scholars may be given borrowing privileges to work on their doctoral dissertations or post-doctoral publications. Visiting Scholars must have letters from their institutions explaining their research interests. The Assistant Dean for Public Services or Dean of Libraries must approve these requests.
    
    
• 2.6. Alumni
  
  
  • Lifetime alumni receive complimentary Friends of the Library cards. Other alumni may borrow materials by joining the Friends of the Library.
    
    
• 2.7 Persons Serving on College Advisory Boards (including Sea Grant Consortium)
  
  
  • At the request of the College of Charleston president or his/her designated representative, community members appointed to College committees or boards will be issued Friends of the Library cards.
    
    
• 2.8 Friends of the Library
  
  
  • Anyone over 18 may become a Friend of the Library. Individual and family memberships are available. Cards are typically issued for the calendar year—January – December.  Individual Friends of the Library cards are not transferable to family members or business associates.
    
    
• 2.9 Public Access to Library Collections
  
  
  • Persons not wishing become Friends of the Library may use materials within the library building. Persons who are not satisfied with this policy should be reminded that there is a public library, Charleston County, within walking distance and that the primary mission of the College of Charleston Libraries is to assist members of the College community. 
  
  
• 2.10  Special Groups
  
  
  • The library has agreements with special groups.  Persons from other institutions who want to enter into a new agreement should contact the Dean of Libraries or the Assistant Dean for Public Services.  The conditions and privileges of these groups are in the appendix to this policy.  However, since new groups may be added at any time, the borrowing arrangements are not part of the formal policy which is approved by the librarians and administration.
    
    
• 2.11 Local Schools
  
  
  • The chief administrator of public or private high schools located in the tri-county area (Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties) may request borrowing privileges for college bound juniors and senior students and their teachers.  In return for the borrowing privileges, the requesting library must be financially responsible for all lost books.

3.0 NON-CIRCULATING MATERIAL

Reference materials, microfilms, periodicals, maps, newspapers, items from Special Collections, and other materials named non-circulating may not be checked out from the library.

• 3.1 The media collection is a teaching collection designed to serve the needs of classroom instruction.  Only College of Charleston faculty and staff may check out these materials.  College of Charleston students may view materials from the media collection in the library.  Persons including faculty from other institutions may not check out materials from the media collections. 

4.0 RECALLS

A patron may request a recall at the Circulation desk for any charged book that has been checked out for one week or more. The person from whom it is being recalled may keep it for a total of two weeks. Books which faculty need for reserve may be recalled at any time. Recalled books must be returned to the library within seven days of the recall notice. Fines will be imposed for materials that are recalled but not returned.

5.0 RENEWALS

Any book charged out to a patron may be renewed two additional times unless another user has placed a hold on it. Patrons may renew materials either on the phone or at the Circulation desk. If books are overdue, the patron must return the book and pay all fines before renewing the book(s). Faculty must renew books in the same fashion as the other users to avoid loss of borrowing privileges.

• 5.1 Online Renewal of Books
  
  

• Using the “My Account” link borrowers may use their name and Cougar Trail ID number to check their account and renew books that are not overdue.

6.0 LOSS OR DAMAGE

    All patrons are personally responsible for the loss or damage to the books that are checked out in their name. The library is not responsible for returned books that are left in boxes unattended in hallways, doorways, tables, or delivered anywhere except the circulation desk or the official College of Charleston book drops. The library charges a replacement fee for lost or damaged books. The fee varies based on the value of the book.  Books that are not returned within 195 days of check out are presumed lost and the patron will be billed appropriately. If the patron returns the book(s), the book replacement fee will be waived, but the patron still owes the $10.00 late fee. If a patron loses five or more items, lending privileges are automatically reviewed and may be suspended.

7.0 FINES FOR OVERDUE MATERIALS AND PATRON BLOCKS

Before materials are checked out, a patron’s status is checked (including fines, lost books, number of overdue materials, bad check-ins expiration date, inactive borrower, manually delinquent, number of claims returned, and valid class code). If any of these checks show a delinquency, the patron may be blocked from checking out any more materials.
   
7.1 Circulation Fines

Fines are charged for circulating materials returned after the due date. Fines are calculated when books are returned. College of Charleston faculty and staff are not charged fines.

Below is a schedule of fines:

7.2 Failure to Pay Fines

When a student accrues $3.00 or more in fines, no further check out is permitted until all fines are paid. Students who fail to pay fines or charges for lost or damaged books will be billed through the Treasurer, and the Registrar will be notified not to release documents until all library charges are paid. Students with long overdue book fees may be sent to the Honor Board.

8.0 CONFIDENTIALITY OF LIBRARY RECORDS

All library registration and circulation records are confidential and are protected by the Library Confidentiality Act. (Act 108) of South Carolina.

Draft: Sheila Seaman 09/11/85
Approved: Administrative Group 09/11/85
Reviewed; Librarians 09/26/85
Approved: Director 10/24/85
Revised: Sheila Seaman 03/03/86
Approved: Director 03/03/86
Revised: Sheila Seaman 09/30/86
Approved: Director 11/24/86
Revised: Sheila Seaman 02/02/88
Approved: Director 02/18/88
Revised: Sheila Seaman 03/15/88
Approved: Director 03/22/88
Revised: Sheila Seaman 01/30/91
Approved: Administrative Group 03/01/91
Reviewed: Librarians 03/12.91
Approved: Director 03/13/91
Revised: Sheila Seaman 04/11/95
Approved: Dean of Libraries 07/17/95
Revised: Sheila Seaman 09/16/96
Reviewed: Librarians 09/26/96
Approved: Dean of the Libraries 09/27/96
Revised: Sheila Seaman 04/26/00
Approved: Administrative Group 08/30/00
Approved: Librarians 09/06/00
Revised: Sheila Seaman 1/22/2007
Approved: Librarians 2/22/2007
Revised: Sheila Seaman 9/18/2007
Borrowing Details by Patron Type
Approved: Librarians 10/2/2007
Revised: Sheila Seaman 4/8/2009
Approved: Librarians 5/28/2009

APPENDIX 1

Borrowing, Loan Periods, and Privileges by Patron Status