Library Circulation Policy
Policy: 7.4
Volume: 7, Library
Chapter: 4, Library Circulation Policy
Responsible Executive: Library Director
Executive Council Approved: Jan. 12, 2012 ALT Approved: 10/28/2022
Originally Issued: Jan. 12, 2012
Revised/Reviewed: August 2, 2016 06/18/21; 09/16/22
REASON FOR POLICY:
This circulation policy governs the loan periods and check-out limits of the Library’s circulating and reserve materials; the interlibrary loan and reserve services available, and fees and blocks applicable to the various categories of Library users (TUC faculty, adjunct faculty, faculty emeriti, students, and staff). The policy also describes hold and renewal limits for library materials and eligibility for receiving library materials by mail.
WHO SHOULD READ THIS POLICY:
Faculty
Staff
Students
Adjunct Faculty
POLICY STATEMENT:
|
Patron Status |
Loan Period |
Services |
Fees, Fines |
|
Faculty (Includes Adjunct and Emeritus Faculty |
Books: 8 weeks Media: 4 weeks Reserve Items: 6 hours |
Unlimited interlibrary loans Reserve items may leave the library Two renewals (items on hold may not be renewed) May place holds on items currently checked out |
No overdue fines Replacement or replacement cost of Lost/Damaged Item |
|
Student (on campus) |
Books: 3 weeks Media: 2 weeks Reserve Items: 3 hours |
Unlimited interlibrary loans Two renewals (items on hold may not be renewed) May place holds on items currently checked out |
No overdue fines Replacement or replacement cost of Lost/Damaged Item |
|
Student (on rotations) |
Books: 6 weeks Media: 4 weeks Reserve Items: 3 hours |
Unlimited interlibrary loans Two renewals (items on hold may not be renewed) May place holds on items currently checked out |
No overdue fines Replacement or replacement cost of Lost/Damaged Item |
|
Staff / Administrator |
Books: 8 weeks Media: 4 weeks Reserve Items: 3 hours |
Unlimited interlibrary loans Two renewals (items on hold may not be renewed) May place holds on items currently checked out |
No overdue fines Replacement or replacement cost of Lost/Damaged Item |
Borrowing Limits
For all patrons, up to 15 circulating items may be checked out at a time. In some cases, items may have accompanying materials. Such items are indicated by a “This item accompanies . . .” sticker and may be checked out in addition to a patron’s first 15 items.
Renewals
Renewals can be done online by the patron or may be requested in person, by calling 707-638-5300, or by emailing tuc.library@touro.edu. In the case of overdue items, renewals must be done by a librarian or library assistant.
Holds
For items checked out from the circulating collection, patrons can place online holds or holds may be requested in person or by calling 707-638-5300. Patrons who have placed holds will be sent an e-mail by the library when the item(s) is available for check-out. Items from the circulating collection will be held for 4 calendar days (excluding campus holidays and the Sabbath) counting from the day the e-mail notice was sent. Patrons should note that Sabbath hours and related Library policies apply also to pick-up and check-out of holds.
Holds may be placed for Reserve materials that are checked out. Patrons with holds on reserve materials will be notified by e-mail when the reserve item is available for check-out and will be required to pick up the item within 15 minutes after the e-mail was sent.
Overdues, Fines, and Lost and Damaged Items
Items become overdue at 9:00 pm on the due date. (This is due to a shared library computer system with other Touro Libraries).
The TUC Library does not charge fines for overdue books, but encourages library patrons to renew their library materials and return them when no longer needed so other patrons can use the materials.
Checked out books and other items 45 or more days overdue will be considered lost and the patron will be charged the cost to replace the item. Patrons will also be charged for replacement of books that are substantially damaged making further check outs not feasible. Replacement of the lost or damaged item may be possible at the discretion of the subject librarian.
Outstanding replacement costs owed may be paid to the Bursar or paid online at the TUC Non-Bursar Transaction Store. You can at any time check amount owed by logging into your account on the Library System from the Library website.
If a fine or fee is felt to be in error or to be unwarranted due to extenuating circumstances, the patron should discuss the matter with the Access Services Librarian or with the Library Director.
Recalls
The library may recall an item at any time if it is needed for reserve for class use. All other recalls may not happen until a patron has been allowed at least two weeks with an item. Patrons may place holds, thereby triggering a recall, on items currently checked out. Recalled items must be returned or postmarked three days after the recall is initiated.
Media Materials & Education Test Kits
Media materials, including CDs, CDROMs, DVDs, and education test kits, because of limited materials and high demand, have shorter check-out periods than books. Education test kits circulate for 1 week and may be checked out by GSOE faculty and students only. The check-out period for media materials varies depending on the patron category.
If the material accompanies a book or other item with a longer checkout period, it will also circulate for the longer period. Such items are indicated by a “This item accompanies . . .” sticker.
Reserve Materials
Reserve materials are usually required and recommended texts used in current classes. Generally, only one reserve item may be checked out at a time. Exceptions that may be checked out in addition to the regular reserve item include body models, headphones, calculators, laptop stands, and accompanying materials. Supplementary items (i.e. other than required or recommended texts) on reserve for a course must be placed there at the request of the course coordinator. Reserve items are for in-Library use only with the exception of faculty and adjunct faculty who may check out reserve materials and take them out of the Library for up to 6 hours.
Electronic Books
The availability and use of e-books are not standardized. Licensing or purchase of e-book is typically available for different quantities of users. Electronic books can generally be read online by the quantity of users purchased or licensed by the Library with no checkout or return necessary. Depending on the vendor or platform that hosts the book, checkouts of electronic books may be available with free vendor provided software. The checkout period will depend on the options provided by the vendor platform. When the checkout period is over, the software will automatically return the copy and make available again for other users.
Some electronic books are for unlimited users at a time or for a set maximum number of users equivalent to the Library having a specific number of print copies. When downloading of an e-book is possible, it is equivalent to a check-out of a print book making it unavailable to other users, even for online reading or the download period. Whenever possible, the Library leaves one electronic copy available for online reading.
Books By Mail
Books by campus mail is a service offered to any TUC faculty, adjunct faculty, or staff member with a campus office/address. Books by U.S. mail is a service offered to any authorized TUC Library user. Eligible patrons, may, by e-mail or telephone, request on-shelf TUC circulating materials be mailed to them. The library will ship materials to eligible patrons via insured carrier at Library expense. Books sent by mail are subject to regular loan periods. Returning the item(s) to the library is at the user’s expense. Books returned by mail are checked in based on postage date.
Non-Circulating Materials
Items in the Library Historical Collection, Reference Collection, Archives, print journals, and newspapers do not circulate and can only be used within the Library.
Notices
All Library notices will be sent to a patron’s TUC email address. Exceptions are made for clinical adjunct faculty who do not have TUC email addresses. The following notices will be sent: for checked out/overdue materials and recalled materials as follows:
For Checked Out Materials/Overdue Materials:
A courtesy notice 2 days before an item is due
An overdue notice 5 business day after the due date
An overdue notice 30 days after the due date
45 days after the due date: When an item has not been returned for 45 days after due date, the item is considered “lost” and patron will need to either replace the item or pay invoice from Bursar
For Checked Out Materials Recalled by Library:
A recall notice at least 2 days before the item is due
A pick-up notice will be sent the following morning when the requested hold item (non-reserve items) is available for pick-up
A pick-up notice will be sent immediately when the requested reserve item is available for pick-up
Block of Library Privileges
Library privileges will be blocked under the following conditions:
When a Faculty, Staff, or Student has one or more items 45 days past due.
Borrowing physical items from the Library will be blocked.
Block is lifted when item(s) is returned, replaced with an item approved by librarian, or invoice for cost of checked out item(s) is paid
When a Faculty, Staff, or Student has a recalled item overdue by 3 days or more
Borrowing physical items from the Library will be blocked.
Block is lifted when all outstanding recalled items have been returned.
EDUCATION TEST COLLECTION POLICY
Policy: 7.10
Volume: Library
Chapter: 10 Education Test Collection Policy
Responsible Executive: Library Director
Executive Council Approval Date: October 5, 2016
Originally Issued: October 5, 2016.
Last Reviewed: 9/6/2022
REASON FOR POLICY:
To establish a policy for the creation and maintenance of and access to the Education Test Collection materials housed in the TUC Library.
WHO SHOULD READ THIS POLICY:
Faculty
Staff
Students
POLICY STATEMENT:
The Education Test Collection housed in the TUC Library consists of a limited number of education test kits. These materials are identified in the Library Catalog with the location “TUC Educational Test Collection” and are shelved behind the Circulation Desk in the TUC Library. Educational test collection materials are available for use by current GSOE students and GSOE faculty only. This includes both in-Library use and for check-out from the library. Use by anyone else, requires approval from the GSOE faculty member designated by GSOE administration as the library’s contact for the Education Test Collection.
Due to the limited quantity of these materials and the high use of these materials by members of some of the GSOE classes, check-out of education test materials is for 1 week only. If no holds are placed on an item, education test kits can be renewed twice more, for 1 week per renewal.
The library has responsibility for providing bibliographic access to and physical maintenance of any educational test kit materials in the library including:
Cataloging and classifying educational test materials for the Library Catalog
Providing appropriate shelving and cabinet space in the library for education test materials including supplementary materials to the test kit.
Ensuring that all the components of the test kit are included at the time of check-out (most test kits consist of multiple parts) and replenishing, as needed, after return from check-out, any components that are meant to be used by the patron checking out the material (e.g. score sheets) and following up with GSOE on any missing components.
Informing GSOE when component parts need to be re-ordered because supply of component parts are running low or a part is found to be missing/lost.
Reporting to GSOE contact when Library in course of working with these materials finds that a newer edition has become available.
The Graduate School of Education (GSOE) is responsible for the following:
Selecting all the education test kits in the library and purchasing and paying for them and sending them to the library for cataloging and to house them for the use by current GSOE faculty and students.
Purchasing components that need to be replenished or replaced.
Making decisions about withdrawing or about retaining test kits in the Collection that are old and/or for which a newer edition/version has been published.
Making decisions about withdrawing or about continuing to make available test kits that have some content missing that cannot be replenished or GSOE does not wish to replenish.
The library staff does not provide photocopies or scans of materials in the Education Test Collection nor are these materials available for interlibrary loan to other libraries.
Any questions pertaining to this policy should be directed to the Director of the TUC Library.
Interlibrary Loan Policy
Policy: 7.2
Volume: 7, Library
Chapter: 2, Interlibrary Loan Policy
Responsible Executive: Library Director
Executive Council Approval Date: July 15, 2014
Originally Issued: March 15, 2011
Revised: May 7, 2021
Reviewed: Sept. 15, 2022
REASON FOR POLICY:
Through our Interlibrary Loan policy and services, Touro University California Library endeavors to promote research and scholarship by making resources not immediately available in the library’s collection accessible to our campus community. This policy establishes the procedures for interlibrary loan borrowing and lending.
WHO SHOULD READ THIS POLICY:
POLICY STATEMENT:
LENDING:
In the spirit of reciprocity, Touro University California Library promotes lending and sharing library materials whenever possible to encourage and enhance positive library relationships, thereby increasing our potential to borrow library materials needed by TUC students, faculty, adjunct faculty and staff.
Materials that cannot be lent include items in TUC Archives and the Reserve, Reference and Historical Collections as well as items deemed to have particularly high use by TUC students or faculty or are of high monetary value.
All interlibrary loan requests must comply with U.S. Copyright Law.
Questions regarding this policy can be directed to the Access Services & Instruction Librarian or Library Director.