Mary and Jeff Bell Library

Mary & Jeff Bell Library Circulation Policies

approved August 2002

Circulating Materials, Loan Periods and Fines

Special Status - Community User, Special Activities, TexShare

Location

Loan Periods, Quantity of Items by Patron Status, & Required ID

Non-Circulating Materials

Authorization to Checkout Materials for Faculty Members

Borrower Responsibilities

Loss of Borrowing Privileges

Confidentiality of Records

Courtesy Overdue Notifications

Renewals

Holds and Courtesy Recalls

Courtesy Pick up for Faculty

Missing Items

Fines

Replacement Cost for Lost Items

Stolen Items

Suspension of Borrowing Privileges

Appeal Process for Fines

Circulating Materials, Loan Periods and Fines

Circulating Materials	Undergraduate Students	Graduate Students	Faculty & Staff	Fines
Books	3 weeks	6 weeks	6 months	$0.25 per day per item
Dissertations, Theses	3 weeks	6 weeks	6 months	$0.25 per day per item
Government Docs	3 weeks	6 weeks	6 months	$0.25 per day per item
Curriculum Adoption Materials	3 weeks	3 weeks	3 weeks	$0.25 per day per item
Maps (selected)	3 weeks	6 weeks	6 months	$0.25 per day per item
Videos	3 hours – Library Use Only	3 hours – Library Use Only	2 weeks	$0.50 per day for faculty & staff; $0.50 per hour for students
Compact Disc(CD), Digital Video Disc(DVD) & Laser Disc (LD)	3 hours – Library Use Only	3 hours – Library Use Only	2 weeks	$0.50 per day for faculty & staff; $0.50 per hour for students
Reserves (Print)	3 hours, 2 days or 7 days	3 hours, 2 days or 7 days	3 hours, 2 days or 7 days	3 hour=$3.00/hour
Reserves (Media)	3 hours – Library Use Only	3 hours – Library Use Only	1 day	$3 per hour for students, $3 per day for faculty
Laptop Computers (Media)	3 hours – Library Use Only	3 hours – Library Use Only	Student Use Only	$15.00/hour

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Special Status
Special Activities - Community members with a driver's license or state identification card may check out government documents or curriculum adoption materials with a Special Activities card. The loan period is 3 weeks with no renewals.
Community Users may purchase a Community User's Card, valid for one year, for $20 dollars. Community Users may check out 3 items, for 3 weeks with no renewals.
TexShare Cards - Currently enrolled students and currently employed faculty and staff may obtain a TexShare card, valid for a semester. TexShare cards may be obtained from the Circulation Desk. You may take your TexShare card and a photo ID to another TexShare Library and receive borrowing privileges at that library. Patrons are responsible for returning items borrowed from other libraries.

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Location
All circulating materials, other than media items, can be checked out at the Circulation Desk on the 1st floor near the entrance. The telephone number is (361) 825-2340, and the Circulation Supervisor is Robert Rios at Robert.Rios@tamucc.edu. The Media Center is located on the 2nd floor, and the Media contact is Josie Garcia at Josie.Garcia@tamucc.edu (361) 825-2311.

Books and other materials located at the South Texas Institute for the Arts do not circulate, but patrons may use them at that location. A&M-CC patrons may borrow materials (except periodicals and reference items) from the library at the Driscoll Children's Hospital or may request them through InterLibrary Loan. Back to Top

Loan Periods, Quantity of Items by Patron Status, & Required ID

Status	Loan Period	Quantity of Items	Renewals	Required ID
Undergraduates	3 weeks	30	3 renewals	Valid SandDollar$ Card
Masters	6 weeks	30	3 renewals	Valid SandDollar$ Card
Doctoral	6 weeks	30	3 renewals	Valid SandDollar$ Card
Faculty	6 months	30	Unlimited	Valid SandDollar$ Card
Teaching Assistants	semester	30	Unlimited	Valid SandDollar$ Card
TAMU-CC Staff	6 months	30	3 renewals	Valid SandDollar$ Card
Community User	3 weeks	3	No renewals	Valid Community User Card
Driscoll Children's Hospital	3 weeks	3	3	Valid Driscoll employee ID
Kingsville/Del Mar	3 weeks	3	3	Valid institution ID or TexShare Card
TexShare Cardholder	3 weeks	3	1	Valid TexShare Card and Institutional ID

Teaching Assistants who are responsible for instructing in a course are allowed to check out materials until the end of the current semester. Back to Top

Non-Circulating Materials

Reference

Periodicals

Special Collections and Archives

Software

Microforms

Materials labeled “Library Use Only”

South Texas Institute for the Arts Collection

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Authorization to Check Out Materials for Faculty Members
The instructors must fill out an authorization form if graduate or student assistants are allowed to check out materials in their name. This form will have the name of the individual(s) designated to check out materials and will be filed with the Circulation Department. A new form is required each semester to assure authorization is current. When a student proxy checks out materials in the name of the faculty, the faculty member is fully responsible for any late fines or lost or damage charges. Authorized persons must show a valid SandDollar$ identification card at the time of checkout, and the materials will be checked out in the faculty member’s name.

For security reasons, a student presenting a faculty member’s ID card will not be allowed to check out items in the name of the faculty member without the authorization form from the faculty member. Back to Top

Borrower Responsibilities

Borrowers are responsible for all materials checked out with their SandDollar card and for the return of those materials by the due date in the condition in which they were borrowed. Note: Late notices are sent as a courtesy only.

Borrowers are responsible for the loss or damage of all materials borrowed on their card. When materials are recalled, borrowers are responsible for their timely return.

Borrowers are responsible for providing the library with their current mailing address, email address, and telephone number.

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Loss of Borrowing Privileges
A patron with valid identification may be prevented from borrowing materials for the following reasons:

Unpaid fines or fees owed to the library

Ignoring an overdue recall

Continual late returns of ILL materials

Abuse of TexShare privileges

Writing a bad check to pay for fines

Theft or habitual late return of materials

Disregard of Library policies

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Confidentiality of Records
In accordance with the Attorney General of Texas Open Record Decision No. 100 (1975), the Mary and Jeff Bell Library will not release any information about a borrower including name, telephone number, social security number, or any information about what materials have been checked out in his or her name.

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Courtesy Overdue Notifications
The library will send out overdue notices by mail and email. These notices are sent as a courtesy, and failure to receive the notice does not exempt the borrower from fines or fees. A borrower is responsible for knowing when the item is due and providing the library with a current address, email address, and telephone number. Patrons may check View Your Own Record, which lists items checked out for that patron.

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Renewals
All borrowers may renew materials through the library’s online catalog (PORTAL), at the Circulation Desk, and by telephone (825-2340). Online renewals will not be allowed if the item is overdue, or if a hold has been placed on the item. Fines must be paid if the item is to be renewed. Most TAMU-CC borrowers are allowed 3 renewals. Faculty members are allowed an unlimited number of renewals. Items that have been renewed may be subject to a courtesy recall, if another patron has requested the item. Back to Top

Holds and Courtesy Recalls
A patron may place a hold on an item that has been checked out by another patron. Holds may be placed in person or by telephone with the Circulation Desk. When a hold is placed, the patron will be notified when the item is returned. The item must be picked up within 7 days or it will be returned to the shelves. Patrons must contact the Circulation Desk to place a courtesy recall on an item that has been checked out for an extended period (i.e., 180 days). Patrons may check Portal, the online catalog, to verify the due date. An overdue item may be recalled at any time and failure to return the item may result in the suspension of borrowing privileges.

If a faculty member requires a media item that has been placed on reserve by another faculty member, the Media Center will recall the item. It is the responsibility of each faculty member to return recalled items at their earliest convenience.

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Courtesy Pick up for Faculty
Faculty members who are unable to return materials on time to the library may call either the Circulation (361) 825-2340 or Media (361) 825-2311 desk to pick up items that are due or overdue. Back to Top

Missing Items
At the Circulation Desk or by telephone (361) 825-2340, patrons may request a search for an item missing from the shelf. Patrons may request a missing item through InterLibrary Loan. Back to Top

Due Dates
When the item is checked out, a bookmark with the due date is placed inside. The length of the loan period depends on the patron’s status (see Loan Periods). The loan period begins on the date or time of day the item is checked out. Back to Top

Fines
Books and Government Documents - $.25 per book or government document, per day. When fines accumulate to $15.00 (60 days), a block will be placed on the patron’s borrowing privileges. The maximum amount of charges that can be accrued for each item is $50.00.

Reserve materials (7 day check out) - $.50 per reserve item, per day. When fines accumulate to $15.00 (30 days), a block will be placed on the patron’s borrowing privileges. The maximum amount of charges that can be accrued for each item is $50.00.

Reserve materials (2 day check out) - $.50 per reserve item, per day. When fines accumulate to $15.00 (30 days), a block will be placed on the patron’s borrowing privileges. The maximum amount of charges that can be accrued for each item is $50.00.

Reserve materials (3 hour check out) - $3.00 per reserve item, per hour. When fines accumulate to $15.00 (5 hours), a block will be placed on the patron’s borrowing privileges. The maximum amount of charges that can be accrued for each item is $50.00.

Laptop computers - $15.00 per computer, per hour. When fines accumulate to $15.00, a block will be placed on the patron’s borrowing privileges. The maximum amount of charges that can be accrued for each item is $150.00. Back to Top

Payment of Fines

All fines must be paid in full at the library’s Circulation Desk or at the Bursar’s office. The library will accept cash, check, or valid SandDollar$ card for the charges. The Bursar’s office will accept credit card payment for library fines.

Patrons may request a receipt for fines paid.

When charges for overdue materials reach $15.00, a block will be placed on the patron record to halt further borrowing until the Circulation Department removes the block.

Students will be barred from receiving transcripts if overdue fines are not paid.

Fines will not be waived for the following reasons:

Not agreeing with Library policy
Not knowing Library policy
Change of address
Inability to pay fines or charges
Forgetting the due date
Loaning the material to a third party

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Replacement Cost for Lost Items

If a patron declares an item as lost before it is overdue, no fines are accrued; however, the replacement cost and processing fee must be paid immediately. Borrowing privileges may be blocked until payment is made.

Depending on when the patron declares the item as lost, they must pay one of the two types of fines:

1. Before fines accrue to $50.00, the patron will pay the following:
   Fine charges + replacement cost of book + $10.00 processing fee
2. When fines accrue to $50.00, the patron will pay the following:
   $50.00 dollars + replacement cost of book + $10.00 processing fee

If a patron has declared an item lost and paid for it, finds and returns the item within 6 months, the amount paid will be refunded. If the item is returned after 6 months, the amount paid will not be refunded.
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Stolen Items

In order for an item to be verified as stolen, the patron must present a copy of a police (campus or local) or insurance report to the library.

Fines will accrue until a police or insurance report is submitted, at which time the fines will be halted. The patron is responsible for fines accrued, replacement cost, and processing fees.

Suspension of Borrowing Privileges
The library has the right to suspend borrowing privileges for patrons who fail to comply with the provisions of this policy. Back to Top

Appeal Process for Fines

The Student Government Association (SGA) Judicial Board is responsible for library fine appeals. Forms for appeals may be obtained from the Circulation Desk in the library or the SGA office in the University Center. This process also applies to fines for Faculty.

The patron who wishes to appeal a fine is still responsible for the borrowed item(s), and fines will continue to accrue until a decision from the Judicial Board is made and the library is notified. Faculty and student fines may be appealed.

Link to a PDF of Fine Appeal form Back to Top

We invite questions and/or comments and look forward to hearing from you. Contact Robert Rios at Robert.Rios@tamucc.edu.

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Webpage revised on 09/10/2009