library policy #15: Borrowing Policy

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

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This section of the policy describes the various categories of library users and defines the loan period for library materials from the general collections. Loan periods for curriculum lab, and juvenile books are the same as for the books in the general collections. Browsing books (all patron categories) circulate for a two week period with no renewals.  All patrons except persons exempted by this policy 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. Non-circulating materials are listed in Section 3.0.

      2.1 College of Charleston Students
College of Charleston undergraduate, continuing education and graduate students who are currently enrolled in one or more courses and who have an official identification card from the College of Charleston may borrow circulating material from the general collections for twenty-eight days. Persons taking non-credit continuing education courses do not have borrowing privileges.

2.1.1 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 and staff currently employed may borrow circulating library materials from the general collections for one hundred eighty days.  Retired College of Charleston faculty who live in state may continue to borrow books from the library and are eligible to use Interlibrary Loan at no charge.

2.2.1 Persons in the immediate family 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.

2.2.2 Adjunct faculty appointed through Academic Affairs should use a College of Charleston ID and have the same borrowing privileges as other faculty.

2.3 Participants in College of Charleston Special Instructional Programs
Students in Governor's School, Spectra, Teacher Cadet Program, Academic Magnet High School, and Upward Bound or students who are part of another instruction program directly sponsored by the College of Charleston may borrow circulating library materials for two weeks if they obtain an official College ID from Cougar Card Services or have been issued a card at the Circulation desk. They may continue to check out material until the ID expires.
2.4  High School Students

2.4.1 Students from Academic Magnet High School and Charleston County School of the Arts students have limited borrowing privileges as set out by written agreements between the high schools and the College of Charleston (2.3.2). Each student may have no more than two books checked out at any given time. The cut off date for borrowing books is May 1st. All books must be returned and all fines paid by May 15th. High School students are not eligible for off-campus database access, checkouts from the media collection or interlibrary loans.

    2.4.2 Ashley Hall juniors and seniors have a special agreement with the Addlestone Library and are registered as Friends of the Library.  These students have full Friends of the Library privileges and may check out up to five books for a fourteen day limit. Ashley Hall students are not eligible for off-campus database access, checkouts from the media collection or interlibrary loans.

    2.4.3 The chief administrator of a high school located in the tri-county area (Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties) may request borrowing privileges for college bound juniors and senior students.  In return for the borrowing privileges, the requesting library must be financially responsible for all lost books and make payments three times/year for lost books not returned by the end of the terms--fall, spring and summer.  The high school librarian may request a list of overdue books before the end of each term and more often upon request. The high schools will be responsible for communicating with the parents and students to recover lost books. The College of Charleston Library will have the final word if there is a dispute about the return of a book(s).  Failure of the school to pay for students’ lost books will result in the forfeit of future borrowing privileges.  These privileges do not apply to high school teachers, staff, or administrators.  High School students are not eligible for off-campus database access, checkouts from the media collection or interlibrary loans.

2.5 Marine Resources Affiliates
The Marine Resources Library serves the staff of NOAA/NOS/Coastal Center for Environmental Health and Bimolecular Research - NOAA/NIST/Charleston - South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Generally, the Marine Resources Library establishes the borrower records for valid users from these agencies and sets the borrowing category as (SF); borrowers may set up their initial account at the College of Charleston (SF). Please note that some of the research staff from these agencies are also faculty members at the College of Charleston and may also have a College of Charleston ID. However, if they already have a borrowing card from the Marine Resources Library, it is best to use it in order to maintain one borrowing record. The Coastal Services Center (NOAA) is not affiliated with the Marine Resources Library and therefore is not accorded automatic borrowing privileges.

2.6 Charleston Academic Library Consortium
Current students, faculty and staff of The Citadel, Charleston Southern University, the Medical University of South Carolina, Trident Technical College, the Charleston School of Law and the Marine Resources Division of the South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Department are given borrowing privileges. (Note: The Charleston County Library is not a consortium member). These users must present a current ID from their institution. They may borrow circulating materials from the general collections for two weeks. Faculty may request extended, semester-long loans. Such requests are made in person to the Circulation Department or through the courier service to the Interlibrary Loan staff. CALC patrons are not eligible for interlibrary loans or off-campus database access.

2.7 Faculty/Staff and Students from Other Colleges

2.7.1 Visiting scholars are sometimes given borrowing privileges to work on their dissertations or publications. Visiting Scholars are treated like Friends of the Library with a five book limit and two week borrowing privileges. These persons usually have letters from their institutions explaining their research interests. The Assistant Dean for Public Services or Dean of Libraries approves these requests. The circulation staff will prepare a library ID for these patrons. Individual scholars are not eligible for interlibrary loans, off-campus database access, or check outs from the Media Collection.

   2.7.2 The American College of the Building Arts pays an annual fee for each student for borrowing privileges for students. Students' names will be preloaded into the circulation database. Students must present picture identification upon checking out materials. The borrowing period for American College of the Building Arts students is fourteen days. Students may borrow up to five books. American College of the Building Arts patrons are not eligible for interlibrary loan, media check out or off-campus database access.

2.8 Alumni
Alumni may borrow books if they wish to become one of the Friends of the Library. Persons who are already lifetime alumni will receive complimentary Friends of the library cards which may be renewed free of charge. See 2.10.

2.9 Persons Serving on College Advisory Boards (including Sea Grant Consortium)
Community members appointed to College committees or boards who have received the President's Privilege Card may borrow circulating library materials from the general collections for two weeks. The circulation staff will prepare library ID's for these patrons. Persons in this category are not eligible for interlibrary loans or off-campus database access. The Sea Grant Consortium is covered by this category.

2.10 Friends of the Library
Persons not covered elsewhere in this policy but who are interested in checking out material from the library may become Friends of the Library. Persons must be at least 18 years old to be eligible for Friends of the Library status. Friends of the Library are charged a non-refundable fee of $40 for borrowing privileges for one calendar year. Friends of the Library cards are issued to one person (unless a family membership is purchased for $100 which covers two family members) and are not transferable to family members or business associates. Library staff may refuse Friends of the Library status to requesters. The Dean of Libraries or the Assistant Dean for Public Services may waive the $40 charge for visiting scholars (see 2.6.2). The check out period for Friends of the Library is two weeks, and Friends of the Library are subject to the same fine structure as undergraduate students. Friends of the Library are not eligible for interlibrary loans, off-campus database access, or check outs from the Media Collection.

2.11 Persons Not Wishing To Become Friends of the Library
Persons not wishing to pay the Friends of the Library fee are welcome to 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 mission of the College of Charleston Libraries is to assist members of the College community.

       2.12 Elder-Hostel 
Upon confirmation from the Elder-Hostel office or with the Elder-Hostel Office ID, participants may check out up to three books for a two week check out period. Elder Hostel participants are not eligible for interlibrary loans, off-campus database access, or check outs from the Media Collection.

       2.13 Center for Creative Retirement 
Persons participating in the College’s Center for Creative Retirement have College of Charleston IDs and may check out up to three books for a two week check out period. Persons participating in the Center for Creative Retirement are not eligible for off-campus database access, checkouts from the media collection or interlibrary loans.

       2.14 Gibbes Museum of Art
Staff from the Gibbes Museum of Art may borrow up to 25 books for a sixty day check out period. Gibbes Museum staff are not eligible for off-campus database access, checkouts from the media collection or interlibrary loans.

     2.15  Lifetime Alumni
All lifetime alumni have free lifetime borrowing privileges and upon request will be given a renewable Friends of the library card.  Lifetime alumni may check out up to five books for a fourteen day check out period. Lifetime alumni are not eligible for off-campus database access, checkouts from the media collection or interlibrary loans.

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Reference materials, microfilms, periodicals, maps, newspapers, items from Special Collections, and other materials named non-circulating may not be checked out from the library. Staff working in the public services may occasionally allow non-circulating items to circulate.

  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.  College of Charleston faculty and staff may check out up to 3 items for a borrowing period of three days.

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Any book charged out to a patron including a faculty or staff member may be recalled after two (one week, with a week to return for a total of two weeks) weeks. Books which faculty need for reserve may be recalled at any time. The books must be returned to the library within seven days after the recall date shown on the recall notice. Fines may be imposed for materials that are recalled but not returned.

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Any book charged out to a patron from the circulating collection may be renewed two times unless another user has placed a hold on it. If books are not overdue, renewals may be done in person, by phone or online. Overdue items may not be renewed by phone, and fines must be paid before renewal is possible. Faculty must renew books in the same fashion as the other users to avoid loss of borrowing privileges.

5.1 Online Renewal of Books
All borrowers may request their library ID number and may need to verify the exact form of their name in the circulation database. Using the exact form of their name and the library ID number, borrowers may check their account online and renew books that are not overdue.

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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 may vary due to 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) after the bill has been sent out, the book replacement fee will be waived, however, the patron will still owe the maximum fine of $10.00. Once a lost book has been paid for, the library is not obligated to return the payment if the book is then found by the patron. Once a patron has lost five items, lending privileges are automatically reviewed and may be suspended.

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As materials are checked out, several patron files are 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 before more items may be checked out.

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.

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If a library patron in any category has one or more overdue books charged out, no further books may be checked out until overdues are returned. Overdue books may not be renewed by the telephone.

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PASCAL Delivers provides statewide borrowing to patrons from PASCAL institutions.  All patrons should borrow materials via their home library.  However, in-person requests will be accommodated in the same manner as the Charleston Academic Library Consortium (2.5).  Requesting patrons must be in good standing with the library of their home institution.

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

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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
Approved: Librarians 10/2/2007 Revised: Sheila Seaman
Approved: Librarians 4/24/2008

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