Circulation Policy: University of Mississippi Libraries

Circulation Policy

Library Users
Loan Periods
Limit on number of items borrowed
Renewals
Recalls
Holds
Searches
Returning Library Material
Grace Period for Returning Late Materials
Fines
Overdue Notices
Lost Items
Patron Blocks
Graduation, Withdrawl or Departure from the University
Reciprocal Patron Borrowing

Library Users:
The University of Mississippi Libraries are open to all members of the University community: students, faculty and staff, as well as alumni and Mississippi residents with a valid driver's license. Circulation privileges for all categories are subject to approval. Anyone is welcome to use Library materials in the building. An adult must accompany children under the age of 12.

A current barcoded Identification Card is necessary to check out or renew materials. A faculty/staff member may allow someone else to borrow material in his/her name only with prior authorization from Circulation staff.

It is the responsibility of each borrower to inform the library of his/her current address and their current e-mail address if other than that issued by the University. Any overdue notices or communication from the library is sent via e-mail. To avoid potential fines or delinquencies, a borrower who changes addresses should notify the library directly of the address change.

In using your barcoded Identification Card for Library borrowing privileges, you agree:

to obey all rules and regulations of the J.D. Williams Library and its branches;

to be responsible for materials borrowed and for any fines or fees accrued when materials are lost, damaged, or returned late;

to report immediately to the Library the loss of your Identification Card to avoid improper use.

It is the responsibility of each borrower to inform the library of his/her current address. Absence of current address information result in suspension of library privileges. Please report any address, phone number or e-mail change to the main circulation desk of the J.D. Williams library.

Loan Periods

Resource	Undergraduate	Graduate	Faculty/Staff	Other
Books	28 days	56 days	1 year	28 days
Periodical (Current)	in-house use	in-house use	in-house use	in-house use
Periodical (Bound)	in-house use	24 hours	3 days	in-house use
Periodical, Science (Current)	2 hours	2 hours	2 hours	in-house use
Periodical, Science (Bound)	2 hours	2 hours	2 hours	in-house use
Harrison Room Books	in-house use	24 hours	3 days	in-house use
Maps	2 weeks	2 weeks	2 weeks	2 weeks
Scores	28 days	56 days	1 year	28 days
LPs	7 days	7 days	7 days	7 days
CDs Music	7 days	7 days	7 days	7 days
CD-ROM	28 days	56 days	1 year	7 days
DVDs	7 days	7 days	7 days	7 days
VHS	7 days	7 days	7 days	7 days
Cassettes	7 days	7 days	7 days	7 days
2D Graphics	7 days	7 days	7 days	7 days

Limit on number of items borrowed
Faculty, staff and students of the University may borrow an unlimited number of long-term loan items, but are limited to a maximum of 10 DVDs. All other borrowers are limited to a total 20 which may include a maximum of 10 DVDs. There may be limits on the number of reserve and short-term loan items that may be checked out at one time.

Renewals
Books may be renewed unless recalled by another borrower. At the J.D. Williams Library long-term loan items may be renewed at Circulation East/West or the SELF-CHECK BOOK UNITS by bringing your books to these locations. Items may also be renewed online through “My Library Account”. Science Library material may be renewed at Science Library service desk or online. Renewal of short-term loan items should be done at the original service point.

Recall
Any library materials may be recalled or have a hold placed on them. A recall is an official request for a book to be returned early. A hold is the reserving of an item, upon return, for the next user.

All materials are subject to recall at any time. Recalled materials must be returned within 14 days of the recall date to avoid fines.

Holds
Holds may be placed at West Circulation desk of the J.D. Williams Library or the service desk of the Science Library. Patrons have the option of canceling their own holds in the VIEW your circulation record option in the OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog).

Searches
Any library borrower who is unable to locate library material should ask for assistance at the nearest circulation desk. If circulation desk staff is unable to locate the item at this time, the borrower may request that a search be conducted for the item not found. The search will be conducted in a timely manner, and if the material is located, a notice will be sent indicating the item is available and being held for 10 days from the date of notice. Faculty, staff and students may also request items through Interlibrary Loan that are “on search”.

Returning Library Material
Borrowers are responsible for returning materials by the date (or date and time) due. Borrowers are encouraged to return items in person; that is, to not give them to another person to return. Items may be returned to either the J.D. Williams library or the Science Library. Short-term loan items need to be returned to service point where item was checked out. An after-hours book return is located at the corner of Dormitory Row West and Dormitory Row North. Items may be returned by mail or by another delivery service, and the postmark date will be accepted as the date of return, but the borrower remains responsible for the material until it is received at the appropriate library location. All short-term loan material must be returned to the service desk from which it was checked out by the time due in order to avoid fines. There is no grace period for reserve loan material.

Grace Period for Late Returns
If a borrower returns or renews an overdue item within 7 days following its due date, the library will not assess overdue fines. After expiration of the 7-day grace period, the fine accrues retroactively from the first day overdue.
There is no grace period for reserve items or for media (sound recordings and videos.) Overdue fines accrue from the first hour or day overdue.

Fines
Fines apply to all categories of users, including faculty, staff, students and community users.

Fines are charged in the amount of 25 cents per day per item for all patrons for books not returned on the date due. The maximum overdue fine charged will be $35.00.

Fines on Reserve Materials returned overdue are charged in the amount of 50 cents per hour per overdue item for all patrons.

Fines for overdue items from the J.D. Williams Library should be paid Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30A.M. - 4:30 P.M. at the West Circulation Desk.

Fines for overdue items from Science Library should be paid Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30A.M. - 4:30 P.M. at the Science Library Circulation Desk.

Overdue Notices Overdue notices are sent electronically to the borrowers’ university e-mail account unless the borrower specifies another address. Borrowers who have no e-mail account will receive printed notices via regular mail. Patrons are responsible for knowing and observing due dates stamped in books and should not be dependent upon Library notices.

Lost Items
Patrons are charged for the replacement of a lost item plus a service fee to cover processing costs.

Patron Blocks
Patrons are blocked by the System from checking out additional materials when they become delinquent.
Patrons are considered delinquent when:

a book is 7 days overdue
a $50.00 fine has accumulated
a recalled item is not returned
they have overdue Interlibrary Loan material

Graduation, Withdrawl or Departure from the University
All students, faculty and staff who are leaving the University for any reason should conduct a final review of library records to determine that all items have been returned and all charges paid. Doing so can help you avoid unexpected surprises later.

Reciprocal Patron Borrowing
Mississippi Universities Library Borrowing Cards are available for library patrons with no overdue materials or fines due from the patron's home library at the Circulation Department of the following institutions: University of Mississippi, Southern Mississippi University, Alcorn State University, Delta State University, Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi Valley State University, and Mississippi State University. This card will allow the patron to borrow materials from any of the university libraries. For further information on this service, you may contact Stan Whitehorn, Head of Access Services at the J.D. Williams Library at (662) 915-7935 or swhithrn@olemiss.edu.