Library Policies, Guidelines and Procedures

Return of Library Material

Library material is considered returned when:

• It is returned to the Circulation Desk book drop.

Holds

• Library users may place holds on material that is checked out, except periodicals.
• Material on which a hold has been placed may not be renewed.
• When material on which a hold is placed is returned, it is held at the Circulation desk for the user requesting it for seven days before being returned to the shelf. A notice is emailed to the requesting patron once the item is checked out to them.
• If two or more holds exist on any material, then the order of priority for availability shall be:
• University of Nebraska at Kearney users.
• Interlibrary Loan requestors.
• Community users.
• If two or more holds exist on library material, and the persons placing the holds are in the same category, then the person with the earliest date of request shall have first priority.
• Library material may be placed on the hold shelf for up to 2 hours for periodicals and 24 hours for other material, if the person needs to leave to obtain identification for check-out purposes.

Recalls

• Any library material may be recalled after the borrower has had the item for 21 days.
• Material is considered recalled when the user, in whose name the items is checked out, is notified that it should be returned to the library.
• Any material on semester loan is subject to recall after the borrower has had the item for 28 days.

Renewal of Library Material

• Any library material which is checked out may be renewed once, unless a hold has been placed on the material.
• Items checked out with special permission may not be renewed.
• Library material may be renewed on-line, requesting a renewal by phone (308-865-8599) or by presenting or requesting the material to be renewed at the Circulation Desk.

Charges

Student and community users are subject to a uniform system for the replacement cost of lost or damaged material.

Charges, including replacement cost, processing charges, and billing fees will apply to library items checked out to any patron other than faculty and administrative borrowers that are:

• Reported lost.
• Returned in irreparably damaged condition.
• More than fifty days overdue, reaching the $10.00 maximum charge.

Charges, including replacement cost, processing charges, and billing fees will apply to library items checked out to any faculty and administrative borrowers when:

• Library material is lost.
• Library material is returned in an irreparably damaged condition.
• The borrower fails to return the item before the expiration date of their patron record.

Faculty end–of-semester loans will have overdue notices generated for any non-returned library material one day after the due date. If the material is still checked out one week after the bill has been sent, a letter will be issued by the Library director to the department head or dean requesting their assistance in recovering the material. If the material is not recovered within four weeks, arrangements will be made to deduct replacement costs from that department’s book budget.

In the case of administrative or managerial professional personnel who have library material checked out on semester loan, the appropriate department head, dean, or immediate supervisor will be contacted if recalled material is not returned to the library within seven days of the billing date.

A faculty member or administrator may elect to pay for lost or irreparably damaged library material, or to replace such material with an acceptable copy. In these cases, the academic department or administrative unit would not be charged. The item must be given to the library by the end of the semester in which it is reported lost or damaged. Its acceptability is determined by a Librarian.

In the event that library material, which has been reported as lost and for which a replacement charge has been paid, is returned to the library in an acceptable condition within thirty days from date of payment, a refund of replacement charges, will be made.

Appeal of Library Charges

Users who wish to appeal library charges will make their appeal to the Access Services Coordinator

The Access Services Coordinator will decide on the validity of the appeal and will take appropriate action.