Borrowing Policies and Procedures

Jump to section:

• Billing
• Borrowing
• Course Reserves
• Course Reserves: Faculty Guidelines
• Courtesy Notices
• Document Delivery
• Fines
• Food and Beverage Policy
• Holds
• International Baccalaureate Students
• Loan Periods
• Photocopying
• Recalls
• Reciprocal Borrowing
• Renewals
• Retrieval Requests
• Return, Renew, and Pay Anywhere
• Returning Materials
• Study Rooms
• Tracers

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Access Services Department

The Access Services Department is comprised of:

• Circulation/Borrowing
• Course Reserves
• Document Delivery
• Music / AV / Microform
• Shelving

Location: in front of you as you enter the library. (See maps for location)

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Billing

• Borrowers are responsible for the replacement costs of lost and /or damaged items, fines incurred and processing fees.
• Damage to or loss of library material must be reported to the Circulation Desk.
• Registered students may request that their fines be transferred to the StFX Business Office for payment.

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Borrowing

• All registered students, faculty and staff at St. Francis Xavier University are eligible to borrow library material. This includes retired faculty.
• Alumni and members of the community, eighteen years of age or older, may apply for a borrower's card at the Circulation Desk. Two pieces of ID are required.
• The StFX library card is free of charge and enables the user to access materials available in the library's collection and online catalogue.
• Remote access to electronic library resources is restricted to StFX faculty, students and staff.
• A VALID CARD MUST BE PRESENTED BEFORE BORROWING.

NOTE: Please have your card updated at the Circulation Desk.

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Course Reserves

The Course Reserves collection is designed to provide short-term access to required course readings. Articles and books are held at the Circulation Desk. Faculty may place books on 3-Hour, 1-Day, or 3-Day reserve. Photocopies may be placed on 3-Hour reserve only.

Reserve forms are available:

Online:

• Reserve Processing Form
• Reserve Removal/Alteration Form

Print:

• From the Circulation Desk of the Angus L. Macdonald Library
• From your Library Collection Coordinators

Contact:

Carolyn DeLorey
Manager, Access Services
Phone: 902-867-2343
FAX: 902-867-5153

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Course Reserves: Faculty Guidelines

• Please limit the number of items for each course to a maximum of 50.
• A maximum of four copies per individual item will be accepted unless a demand is demonstrated.
• Reserve items should be submitted at least two weeks prior to the beginning of classes to ensure that material is available for the beginning of term.
• Faculty members are responsible for retrieving and providing items to be placed on reserve.
• Forms must be filled out for items placed on reserve or removed from the Course Reserves collection.
• The following information is required for Course Reserves:
  • Monographs: Author, Title, & Call number
  • Journal Articles: Author, Title of Article & Journal Source (i.e., Journal Title, Volume, Issue, Pagination & Date)
• Items to be placed on Course Reserves from other institutions may take up to six weeks to be delivered. Please contact Brenda Berger or Rod Landry as soon as possible if your item is not available from our collection.
• Photocopied material must abide by the Copyright Act and the CanCopy agreement. It is the responsibility of the faculty member to obtain written permission from the author/publisher before material which exceeds the Copyright guidelines can be placed on reserve. A copy of these guidelines is available at the Circulation Desk and on the Bookstore CanCopy information page.
• Requests will be processed in the order in which they are received.
• Requests that do not follow these guidelines may be returned.
• All reserve material will be returned at the end of each academic session.
• Paper copies of electronic journal articles, to which we have access, will NOT be placed on reserve.
• Articles submitted to Course Reserves will be checked for electronic availability. The URL and database name will be emailed to faculty to forward to their students.

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Courtesy Notices

As a courtesy to our patrons, notices are emailed one week before items are due.

The following is a notice schedule for overdue items:

• 1st OVERDUE NOTICE: on the 8th day
• 2nd OVERDUE NOTICE: on 21st day
• 3rd OVERDUE NOTICE: on the 60th day
• BFR (Bill for replacement of the item): on the 83rd day.

Please ensure that the library has a current email address.

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Document Delivery

Also known as Interlibrary Loans, the Document Delivery department supports the instructional and research needs of the St. Francis Xavier University community by borrowing materials which are not available within the libraries at StFX. Document Delivery also participates in lending our resources to other institutions.

Requesting Material

Please use our online web form to initiate a document delivery request (barcode and phone number required).

If a problem arises, please drop by the Document Delivery Department or the library's Reference Desk for assistance.

Status check

You may use the RELAIS web form to keep track of the progress of your requests or you can call 902-867-2421 or email docdel@stfx.ca for assistance.

Materials Availability:

Some items are not available via Document Delivery. These include, but are not limited to:

• Reference books
• Specialized collections
• Rare items
• Most audiovisual materials

Contact:

Angela Hagar
Phone: (902) 867-2421
Fax: (902) 867-5153

Suzy Coady
Phone: (902) 867-2421
Fax: (902) 867-5153

Carolyn DeLorey
Phone: 902-867-2345
Fax: (902) 867-5153

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Fines

• When library material is borrowed, each item is stamped with the date the item is due. This stamp constitutes the date due notice.
• Items not returned or renewed on or before this due date are subject to overdue fines or replacement charges as outlined below.
• Patrons will be notified by email or mail when items are overdue.
• The non-receipt of overdue or recall notices does not relieve the borrower from liability or sanctions.
• A total of three overdue notices will be sent. If the third notice does not result in the material being returned a Bill for Replacement (BFR) will be sent to the individual.
• Borrowing privileges are suspended when fines owed reach $10.00. A block is applied by the system.
• Note: these fines can be incurred from any of the NOVANET libraries.
• Fines may be paid at the Circulation Desk of the Angus L. Macdonald Library, or any of the Novanet member libraries.

FINES
Overdue Item	Per Day	Maximum
Books	$0.25 / Day	$20.00
Reserve Items
- 3-Hour	$0.25 / Hour	$20.00
- 3-Day	$1.00 / Day	$20.00
- 24-Hour	$0.25 / Hour	$20.00
RECALLED Material	$1.00 / Day	$20.00
Music/Audio Visual Material
CDs	$0.25 / Day	$20.00
DVDs and VIDEOS	$1.00 / Day	$20.00

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Food and Beverage Policy

The consumption of food is strictly prohibited in the library. Covered drinks are permitted.

Consumption of food in the library has a negative effect on the atmosphere of research and study and on the library's ability to maintain and preserve library materials, equipment, and the facility. The presence of food particles attracts insects and spills can damage materials. In the Angus L. Macdonald Library, only covered drinks are permitted.

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Holds

If a book is checked out to another patron, you may request it by placing a HOLD REQUEST. You will be notified when the item is returned.

• Holds may be placed online or at the Circulation Desk.
• The item will be held for 7 days, after which it will be returned to the collection.

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International Baccalaureate Students

The Angus L. Macdonald Library is very pleased to extend access to their collections and services at no charge to all IB students in the area as external borrowers. The following are privileges and conditions.

Borrowing privileges:

General Loan period -- 3 weeks

• Renewal is possible on all materials for which no other borrower is waiting
• Borrowing is limited to two books per subject
• Holds may be placed on materials that are currently signed out
• Searches – request searches for material that you are unable to locate

Photocopying and printing – a visitor’s debit card may be purchased at the Circulation Desk.

Please note: Electronic databases including full-text journal databases - In library use only.

Conditions:

• A valid Student I.D. card must be presented to exercise borrowing privileges
• Seating / Study Space – Priority is given to St. Francis Xavier University students.
• Use of reserve material, Novanet Express, document delivery and recalls is not available.
• Fines are charged on overdue materials (25 cents /day for regular material and $1.00/day on recalled material).

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Loan Periods

Loan periods depend upon the type of material as well as the status of the card holder. Some categories of patrons have different privileges. Books may be renewed up to three times.

Students, Staff and SFX Library Card Borrowers:

• BOOKS: circulate for 3 weeks
• CDs, DVDs and Videos: circulate for 3 days
• BOUND PERIODICALS: For use in the library only, but may be copied within copyright restrictions.
• RESERVE: collection consists of articles/books which circulate for 3 hours, 24 hours and 3 days

Faculty:

• BOOKS: Faculty may borrow books for extended loan periods. The set period for books is a term loan which may be renewed up to three times. At the end of that period the book must be returned.
• CDs, DVDs and Videos: may be borrowed for a limited time period.
• BOUND PERIODICALS: may be borrowed for photocopying purposes.
• CURRENT PERIODICALS: may be borrowed by staff and faculty for seven days. Current issues must be signed out at the Circulation Desk.

Graduate Students:

• BOOKS: StFX students enrolled in graduate programs may borrow for 8 weeks (up to three renewals allowed)
• CDs, DVDs and Videos: circulate for 3 days
• BOUND PERIODICALS: For use in the library only, but may be copied within copyright restrictions.

Off Campus Borrowers:

• BOOKS: circulate for 3 weeks
• CDs, DVDs and Videos: For use in the library.
• BOUND PERIODICALS For use in the library only, but may be copied within copyright restrictions.
• RESERVE: do not circulate to off campus borrowers

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Photocopying

Public-use photocopiers are available in three locations. See Maps.

• on the first floor near the Circulation Desk (2 machines)
• on the second floor in the elevator well area (1 machine)
• on the third floor in the Music/AV/Microform Room (1 machine)

Photocopies can be made from microfilm and microfiche using special readers in the Music/AV/Microform Room.

All photocopiers are self-service and operate with a debit card, available through the vending machines located on the first floor:

• To obtain a debit card: Deposit a $1.00 coin in one of the machines to purchase a new card (the $1.00 is a deposit).
• To add funds to your debit card: Insert the card in the smaller machine and add coins to the amount you wish, in increments of at least $1.00. Do this whenever you need to add funds to your card.
• To make copies: For each page you copy, $0.10 will be deducted from your debit card.
• Return your debit card: When you no longer need your photocopy card, please return it to the Circulation Desk for your deposit.

Please feel free to ask for assistance or change at the Circulation Desk.

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Recalls

All library materials that circulate are subject to recall by another patron.

• If a book YOU HAVE borrowed is recalled, you will be notified of the new due date (10 days from the date of the recall). Fines for late return of recalled books are $1.00 per day per item.
• Recalls must be placed at the Circulation Desk.
• The recall option reduces the loan period for the person holding the book, so this should only be used if no alternative options are available. When the book is returned you will be notified. The item will be held at our front desk for seven (7) days.

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Reciprocal Borrowing

The Atlantic Scholarly Information Network (ASIN) borrowers' card allows StFX students and faculty ‘in-person borrowing' privileges from libraries outside of the Novanet consortia (See complete list of member libraries). This enables individuals living outside of the province, or travelling within the country to borrow from local university libraries.

For more information about the ASIN borrower's cards and the Canadian University Reciprocal Borrowing Agreement (CURBA), please see the following: http://www.coppul.ca/rb/rbindex.html#Intro

Please visit the Access Services Desk of the Angus L. Macdonald Library to apply for an ASIN borrower's card or contact:

Carolyn DeLorey
Interim Manager, Access Services
Phone: 902-867-2343
FAX: 902-867-5153

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Renewals

• Books may be renewed online or by bringing them and your library card to the Circulation Desk.
• To renew online, login to your library account and select the item/s you wish to renew. Items must be renewed on or before the due date indicated on the back of your book.
• Books may be renewed for three weeks, if no holds or recalls are in place.
• All member libraries within Novanet have a limit of three renewals with the exception of the Kellogg and the Dalhousie Law Libraries which allow two renewals.

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Retrieval Requests

We provide daily retrieval of library materials from our limited access areas (i.e., Basement, Serials Office, and Remote Storage areas).

• Material from these areas is for use In the library only.
• Forms are available at the Circulation Desk.
• Please refer questions to Circulation Desk staff or to a Reference Librarian.
• Unsigned requests will not be filled.
• All requested materials are held for seven (7) days.

Retrieval Times:

• Monday – Friday: 9:45 am and 3:00 pm.
• Saturday & Sunday: 3:00 pm

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Return, Renew & Pay Anywhere

StFX patrons may return books, renew books and pay fines incurred, at any of the Novanet Libraries.

We are unable to accept payment for fines from libraries outside of Novanet.

A complete list of Novanet Libraries may be found through the following link: http://novanet.ns.ca/member_libraries.html

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Returning Materials

• Library materials must be returned on or before the date and/or time due.
• Items must be returned to the Circulation Desk. These can be placed in one of the two book drops at the front desk or items may be left in the 24 hour ‘Book Drop' located at the front entrance of the library.

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Study Rooms

• The library has four study rooms which may be booked for group meetings.
• Sign-up sheets are available at the Circulation Desk.
• Students may sign up for no more than two consecutive hours.
• Name, Library Card and Student ID are required to book a study room.
• Applicants are issued a key to open the room
• The applicant's Student ID will be held at the Circulation Desk.
• Individuals are responsible for reporting any damage they observe in the rooms prior to beginning their session.
• IDs may be collected at the end of individual sessions.

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Tracers

If you are unable to find an item in the library stacks and "in library" appears in the status line in the library catalogue, please fill out a tracer request at the Circulation Desk. You will be asked to provide a 'need by' date. We will notify you when the item is found.