The University of South Carolina Beaufort

SUBJECT: LIBRARY CIRCULATION POLICY
Number:
Issued by: Ellen Chamberlain, Director of the Libraries
Date: 02-05-96
Revised: 08/22/06

With the USCB libraries’ computer-based circulation system, a valid USCB picture ID card is required for all borrowing. Students, faculty, and library patrons may obtain these cards in the office of the Registrar on the North Campus and in the IT office in the Library Building on the South Campus. Cards must then be activated at the North or South library circulation desk. One card is provided free of charge to students, faculty, and staff; community patrons and students and faculty from other institutions will be charged $10.00 for a card. Replacement cards, due to loss, mutilation, or theft of the original, will be issued to all library patrons, including USCB students, for a fee of $10.00.

Accepting a USCB library card is entering into a borrowing agreement with the USCB library. As such, the library user agrees to abide by library rules and regulations and to accept the penalties for failure to do so. As a cardholder, the user is responsible for all materials charged by the use of the card. Holders of lost or stolen cards should notify the library immediately.

A library card is available to:

All currently enrolled USC Beaufort North and South students
All currently employed USC faculty and staff
All immediate family members, 16 years and older, of USC faculty and staff
All visiting scholars upon written request of their department or prior approval of the Director of the USCB Libraries
All members in good standing of the Osher Institute for Lifelong Learning (OLLI)
All adult citizens who are residents of Beaufort or Jasper County, students 16 years and older in the two county public and private schools, and who hold a valid Beaufort/Jasper County area library card
All students currently enrolled at the Technical College of the Lowcountry; and all TCL faculty and staff

The USCB libraries recognize the library cards of students and faculty from other campuses in the USC System and those of USC alumni.

There is a three week loan period for all regularly circulating materials. Loan periods for reserve materials may vary from “in-library use only” to several days or weeks check-out. Periodicals and newspapers do not circulate outside the library. Audio CDs circulate on an overnight basis. Videos usually circulate to faculty/staff only. They may circulate to students when placed on reserve by faculty for specific courses.

Check-out limits vary for different patron categories as follows:

USCB undergraduate/graduate students – no limits
USCB faculty/staff – no limits
Osher Institute members – six items at a time
All others – three items at a time

A book may be renewed as long as no one else has requested it or the library has not recalled it.

Overdue books and A-V materials are charged at the rate of 25 cents a day. There is a three day grace period before the fine is assessed. If the material is not returned by the end of the third day, a fine of $1.00 will be assessed on the fourth day.

Faculty are not normally assessed fines but are expected to return items promptly when finished with them, or immediately when the items are recalled.

As a courtesy to borrowers, the library sends notices for overdue items. However, it is the borrower's responsibility to return the items on time, whether or not the notice is received.

The libraries’ computer-based circulation system will place a “block” on user’s borrowing privileges for the following reasons:

Patron has items checked out that are overdue
Patron has unpaid library fines

The library reserves the right to keep students from re-registering and to turn over any delinquent accounts to a collection agency for debt collection.

Policy approved by the Faculty Library Committee
Date: 12-12-03
Revised: 08-23-06
Policy approved by the Chancellor’s Cabinet
Date:

Last modified Thursday August 24, 2006