Student Circulation Policy

Library Accounts

To open a library account, the student fills out a registration card, and a library bar code is then placed on the back of the OCC ID card, which is then used as the library card. If a student is in the library's system but does not have an OCC ID card, he/she can still open their library account and receive a library barcode by showing their New York State driver's license.

Students must have either a library barcode or a New York State driver's license to check out library materials. (A student does not need an ID card to use the library computers for academic purposes.)

Students are responsible for all items charged to their account. It is the student's responsibility to inform the library of a lost or stolen card, or change of address or phone number. Students in violation of any library policy may lose their privileges at the discretion of the librarian.

Circulation of Materials and Reserves

Students may borrow fifteen (15) books at one time and five (5) CDs at a time. In addition, students are limited to five books within any given subject area, in order to allow equitable access to materials for all.

Student loan periods are as follows:

Books: three weeks (two renewals allowed)
CDs, audiocassettes: two weeks (no renewals allowed)
Leased DVDs (usually feature films): one week (no renewals allowed)
DVDs, videocassettes: do not circulate; in-library use only
Reference items: do not circulate; in-library use only
Pamphlet File Items: one week (three renewals allowed)

During the last three weeks of each semester, all materials checked out by students are due the last day of the semester. If a student needs to keep something longer, arrangements can be made at the discretion of the librarian.

Items will not become due during the break between Christmas and New Year's Day. Items will be loaned for a lesser amount of time ("special loan") from New Year's Day until classes begin in January.

Reserves - Reserve items are placed in the library by an instructor for use by his/her class(es). These items can only be used in the Reserve Room, and are due back at closing time on the same day they are checked out. (Students may make copies of reserve items if desired.) Students surrender their ID card at the reserve desk to check out a reserve item; the card is returned after the student has returned the reserve item to the desk. Students will be billed for any items that are not returned to the Reserve Desk by closing time on the same day they are checked out.

Distance Students - Distance students should use their local library or their local library's inter-library loan (ILL) services when possible, in the interest of expediency. If ILL is unavailable to them, Coulter Library will mail items to distance students; all student circulation policies apply [see above]. Items must be returned to Coulter Library at the student's expense; an extra week will be added to the total check-out time to allow for mailing back and forth.

Holds

Any student may place a "hold" on an item that is already checked out. If someone places a hold on an item, the student who has checked it out will be asked to return the item after twenty one (21) days (books) or fourteen (14) days (media items) from time of first borrowing the item.

Renewals

Books may be renewed two times unless requested by another student. Students may renew items in person, by phone, by e-mail, or online through the library's online catalog. Leased DVDs (usually feature films) cannot be renewed.

Overdue/Lost Items

Students receive a first notification when an item is six (6) days overdue, and borrowing privileges will be suspended. Patrons will receive a second notification six (6) days after the first notification.

Students are charged for a lost item nineteen (19) days after the item is due. A PERC restriction is then placed on the student's campus record which will prevent them from registering or receiving a copy of their transcript until their financial obligation to the library has been fulfilled.

Replacement of Overdue/Lost Items

After a PERC restriction has been placed on a student's record, he/she must either pay for or replace the lost item to get the restriction removed. Lost materials are billed at purchase cost (or $25 if purchase cost is not available) plus a $15 processing fee per item.

A student has the option of replacing a lost item with a used item in very good condition. The replacement must be identical in format (e.g., hard cover vs. soft cover, etc.) and in the details of publication (e.g., edition, year, publisher, etc.) A librarian may be able to assist with obtaining a used replacement.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

"Interlibrary loans" are items borrowed for students by Coulter Library from other libraries, and consequently are subject to varying loan periods and renewal periods, depending upon the lending library's policies. Interlibrary loans are also restricted by federal copyright laws, and are subject to various regulatory measures.

EXAMPLE: In any given year we can request only five (5) copies of any article from one (1) periodical title published within the past five (5) years. Other restrictions may also apply.

Students may request up to five (5) single returnable items (books, tapes, dvds, cds, etc.) and five (5) single non-returnable items (e.g., articles) within a one-month period through interlibrary loan with a valid Coulter Library account. (When ordering a set of items, each item within the "set" counts as a single item.) Students may only have five (5) returnable items out at one time. ILL media requests are limited to twenty (20) single media items (cds, dvds, tapes, etc.) per year. To request an item, students can either e-mail occill@sunyocc.edu, or print out an ILL form and bring it to the main circulation desk. In addition, an on-line ILL form is also available through the WorldCat database. A link to this ILL form is found on the item record under "Borrow this item from another library".

If an ILL item is not returned, a campus-wide (PERC) restriction will be placed on the student's account which will prevent him/her from registering or receiving a transcript until his/her obligation to Coulter Library for the ILL item(s) has been fulfilled.

Student Assistance

The circulation desk staff can direct visitors to the different offices within the building and assist users with simple title and author searches. Other searches or requests for information are directed to a reference librarian. Librarians are available to help patrons during all the hours that the library is open. Students seeking help with computer applications or online courses should contact the Helpdesk on the second floor of the Coulter building.

Printing

The library charges .10 per page for black and white printing and .25 per page for color laser printing. (Printing from the color laser printer is limited to one hundred (100) pages per day.) The library will print on paper a user provides, but the sames charges will apply.

The circulation desk staff will make change if it is available. There is a $20.00 limit per day.

Records - Privacy

Student Library Records: Coulter Library will uphold section 4509 of New York State Law regarding student's library records.

Therefore, no personal information of any kind can be legally released to anyone by Coulter Library, regardless of the requestor's official status, unless a court order or subpoena is presented and has been verified and authenticated by the campus attorney. In addition, such records can only be released "by the person in charge of such library, or a designee of such person" (section 2307, New York State Law).

Records Retention:

Student library registration cards are kept for four years. When a student is no longer active and has no outstanding charges, his/her record will be removed from the library system and the card shredded. If the user is still active, the card will be refiled into the current year.

Only current first and second notices for overdue items are retained. Once an item has been returned all paperwork related to the loan transaction is shredded.

Active billing paperwork is kept from 1991 forward. Once an item has been returned, the billing paperwork becomes a completed overdue.

Completed overdue paperwork will be kept for two years plus the current year.

Interlibrary loan records are held for one year; records are destroyed month by month. No personally identifying information is kept beyond one year unless an item is lost or otherwise not returned.