Policies

Discover our library policies – ensuring a great experience for all. Get acquainted with our guidelines before your visit.

We are here to help

To make your visit enjoyable and productive, we have some guidelines to share. These policies help maintain a peaceful environment, ensure everyone’s access to resources, and protect the integrity of our collection. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with them.

If you have any questions or need assistance, our helpful staff is here to assist you. We want your time here to be both enjoyable and beneficial.

Acceptable and Responsible Use Policy

This policy establishes the boundaries and acceptable and responsible use of the College’s computing and communication resources, including computers, networks, electronic data, electronic mail services, electronic information services, voice mail, telephone services, and other related computing facilities. This policy intends to reflect the College’s desire to promote free exchange of information between and among students, faculty, staff, and the global information community while respecting the principles of free speech and compliance to applicable communication laws.

College-owned computing equipment, networks, services, and resources are provided for the purpose of conducting College-related activities and are therefore considered College property. The College, as owner of such property, has the right to access information on the system that is stored, sent, created, or received by students, alumni, faculty, or staff including electronic mail, as it deems necessary and appropriate. As such, these individuals should not expect individual privacy in the system.

Users are obligated to protect College computing systems from illegal or damaging actions, either knowingly or unknowingly. This policy provides a description of unacceptable uses of College computing resources and how to report violations; however, the College may at any time make determinations that particular uses are and are not appropriate.

Using information technology resources for purposes other than research or instructional purposes. Computing resources may not be used for commercial purposes or personal gain. Use of computer services for any commercial purpose, partisan political purpose or for any unlawful purpose is prohibited.
Records containing information directly related to a student are confidential and protected from public disclosure by the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. Employees may not access any such records or disclose or distribution their contents in a manner inconsistent with federal and state law and College regulations.
Making, distributing, or using unauthorized duplicated of copyrighted material, including software applications, proprietary date, and information technology resources. This includes illegal file sharing of entertainment (e.g. music, movies, and video games) files in violation of copyright laws.
Intentionally or recklessly abusing or misusing computing resources so as to cause damage, system interruptions, or harassment to other persons.
Repeatedly or purposefully engaging in activities which can be reasonably expect to, or do, unreasonably tax computing resources or go beyond their intended or acceptable use.
Borrowing, lending, falsifying, allowing, or facilitating the unauthorized access to use of College computing resources by a third party.
Obtaining user IDs and/or password(s) of other persons in order to use College or College-related computing resources, or impersonating another person on a computing resource.
Using electronic media to harass or threaten other persons, or to display, design, copy, store, draw, print, or publish obscene language or graphics.
Using College computing resources to gain or attempt to gain unauthorized access to computing resources either inside or outside of the College.
Intercepting or attempting to intercept or otherwise monitor any communications not explicitly intended or him or her without authorization
Copying, reading, accessing, using, misappropriating, altering, publishing, or destroying computer files, data, documents, or other files of another individual or attempts to do so, without the permission of that individual or authorized administrator.
Violating the terms and conditions of software license agreements for software distributed by the College by giving, lending, selling, or leasing such media or software to others for their own use.
Interfering with the operation of the College’s information technology resources by deliberately attempting to degrade or disrupt resource performance, security, or administration operation including, but not limited to, intentionally introduction any computer virus or similar disruptive force into any computer resource.
Attempting to alter or connect nay computing or networking components (including, but not limited to, bridges, routers, DHCP servers, wireless access points, and hubs) on the College network without approval.
Installation or alteration of writing, including attempts to create network connections, or any extension or retransmission of any computer network services without approval.

Violations of this policy should be reported immediately to Student Life, Human Resources or the Office of the Provost. Violations of this policy will result in appropriate disciplinary action, which may include loss of computing privileges, suspension, termination, or expulsion from the College, and legal action.

Archives Policy

The library collects items related to the people and history of Prescott College in its archives. The items are divided into three categories: those pertaining to the college itself; the faculty; and the students. Within these categories there are further delineations related to the organizational functions of the College. Items collected for the archives include catalogs and course descriptions, meeting minutes, campus planning documents, photographs, news clippings, and College publications. Other items are collected at the discretion of the librarians.

Archives Access Policy

The Prescott College Archives exist to preserve materials related to the history of the College and the College community and to make these materials available for research and other uses. Access is controlled in order to protect resources for future use.
Access to archival materials must be by appointment. Appointments may be made by email, [email protected], or by phone 928-350-1300, or in person.
Access to archival materials will be supervised by a library staff member.
Archival materials are for reference only and should not leave the library, except under extraordinary circumstances.
Archival materials should be photocopied, if possible, rather than taken from the Library. If photocopies are not adequate for the intended use, for example reproduction of photographs, arrangements can be made to have the materials scanned in the Library.
If under extraordinary circumstances original archival materials do need to be taken out of the Library they should be checked out at the time they are needed and returned as soon as possible.
All materials should be returned to a library staff member.

Circulation Policy

The purpose of the circulation policy is to make the resources of Prescott College Library readily available to all library users.

Library Users

Prescott College Library primarily supports the needs of our students, faculty and staff. As part of the Yavapai Library Network we also welcome Yavapai County community members to use the library’s resources.

Loan Periods

General Circulating Collection (Books and Audio)

RDP students, Community borrowers – 3 weeks
ADP students, Faculty & Staff – 4 weeks
MAP students – 5 weeks
Ph.D. students – 6 weeks

Video/DVD Collection

All borrowers – 3 weeks

Reserve Collection (Prescott College students only)

5 hours or overnight (see Reserve Policy)

Periodical Collection, Reference Collection, Archives, Special Collections

Do not circulate

Some materials restricted to faculty and students (library use) only

Loan Terms

Borrowers should know the due date of library materials checked out to them and return or renew the materials in a timely manner. A borrower may check the due date on items in person at the
circulation desk, by phone, e-mail, or by using our online catalog.

Borrowers are responsible for materials checked out to them. The library staff recommends that borrowers do not lend items checked out to them to a third party. If materials become overdue, damaged, or lost during use by a third party, the borrower is still responsible.

Items may be renewed up to three times, providing there is not a hold on the item. Patrons are limited to a maximum of 50 items.

Students should return all library materials checked out to them prior to graduation or withdrawing from the College.

Checkouts and Renewals

Borrowers need to present their library card or other ID, upon request, when checking out library materials. Materials may not be checked out by phone. However, library staff may hold a requested book at the circulation desk for a limited period of time.

A general circulating item may be renewed up to two times unless a hold (another borrower requesting the item) has been placed on the item.

Library materials may be renewed in person, by phone, e-mail, or by using our online catalog.

Prescott College students, faculty, and staff may check out an unlimited number of items.

Holds (Placing a Hold)

Prescott College Library is a member of the Yavapai Library Network. This consortium is made up of most of the libraries in Yavapai County. Yavapai County borrowers may check out materials from other circulating libraries in the consortium. Prescott College borrowers who wish to check out an item owned by another library in the consortium may place a hold on the item through the online catalog. The item will then be sent to Prescott College Library via courier and may be picked up at the library circulation desk. A notice will be sent by mail or e-mail when the item is available for checkout. Borrowers may also place a hold on items that are currently checked out to someone else. When the item is returned it is reserved for the borrower and a notice of availability will be sent.

There is a maximum of 50 holds per patron allowed.

The Library will mail books from other YLN libraries to our off-campus students. Students are responsible for return postage.

Overdues, Fines and Billings

Overdue items

Library materials are due on the assigned due date or time. It is the borrower’s responsibility to make sure borrowed material is returned on time. Borrowers are sent “first” and “final” notices for general circulating items. A pre-overdue notice will be sent by email. Overdue notices will be sent by mail or e-mail; however, the notices are a courtesy, and the library does not assume responsibility for non-receipt of overdue notices.

Fines

General circulating collection – Prescott College Library extends a three-day grace period on general circulating items. There is no grace period for any other type of loan. Fines are assessed at a rate of $ .25 per day per item, up to $10.00 per item. Fines are assessed only on days the library is open.
Interlibrary loan materials – Rate is $1.00 per day, per item, no grace period, no exceptions.
Reserve materials – Rate is $ .25 per hour, per item, no grace period.
Fines on material checked out from other libraries in the consortium are based upon the rate and grace period established by the owning library. Borrowers are responsible for knowing these rates.
Borrowers who have accumulated fines of $10.00 or more, or have five or more overdue items, are blocked, and may have their borrowing privileges suspended.

Billings Notices

Billing notices will be sent to borrowers by mail or e-mail advising them that fines have accrued on their library account. Payment is expected at the library in a timely manner. However, partial payments may be made if prior arrangements are made with library staff. Fines not paid in a timely manner will be sent to the Prescott College Business Office for collection (extra charges may be added by the Business Office). Payment must then be made at the Business Office.

Faculty and staff are not charged overdue fines on general circulating items or reserve items when checked out at PCL using their PC library card. All patrons will be charged for overdue interlibrary loan materials and lost and damaged items.

Lost/Damaged Materials

Borrowers are responsible for items borrowed on their library card and are liable for replacement/repair costs, including processing fees.

When an item is reported as lost or damaged the library staff will assess repair and/or replacement costs. This cost will vary per book. This cost, plus an additional $10.00 processing fee, will be charged to the borrower.

When a borrower fails to return an overdue item within 6 weeks from the due date, it is considered lost and the replacement cost plus a $10.00 processing fee will be charged to the borrower’s account. The account will be sent to the Business Office for collection (extra charges may be added by the Business Office). Payment must then be made at the Business Office. A partial refund of the cost of the material may be made when lost material is returned, provided a replacement copy has not yet been ordered. Processing fees will not be waived.

Claims Returned

If a borrower reports that she/he has already returned an item after receiving the first overdue notice several steps will be taken:

The library staff will search the shelves for the item.
The borrower will be asked to carefully check that the item is not in her/his possession.
If the item is not found the library staff may list the book as “claims returned” and the borrower will not be charged for the book.
The “claims returned” option may only be used once by a borrower.

Mailing Items

Yavapai Library Network books requested by Prescott College students who live outside the county will be mailed to them at no charge. The borrower is responsible for returning the books prior to their due date and is responsible for return postage. Videos and other media, which circulate for one week, will not be mailed.

We do not mail YLN books outside of the United States; students who require Prescott College books mailed out of the country may make arrangements with the Circulation Supervisor.

Confidentiality

Circulation records and other records identifying the names of library users are confidential. Such records will not be made available to any individual or agency of local, state or federal government except pursuant to local, state or federal law relating to civil, criminal or administrative discovery procedures or legislative power.

Collection Development Policy

Prescott College embraces a broad mission statement which provides the framework for the library’s Collection Development Policy. It is the mission of the College to educate students of diverse ages and backgrounds to understand, thrive in, and enhance our world community and environment. In order to accomplish this mission, programs in the areas of Environmental Studies, Adventure Education, Arts and Letters, Cultural & Regional Studies, Human Development, and Education are offered to meet the needs of both traditional and non-traditional aged students.

The community served by the Prescott College Library includes resident undergraduate students and limited residency undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students. There are faculty, staff, alumni, and community members from the area.

The curriculum is paradoxically broad and narrow. The strongest subject areas overall are adventure education, education, environmental studies, psychology, art, photography, counseling, psychotherapy, agriculture, religion and general literature. In addition, there are a variety of special programs involving travel abroad, student independent studies, senior & capstone projects, exchange programs with the EcoLeague and CIEL, and other unique circumstances based on the College’s philosophy stressing experiential learning and field studies.

It is the expectation of the faculty that all students graduate with college-level skills of written communication and essential mathematics, strong critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, self-direction in learning, sensitivity to one’s own and other cultures, and a commitment to responsible participation in the natural environment and human community.

It is important to note that Prescott College Library is part of a 40+ library consortium that includes public, academic, school, museum, and special libraries. Members of this county consortium share a common online catalog, participate in joint management decisions, maintain a courier delivery system, and develop joint training programs. It is a culture of sharing. We have agreed to plan and develop our library collections without duplicating holdings wherever it seems reasonable.

Prescott College’s Collection Development Policy is a holistic document intended to be an umbrella guide in the selection of materials added to our library, whether by purchase or through gifts, and to be used as a planning tool in the allocation of College funds. It is a source of information for those outside the Prescott College community on the strengths of our collection and our collecting interests. It thereby assists in resource sharing and cooperative collection development with other libraries. All of these aspects of collection development contribute to the quality of the collection we manage and the resources we make available through access and/or ownership. Collection development, while primarily the responsibility of the librarians, includes the following people directly or indirectly: faculty, staff, students, administrators, alumni, publishers, and evaluators (reviewers, editors, contributors to standard source guides, etc.) A collection development policy is an integral aspect of library operations and guides decision making and planning in the short and long terms.

Prescott College Library supports the American Library Association Bill of Rights, Intellectual Freedom Statement and Policies, and Freedom to Read Statement. The library acquires materials that represent differing opinions and collects without censorship in regard to controversial issues. We strive to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, within our budgetary means and with College support.

Overview of The Collection

The primary subject areas collected are those that serve to support the instruction, research and public service activities of the College. Most materials are organized by Library of Congress Classification. Ultimate responsibility for the development and maintenance of the library collection rests with the Library Director, with faculty, students and staff encouraged to recommend appropriate materials for purchase. All collection decisions are subject to the constraints of the library’s budget, and follow the guidelines outlined in the Collection Development Policy.

The following formats are collected:

Books, monographs

Acquired with first priority given in support of the curriculum. Paperbacks are acquired when hard copies are unavailable or of a cost as to make the purchase of a paperback copy justified. Consideration is given to expected use, lasting value, and content. Sets are acquired by the library in support of the curriculum based on availability of funds and in comparison to the individual holdings already in the library. Technical manuals are acquired on a highly selective basis with consideration to use, timeliness, and maintenance. Ebooks are also purchased to fulfill the needs of our students, staff, and faculty.

Serials

Acquired with first priority given in support of the major areas of the college curriculum. Indexed serials are given the highest priority. Both print and electronic formats are included.

Newspapers

Acquired on a highly selective basis. The goal is to include major U.S. newspapers representing regions of the country, state and local newspapers. English language newspapers are given priority.

Textbooks

The Library acquires books to support undergraduate and graduate research in the curriculum areas. Textbooks are not intentionally acquired. While textbooks may sometimes be available in the Library because of donations or faculty requests, students should plan to purchase them from the Bookstore or another source.

Dissertations, Theses

The library acquires copies of dissertations and theses completed at the College. Others are selected and acquired with strong recommendation from the faculty. Many dissertations and theses are available through ProQuest.

Audio-Visual Materials

Sound recordings, video recordings, nonprint and multimedia are acquired with priority given to curriculum support.

Web Page

Development of our Prescott College Library web page conforms to all standards described in our collection development policy relating to quality, relevancy to curriculum, and currency.

General Considerations

The goal of the library collection at Prescott College should be quality, not necessarily quantity. For the purposes of collection development this means that the materials ordered should be relevant and appropriate in quantity to each discipline taught, to the level at which it is taught, and to the number of faculty and students that use it. The library should collect the highest possible percentage of materials likely to be used by those working within the College’s current and anticipated academic program.

Currency

Emphasis should be placed on the collection of current materials but not to the exclusion of acquiring materials of historical interest pertinent to the curriculum, filling in older materials in new areas of emphasis in the curriculum, or obtaining materials that may have been overlooked or not purchased because of personal biases of staff or lack of funds in the past.

Completeness

While it is desirable to have complete works of authors, it is not advisable to seek completeness for its own sake especially when many works are available in electronic formats or available at other local libraries.

Cooperative Development

All collection management decisions will be made in the context of cooperation with the Yavapai Library Network consortium. The goal is to build complementary collections to expand the resources available to everyone in our library community.

Preservation

We must take all possible measures to preserve the materials we need to have available for use, especially those that are packed and taken on field courses.

Censorship

The Library Bill of Rights statement of the American Library Association is considered part of the College’s Collection Development Policy. We will follow guidelines in ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Manual when responding to censorship accusations.

Collection Maintenance

Collection analysis consists of examining and describing the existing collection so as to understand what now exists and how it is used. The library assesses the usefulness, relevance, and physical condition of its collection on a continuing basis beginning with a yearly inventory and evaluation process. Weeding (withdrawal and disposal of out-of-date and inaccurate material) is a difficult yet essential element of collection development. Many criteria go into deciding whether or not to keep particular books in the collection, but the bottom line is that, per the mission statement of the College, we want to provide the best materials possible for our community, and to do so we must continually review, evaluate, weed, and update. Some criteria to consider:

Misleading and/or factually inaccurate information
Worn out beyond mending or rebinding
Superceded by a newer edition or better source
Trivial (of no discernable merit to the collection)
Irrelevant to the needs and interests of the community
May be easily located elsewhere in the community
Condition—will fall apart when handled
Age—is the book still relevant to the curriculum?
Frequency of use—when was the last time the book circulated?
Intellectual Freedom—all sides of an issue are represented.
The item is unique to Prescott College
There is a local connection to the author or the book reflects local history
or information
Book has a special feature
Book is a classic—important to own even if it is in poor condition
If dated, the material reflects the thoughts or style of a particular era or worth looking at for historical context.

Copyright

The library adheres to U.S. Copyright law and Fair Use Guidelines. A resource collection is maintained in the library as a guide for staff, faculty, and students in adhering to copyright laws and ethics, and relevant copyright information is available on the library’s web page.

Privacy and Confidentiality

Library staff specifically recognizes the confidentiality of information sought or received, and materials consulted, borrowed or acquired by a library user. These materials may include database search records, circulation records, interlibrary loan records and other personally identifiable uses of library materials, facilities, programs or services, such as reference interviews. The State of Arizona Revised Statute 41-1354 (Privacy of user records; exceptions; violation; classification) provides the library’s legal framework for accessing confidential records.

Special Considerations

Multiple copies

Demand, present or anticipated, will be considered in ordering multiple copies. Demand for class use, topical subject matter, classic nature of the title, an author who is part of the community, material to be put on reserve list, or materials frequently taken into the field may be criteria for ordering multiple copies. Multiple copies may be considered, some to be housed in Prescott, some in Tucson, and some in Kino Bay, when relevant to the courses taught at Kino and when requested by Kino faculty.

Gifts

Both individual items and collections can be valuable additions to a college library. Guidelines for collection development will be applied to any donor’s gift as well as need for duplicate copies, value of the material, condition, etc. Gift materials will be added under the same criteria that apply to purchased materials. We will not add gift items simply because they are available to us, or because we do not already hold them. We will not accept gifts with conditions attached. The library reserves the right to dispose of unneeded gifts in whatever manner it sees fit. We cannot legally appraise gifts, but will send a letter to acknowledge contents of the gift collection and assist donors in locating prices of donated books.

Replacement

Materials which have been lost or damaged are replaced on the advice of the librarians. The following should be considered in the decision to replace a volume: continued value of the material, demand, extent of coverage of the subject in the existing collection, availability of newer or better material in the field, cost and appropriateness of replacement rather than rebinding, reserve shelf use.

Selection Tools

Librarians will use appropriate college-level reviewing sources for selection of materials.

Future Considerations

Storage Issues

The Library’s space is limited. Therefore, we currently must remove approximately the same number of books each year as we add to ensure adequate space.

Collection Assessment

Needs to be done on an ongoing basis in collaboration with faculty to ensure that library needs are met in all areas of the curriculum. Results of collection assessment will be used to justify library spending.

Consortial Collection Development

We are building our collection in a consortial context. We need to ensure that this is an ongoing process within our network.

Web Page Development

The library web page is integral to offering curricular materials and information in additional formats, and is readily available to the community from on or off campus.

The library’s Collection Development Policy should be examined and revitalized on a yearly basis.

Conclusion

Collection development is a rich and powerful aspect of librarianship. It delineates a course of action and provides the basis for library services. It presents continual challenges to enhance learning in an academic environment. A collection development process can give the library user a feeling of being in a warehouse of useless and outdated information or of vibrancy and excitement to learn new things. And everyone gets to participate. When asked once about what will make states and localities give public support to libraries, Vartan Gregorian (former president of the New York Public Library), responded: “Certainly one place to start is to revitalize the concept of what a library is, what a book is, what reading is….and then to determine the place of technology in promoting the unity of knowledge.” (Library Journal, July 1999, p. 6). Careful attention to what a library collects is an excellent way to revitalize its image and purpose.

Community Patron Policy

Community patrons (people who are not students, staff, faculty, or alumni of Prescott College) need to register for a library card at one of the public libraries in Yavapai County before being able to borrow items from Prescott College Library. Community patrons may place a hold on any Prescott College circulating title in the online catalog. The book will be sent from Prescott College to their “home” library and they will be notified of its arrival. They may also choose to pick up the book at the Prescott College Library. Community patrons may use one of the public computers for up to 30 minutes per day for accessing our catalog and general research. If they go over this, they will be given one warning. If they go over their limit again, they will lose their computer use privilege. Community patrons must also follow our Acceptable and Responsible Use Policy. For community patrons wanting to do more extensive academic research, permission may be granted by one of the librarians on a case-by-case basis. Community patrons are allowed to use the library during normal hours up until 6 pm. After 6 pm, the library is only open for students, staff, faculty, or alumni of Prescott College.

Computer Use Policy

All computer use is covered by Prescott College’s Acceptable and Responsible Use Policy.

The Prescott College Library welcomes our students, staff, faculty, and alumni who use our resources to enrich their lives. The computers in the library are available to Prescott College students, faculty, and staff on a first come, first served basis. There are no time limits on computer use, and there is no advance reservation policy. When there is a wait for computers, however, anyone who is using a computer for recreational purposes only (playing games, personal rather than academic use, etc.) may be asked to relinquish the computer.

There are a couple computers set aside for use by the public. These computers are for searching our online book catalog as well as for general research, and do not require a login. There is a maximum time use of 30 minutes per day by community patrons (people who are not students, staff, faculty, or alumni of Prescott College). Community patrons who go over this time will be given one warning. If they go over their limit again, they will lose their computer use privilege.

We encourage the use of laptops and portable computing devices. These devices can connect
to our wireless network. At no time should these devices be plugged directly into our Ethernet ports.

Public use computers are available for community members; these computers are for
searching our online book catalog as well as for general use, and do not require a login.

We encourage the use of laptops and portable computing devices. These devices can connect
to our wireless network. At no time should these devices be plugged directly into our Ethernet ports.

Anyone gone from a computer for more than 15 minutes may lose their station if others are waiting.

Unattended belongings are not the responsibility of the Library.

Viewing of Sexually Explicit Materials/Images – Arizona Revised Statutes 13-3507 states that it is a violation of the law “to place explicit sexual material on public display.” Therefore, when Library staff become aware that someone is viewing explicit sexual material from a computer in the library, we will warn the person he/she is breaking Arizona law and we reserve the right to ban the person from the library. This policy applies both to library computers and to users’ own laptops and other portable electronic devices, as long as the material on the screen is on public display. Definitions of “explicit sexual material” and “public display” are given in the law, see link above.

Library users are expected to respect copyright and intellectual property rights.

Interlibrary Loan Policy

The purpose of Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is to support the academic pursuits of students, faculty, and staff through the exchange of material from one library to another when the item is not available within the requesting library’s borrowing system. Through ILL, patrons have access to materials found in thousands of libraries, of all types and sizes, from all over the world.

Borrowing Policy

Eligibility All ILL services are available to Prescott College faculty, staff, students and alumni residing within Yavapai County. All books/videos must be picked up at Prescott College. Students living outside Yavapai County may use Prescott College ILL for scanned/copied materials (i.e. journal articles, ERIC Documents), but must access their local library’s interlibrary loan service to obtain books, audio/visual, and other materials which must be returned to the lending library.

Materials Available Through ILL

• Books (above restrictions apply)
• Journal articles
• ERIC documents (not all are available)
• Audio/visual materials (availability varies)
• Government Documents
• Doctoral dissertations and masters theses (availability varies)

Materials Not Available Through ILL

• Books published within the current year (may be available)
• Entire volumes or issues of periodicals
• Reference materials
• Rare books or original manuscripts
• Newspapers or other bulky materials in their original format
• Computer software

ILL Request Procedure

ILL requests may be made using the online ILL request form. All requests must contain legible, complete and accurate information and citations or will be returned to the requester for clarification. Requests will be processed as soon as possible. Requested items could take up to three weeks to arrive.

Limits on Requests

There are no limits on the number of requests a patron can make. The patron should request only the number of returnable items (books) that can be read in a 2-3 week period. Interlibrary loan requests are quite costly and patrons are strongly encouraged to order only what they will really benefit from. If a patron repeatedly makes requests for items and does not pick them up, his/her interlibrary loan privileges may be suspended.

Charges/Financial Responsibility

Every effort will be made to obtain the material at no cost; however, certain items may only be available from libraries that charge for lending their materials. Any charges assessed by the lending library will be passed on to the patron. The patron will be notified in advance of these charges and given the option to cancel the request.

If an article is needed immediately, it may be possible for the patron to order it himself through an online document delivery service. The cost of this service is the responsibility of the patron. Borrowed materials are the responsibility of the patron, not the Prescott College Library.

If the item is lost or damaged it is up to the patron to make restitution. The patron will be notified of all charges assessed by the lending library and a personal check should be made out to that library in the amount specified. If the patron does not respond to these charges, they will be added to the patron’s account with an additional $10.00 processing fee for the college’s cost of producing a check for the lending library. If the full amount is not paid within 30 days following receipt of a final notice, it will be turned over to the Business Office for collection.

Picking Up/Returning Materials

Books, ERIC documents, audio/visual materials and any other item which must be returned to the lending library can be picked up at the Circulation Desk. These items will have a band attached to the front cover that includes due date information; this band must not be removed. Electronic copies of articles are emailed to patrons; print copies are held for pick-up at the front desk.

Items being returned may be left at the Circulation Desk. If the band has been removed from the book, library staff should be informed that the item being returned is an interlibrary loan so that it may be properly checked in. Any overdue fees incurred because the band was removed are the responsibility of the borrower.

Loan Period/Renewals

The loan period is set by the lending library. The average loan period is about 3 weeks. A delay in mail delivery may shorten this period considerably. One renewal request may be made for each item, providing the lending library does not indicate otherwise, and should be made 3 to 5 days before the due date. Renewal requests will not be considered less than 3 days before the due date. Notifications of the new due date will be made by phone or e-mail if the request for renewal is granted. If the lending library denies the request, the item must be returned by the first due date. The lending library can recall the item at any time; If this happens, the patron will be notified by phone or e-mail, and the item will be due two days from the date of that contact.

Special Loan Conditions

The lending library may stipulate special lending conditions, to which Prescott College will strictly adhere. Special conditions may include in library use only, no renewals, no photocopying of item, etc.

Overdue Fines

It is extremely important that all materials are returned to the lending library by their due date. Every measure will be taken by the Interlibrary Loan Librarian to ensure that these materials are returned in a timely manner, in order to maintain our status as a reputable borrower. A $1.00 per day overdue fine will be charged to any patron who has an ILL book overdue. There are NO exceptions. If the item is not returned in 10 days, the book will be considered lost. The patron’s account will be charged for the cost of the book, a $10 processing fee, plus the overdue fines. Repeat offenders may be subject to loss of interlibrary loan privileges.

Any overdue fines charged by the lending library are also the responsibility of the patron. The patron will be notified of these charges and a personal check should be made out in the specified amount to the lending library. If the patron does not make payment to the lending library, the college will have to issue a check for the overdue fines. The amount owed will be added to the patron’s account along with a $10.00 processing fee. If the full amount is not paid by the end of the semester following receipt of a final notice it will be turned over to the Business Office for collection.

Copyright Compliance

Prescott College adheres to the Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code) and the accompanying guidelines when requesting photocopied material. A record is maintained of all requests from periodicals published within the last five years. Requesting patrons are required to read the following copyright statement:

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproduction of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use”, that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.

Requests that fall outside the copyright compliance limits will be ordered through normal channels with copyright costs paid to the Copyright Compliance Center or through a document delivery system that charges appropriate copyright fees.

Lending Policy

Eligibility Prescott College believes in the principle of free exchange of materials and lends to any library requesting materials from its collection.

Charges Prescott College does not charge borrowing libraries within the United States, Canada, or Mexico for photocopies or materials loaned. Materials requested by countries outside of these areas will be charged for shipping and insurance only.

Materials Available for Loan

• Books
• Photocopies of Journal and Newspaper Articles
• ERIC Documents
• Master’s Theses

Materials Not Available for Loan

• Entire volumes or issues of periodicals
• Reference collection materials
• Newspapers
• Audio/visual materials
• Computer software

Processing Time

All requests will be processed and shipped to the borrowing library within 3 business days upon receipt of the request.

Loan Period/Renewals

Borrowing libraries have a loan period of 5 weeks from the date the request is filled. The due date in our system reflects an extra week (6 total) to allow for mail delivery.

Overdue Fines/Notices

Borrowing libraries are not assessed overdue fines. An overdue notice is sent if the item is 15 days overdue. If the book is not received within 2 weeks of the first notice, the borrowing library is contacted and every attempt is made to have the item returned. If necessary, at this point the book is considered lost and an invoice will be sent to the borrowing library for the cost of the book plus a $10 processing fee. Libraries that repeatedly return books late, or not at all, are subject to losing their borrowing privileges through Prescott College Library.

Lost & Found Policy

The library is the central lost and found repository for the Prescott campus. Any items of significance found on the Prescott campus should be brought to the library. The library’s front desk staff will make every effort to contact the owner of an item if it is clearly marked with a name or contact information. Other items will be retained so that owners may claim them. Twice a year (generally around graduation) the library will send out a campus-wide email reminding the PC community to check at the library for any lost items . Unclaimed items may be given away to the PC community (on the stipulation that if someone recognizes the item as theirs, it should be returned to them) or donated to local charitable organizations. If items arrive near the end of the term, they will be held through the next term.

Food and drink will be discarded immediately.
Clothing will be tagged with date found.
Computer accessories (cables, jump drives, chargers, etc.) without owner ID will be tagged with date found. The circulation supervisor will access any jump drives to see if ownership can be identified.
Books, papers, notebooks, costume jewelry, etc. without owner ID will be placed on lost and found shelf at front desk.
College ID cards, driver’s licenses, credit cards, passports, etc. – the library will call and/or send email to student and place item in a secure location.
Items of monetary value such as cash, jewelry (not costume jewelry), computers, cameras, iPods, keys, backpacks, wallets, purses, cell phones, etc. will be tagged with date found, and stored. Patrons must describe their missing item before receiving it. For very valuable items, a campus-wide email may be sent out. Library staff may contact someone in a cell phone’s contacts to attempt to discover the owner.

People looking for lost items may also leave their name, contact information, and a description of the missing item with the library so they can be notified if and when the item is found.

The Library is not responsible for lost items being returned, or for items claimed by other than the rightful owner.

Reference Policy

Reference services involve interaction between students/faculty, the librarian, and information resources. Prescott College librarians work with everyone in the College community, and with other Prescott community patrons as time permits, and adhere to the mission, vision and values of the Reference and User Services of the American Library Association.

The librarian’s goal in the reference process is to create information literate students who can, per ACRL Information Literacy Standards and Guidelines:

Determine the nature and extent of the information needed
Access needed information effectively and efficiently
Evaluate information and its sources critically and incorporate selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system
Use information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose
Understand many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information and accesses and uses information ethically and legally

Services include:

Answering questions, in person and via electronic access (telephone, email, skype, etc.)
Personal instruction for help in finding and using any of the library’s print or electronic resources, including using online resources more efficiently. Appointments with the librarian(s) are encouraged
Class instruction is available, and encouraged. Input from, and attendance by, faculty is strongly encouraged. Classroom meetings are based on the course syllabus or a particular assignment, and include course specific web pages, handouts, and hands-on use of library resources tailored specifically for a particular class or class project
In-depth research: Librarian(s) will consult and assist on any faculty or student research project. The faculty/student will be an active participant in order to evaluate materials, and learn the research process
Referrals: Librarian(s) will refer patrons to other libraries or sources of information when necessary. This includes searching other library catalogs to broaden a book search, and seeing whether a library located near an off-campus student may have the resources the student needs. Referrals include information on local Interlibrary Loan services
Publications: Instructional and informational handouts, including print, online, PowerPoint, and video formats, are provided to increase awareness and maximize efficient use of the library’s resources
Internet: Librarian(s) create, update, and maintain web pages with links to a variety of information appropriate for the Prescott College community. The librarian(s) welcome input from the community on content

The Reference Collection

The library collects non-circulating materials such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, style manuals, and bibliographies designed for subject overviews or gateways to more specific information. Many of these resources are available in both print and electronic formats.

Reserves Policy

A reserve collection is a set of materials left at the library circulation desk for use by a class of students. The primary purpose of reserves is to make high demand, limited copies of required course material available in an equitable manner. Reserve materials may include books (library and/or faculty copies), journal articles, and other required readings, audio/visual materials, and course notes or syllabi. The Library encourages the use of e-course reserves.

General Criteria for Reserve Collection

All materials submitted for reserve should meet copyright regulations. Articles submitted must have full bibliographic citations before being added to the Reserve Collection.
All reserve materials will be kept behind the Circulation Desk and students will request the materials from the library staff.
Faculty should bring reserve materials to the library at least one day prior to use to allow for processing the materials.
Library or faculty copies of materials may be placed on reserve. Materials owned by another library may not be placed on reserve.
Although the library staff will make every effort to protect personal faculty copies, the library assumes no responsibility for lost or damaged materials. Faculty is responsible for replacing damaged or missing pages from article folders.

Reserve Loan Periods

Library Use Only – Materials are checked out for 5-hour periods and may not be removed from the library.

Overnight Use – During the day materials are checked out for 5-hour periods and may be removed from the library. These materials are available for overnight checkout within 5 hours of closing and must be returned within one hour after opening the next business day.

Reserve Overdue Fines

Fines on reserve materials accrue at a rate of $.25 per hour, no grace period.

Special Collections Policy

Various Special Collections are housed within the Library; some of these, although catalogued and available for loan, are developed and maintained by student organizations and interest groups. Special Collections include:

• Pete Lavigne Watershed Collection
• Campbell Map Collection

Also collected, but not catalogued or available for loan, are student Senior Projects and Course Readers. The Library assumes no responsibility for maintaining this collection. Items to be considered for inclusion in the regular collection may be brought to the attention of the Library Director.