You are here

Lending Code

 

 ON THIS PAGE

Login to My Library Account to see renewals, checkouts, holds, overdue items and fines.

 

Borrower's Responsibilities

  • Borrowers agree to abide by the rules and regulations of the University Libraries policies.
  • Borrowers are required to present a valid library card (Penn State ID+ or non-affiliated card) for checkout of material.
  • Borrowers are financially responsible for all materials charged out on their cards. Borrowers should report a lost or stolen card to library staff at once to minimize responsibility for its unauthorized use.
  • Borrowers should note time and date that material is due. Overdue notices are sent as a courtesy. Failure to receive notification does not relieve the borrower of the obligation to return materials when they are due or justify a reduction in fines.

 

Charges, Overdue materials, Penalties, and Assessments

The following fees have been established by the University Libraries, approved by the University Corporate Comptroller, and apply at all campus locations. All categories of borrowers are subject to library fines.

Replacement Library Cards:

  • Faculty, staff, and students: Contact the Penn State ID+ office.
  • Alumni and visitors: $5 (payable at a lending desk).

Replacement Bills:

Replacement bills are issued when borrowers fail to return borrowed materials. Each bill includes a replacement fee for the item, a $25 processing fee, plus an overdue fee when applicable (overdue fees follow).

Regular Loans:

Thirty days after an item's due date, the Libraries presume the material is lost and bill the borrower a replacement fee, a $25 processing fee, plus an overdue fee when applicable (overdue fees follow).

If the item is returned more than a month after the date billed, the borrower is responsible for the full $25 processing fee. The borrower is also responsible for any overdue fees regardless of the return date.

Borrowers may request refunds for fees paid to replace lost materials provided the materials are returned within 6 months after the date of the original bill. Fees paid through payroll deduction or collected as a result of action taken by a collection agency are not refundable.

 

Eligible Borrowers

  • All current students, faculty, and staff of Penn State with a valid Penn State ID+ card.
  • Alumni: Members of the Penn State Alumni Association
  • Visitors: Residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and other borrowers who have received permission from the University Libraries and have been issued a library card.

 

Loan Periods

Materials are due on days when the library is open, including weekends, semester breaks, and other days when classes are not in session.

Regular Loans

  • Undergraduates, University Scholars, graduate students, faculty, staff: Semester loan.
  • PSU alumni, PA residents and visitors: 4 week loan.

Course Reserves

  • All borrowers: Limited loan period.
  • Must return to the Course Reserves desk.
  • Subject to hourly overdue fees.

Videos

  • All borrowers: 7 days with eight renewals and subject to daily overdue fees.
  • Faculty: May place videos on Course Reserve.

Special Permission Loans

Special Permission loans are for materials that do not usually circulate, such as bound volumes of periodicals and reference books.

  • All borrowers: Limited loan period.
  • Must return to the lending desk from which it was borrowed.
  • Subject to daily overdue fees.

E-ZBorrow

  • Materials borrowed through the Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc. (PALCI).
  • Faculty, staff, and students: 16 weeks.

 

Notices

  • Faculty, staff, and students: The Libraries' notices will be sent via Penn State e-mail through your Penn State Access Account. More information about Access Accounts. 
  • Alumni and visitors: E-mail or paper notices mailed (verify notice method at a lending desk).
  • All borrowers: Address changes should be reported to the Libraries immediately, either in person or on the Web at https://libraries.psu.edu/ (click on "My Library Account," then on "Update Address" link).

 

Overdue Fees

  • Course Reserves: Two-hour and overnight Course Reserves are subject to a fine of $1/hour, to a maximum of $100. These fines begin to accrue the moment the material is due back in the Libraries. After 10 days, the Libraries presume the material is lost and bill the borrower the cost of the item, a $25 processing fee, plus the overdue fees.
  • Videos: Videos are subject to a fine of $1/day, to a maximum of $30. These fines begin to accrue the moment the material is due back in the Libraries. After 30 days, the Libraries presume the material is lost and bill the borrower the cost of the item, a $25 processing fee, plus the overdue fees. Note: Borrowers are responsible for fines that accrue on videos that are renewed after their due date.
  • Special Permission Loans: All special permission loans are subject to a fine of $3/day to a maximum of $15 (reached on the fifth calendar day late). These fines begin to accrue the moment the material is due back in the Libraries. After 30 days, the Libraries presume the material is lost and bill the borrower the cost of the item, a $25 processing fee, plus the overdue fees.
     

 

Policies and Procedures

  • The lending code is subject to change without individual notice.
  • You can also obtain further information from your local Penn State library lending desk.

 

Renewals

Number of renewals:

  • Undergraduate students, alumni, and visitors: 2 renewals.
  • Faculty, staff, graduate students, and University scholars: Unlimited renewals on regular loans
  • Videos: 8 renewals.

The following items cannot be renewed:

  • Items which have holds on them.
  • Course reserves.
  • Special Permission items.
  • E-ZBorrow (currently suspended) books.

To renew library materials:

Go to https://libraries.psu.edu/, and click on "My Library Account. "Phone or in person: Call or stop by your local Penn State library lending desk.

 

Return Of Library Materials

  • Materials on regular loan may be returned to any University Libraries location.
  • Special Permission and Course Reserve items must be returned to the specific lending desk from which the items were borrowed.
  • If materials need to be returned by mail, contact the library for mailing instructions (library locations).
  • Mailing address to return materials to University Park Libraries:
  • Penn State University Libraries
    Common Services
    127 Paterno Library, Curtin Road
    University Park, PA 16802

 

Sanctions

Unpaid fines and charges may result in one or more of the following actions:

  • Students: Fees not paid before the end of the current semester will be charged to the student's Bursar account.
  • Faculty, staff: If replacement fees for lost materials are not received within 6 months from notification that the money is due at the Libraries, payment will be payroll deducted. For all other fees, if payment is not received within 60 days, payment will be payroll deducted. The University Payroll Office reserves the right to charge additional fees for the payroll deduction process.
  • Alumni and visitors: Fees assessed against a non-affiliated borrower's account that are not paid within 60 days will be remanded to a collection agency. Additional fees will be charged by University Libraries for this process. Note: When students and employees leave the University, they become alumni or visiting borrowers and are subject to the collection agency process.
  • All borrowers: The University Libraries will suspend borrowing privileges if a borrower does not pay accumulated fees and fines. The Libraries reserve the right to initiate legal proceedings to recover library materials.