Circulation Services and Policies
| Appealing Charges | Please carefully read this information to help you borrow
library materials.
Most OSU library locations are open to everyone to use materials and
many
of the available services; however, borrowing materials is limited to
holders
of a valid OSU identification (ID) card, an OSU Libraries Courtesy Card,
or a valid ID from any other OhioLINK institution.
The Libraries lending policies outlined below have been adopted by the Library Council, a committee of the University Senate. You are responsible for all materials borrowed on your ID. To meet this responsibility, you must monitor your borrowing record on a regular basis (we suggest weekly). The libraries send email notices as a courtesy to patrons to aid you in keeping track of all your transactions and to renew items, but you should check your record regularly through the OSCAR system (see the “View Your Circulation Record” section below). In monitoring your use, please follow these guidelines:
Files received regularly from the Registrar and OSU Human Resources will overlay information already in the Libraries' files.
To access your circulation record, click on the "My Record" button on the Web OSCAR initial screen. You will be asked to supply your name and Social Security Number or University ID Number. You may use this feature to:
You may place a hold on most circulating items listed as available or checked out. Available items will be retrieved and held for you at the library you selected. A checked out item will be recalled from the current borrower and you will be sent a courtesy e-mail notice when the book is ready for pickup. An item may be recalled from you by another patron at any time, which may change the item's due date. A courtesy e-mail notice will be sent notifying you of any recall(s) on your item(s) with a due date in 10 days from the date the hold was placed on the item, or the original due date, whichever is less. Please respond to these notices promptly. Overdue fines accrue at the rate of $10.00/day per recalled item. Items that have been recalled may not be renewed.
Fines Fines will be charged for items that are not returned when needed by another borrower, i.e., items that have been recalled or any item on Course Reserve. Most items that are not renewed and over 80+ days overdue are considered Lost and will be billed at replacement fees. Most Reserve items and equipment will go lost and billed after much shorter periods depending on the loan period.
Damaged Items Based on the extent of damage to an item, the appropriate repair department will determine a fee for repair and that amount will be placed on the patron record. Please use the fine appeal form to contact the Sanctions Office with questions. Lost and Billed Items Long overdue items are assumed lost, (items not renewed over 80+ days) (Reserve items and Equipment are assumed lost and billed after a day or two) and a lost item charge will be added to the borrower's record. The charges are $140 per book and $170 per volume for bound journals and micro format items. (this charges include a $40 processing fee, plus a billing charge of $10 for OSU items.) If the items are returned, the replacement/processing cost will be waived, but the billing fee will be retained (Note: OhioLINK books have a billing fee of $50.00 and are assumed lost & billed after 30 days overdue). Patrons with lost and billed items are blocked from borrowing until the charges are settled with the Library Business Office. In lieu of Lost and Billed charges, the Libraries provide the option to accept purchase of a replacement book with payment of the processing and billing fees noted above. Replacement copies must be approved thru the online appeal process. OhioLINK replacements must be approved by the owning institution; please use the fine appeal form to contact the Sanctions Office prior to purchasing a replacement book. Items reported as returned will be searched for promptly in all library locations. If the items are not found, you will be charged a replacement cost. Fines and fees owed to the University Libraries (excluding Health Sciences, Law Library and Regional Campus Libraries) can be paid online with Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. To make an online payment please use the online payment form. Payment in person can be made using BuckID, check or credit cards at the Ackerman Library, Business Office during regular office hours (M-F, 8:00am-4:30pm, closed holidays), or by phone (614) 292-2400 during office hours (credit cards only). Checks should be made out to The Ohio State University Libraries and should be mailed to: The Library Business Office, 6018 Ackerman Library, 600 Ackerman Rd., Columbus, OH 43202. Payment plans are available; contact the Business Office for additional information.
Fines and other charges exceeding $75 automatically result in a suspension of borrowing privileges (sanctions) and a block placed on your University records, including registration, grades, transcripts, and receipt of financial aid. Sanctions and blocks are not removed until accounts are paid, or a successful appeal of the fine is made using the online appeal form. Payment plans are available. To pay a library fine you can use the online payment form or to set up a payment plan, please contact the Library Business Office (292-2400), room 5825c Ackerman Library, 600 Ackerman Rd. Columbus, OH 43202 (hours M-F 8am-4:30pm, closed holidays). Health Sciences, Law and Regional campus items will have to inquire at those respective campus library locations.
University Libraries make every effort to regulate fines according to well defined standards. However, under some circumstances you may have sound reasons for appealing a fine. Please review the Libraries' Circulation Policy and procedure below prior to filing an appeal. All Appeals must be submitted using the online appeal form. Patrons can expect a response within 5 business days during normal activity levels. Appeals must be submitted using the form within ninety days (3) months of the fine date to be considered. Please include copies of receipts, library notices, and other useful documentation when submitting the online appeal form. All reasonable concerns related to Library charges will be considered; however, the following are NOT considered reasons on which an appeal can be based:
Faculty, staff, and students with a campus address may choose to have books mailed to them at that address by choosing "COL CAMPUS OFFICE/DORM" as their pickup location by Campus Mail Before choosing this option, view your patron record to verify that you have a valid campus address. (NEW AU07 delivery to dormitories). Patrons choosing to have books mailed to their campus address are responsible for the material from the time it is checked out to them. Materials are checked out to patrons before they are sent in Campus Mail. They continue to be responsible until the material is checked in at any Ohio State University or OhioLINK library. We encourage you to return all library materials in person at an OSU Libraries circulation desk. You may request a receipt for returned items. Books may also be returned using the outdoor book drop or the drive-thru window located just outside the main entrance at the Ackerman Library.
As a courtesy, The Ohio State University Libraries send hold, recall, overdue, billing, and cancellation notices to your OSU e-mail address. E-mail notification service provides uninterrupted delivery of your library notices throughout the year, including quarter breaks and summer quarter. To avoid library fines, you can:
Instructors may place items on Electronic Reserve, or Paper Reserves in any library for restricted use. Reserve items may include OSU Libraries Materials, personal copies, and photocopies prepared by the instructor. Paper reserve loan periods may range from 2 hours to 7 days at the instructors option. Electronic reserves are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Multiple users can view the same materials at the same time. Links to faculty specified websites (URL's) can be included. To allow adequate retrieval and processing time, faculty should submit their requests at least 3 weeks in advance of the quarter in which they will be needed. Faculty wishing to place items on reserve can complete the
RESERVES
ONLINE REQUEST FORM by clicking on the electronic reserves or paper
reserves
icon below
OSU faculty and staff may authorize one or more persons to borrow and request library materials under the authorizing person’s name; the authorizing person is responsible for all transactions done by the designated individuals. To make such an authorization, print off a Faculty Authorization Request Form, supply the requested information, and submit the form to any OSU Libraries Circulation Desk. Please contact any OSU library if you have questions or would like further information.
When a book you need is not available at OSU Libraries you may request it from OhioLINK, a statewide information network which includes an online central catalog of member libraries' holdings. If you have done a search in OSCAR and learned that the item either isn't owned or is unavailable at OSU, the search can be automatically transferred to the OhioLINK Central Catalog. In Web OSCAR, click on the OhioLINK Catalog button in the upper right portion of the screen; Please note that pickup notices for OhioLINK materials are sent via email only. If you do not have an email address in your record, please follow the instructions in View Your Circulation Record, above, to see when a requested book is ready for pick up. OhioLINK books may be borrowed for 21 days with up to 4 renewals of 21 days each, provided a hold has not been placed on the item. If a hold is placed on the item you will not be able to renew it. Unlike OSU, OhioLINK overdue fines are charged at the rate of $.50 per day from the due date, whether the item has been recalled or not. Courtesy patrons are limited to 5 OhioLINK items at any time on their record. This includes items in transit too and from locations. Books may be delivered for pickup to the OSU library most convenient to you or may be delivered to a valid campus office address by choosing "My Office" as their pickup location. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact any library or the Library Circulation Department (292-6154 or 292-2075).
Guest Accounts for Non-OSU users To resolve security, performance and other issues that affect the OSU community, the OSU Office of Information Technology must be able to trace network activity that originates from an OSU computer back to the user. Specifically, users of workstations, laptops, dial-up modem pools, wireless networks, VPN concentrators, and proxies are required to authenticate before they can access the Internet. Guest Authentication Policy: Non-OSU users must get a Guest Authentication account from staff at the Circulation Desk in order to use designated library computers when available in campus libraries. Guest users must also show proof of identification using at least one of the following VALID picture IDs: (U.S. driver's license, passport, School ID, State of Ohio ID). Library staff will enter the information and ID into the online OSU Guest Authentication System. A Guest slip which contains the guest user name and password will be printed for the guest's use. The guest account authorization will automatically expire at the end of the activation period. Internet access is provided as a courtesy for guest users to be used as an additional scholarly research tool. Users are required to follow the Policy on Responsible Use of University Computing and Network Resources (http://cio.osu.edu/policies/responsible_use.html).The following rules apply to using computing equipment within the University Libraries: 1. Computing resources in the University Libraries are provided primarily for the use of the students, staff, and faculty of the Ohio State University and for public use of the United States Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) Collection. To help manage the availability of Internet computers for this purpose, chat groups, dating services and online games are not permitted. 2. OSU students, staff, and faculty have priority when an insufficient number of computers are available. The Library reserves the right to limit the amount of time a guest may occupy a computer. Users are expected to comply when asked by Library staff to relinquish a computer. 3. Patrons with guest accounts are not permitted in OIT computer labs and must use designated public computing sites. Please ask the Circulation desk for available sites. Consequences of Misuse: The University Libraries reserves the right to deny use of computer equipment and/or to have non-compliant patrons leave the library if they are found to be in violation of any part of this policy. In addition, misconduct will be reported to Library Security and University Police as appropriate. Repeat offenders and/or abuse of guest accounts will result in denial of future access privileges.
ACKERMAN LIBRARY RESEARCH ROOM 1) Available during Library open hours to OSU Faculty, Staff, students and visiting scholars needing an area to view and leave materials for research and study. 2) Faculty and graduate students will have priority on use of the room. 3) The room should not be used for normal study or reading that can be done at tables and carrels located throughout the Library. 4) Small groups may be allowed for teaching purposes, if no one else is using the room. 5) Cell phones and other potentially disruptive devices should not be used while in the room. 6) Personal laptops may be used but speakers should be turned off. 7) Library materials may be brought into the room if checked out. Reference materials or other restricted materials cannot be brought in without permission from a librarian or supervisory staff. 8) Researchers who need to use library materials over an extended period may leave the materials in lockable carts while they are not there, provided they have the materials checked out or have been permitted use of the materials for the time period needed. Please notify the Circulation desk for storage of items being left in the room for extended use. 9) The Library is not responsible for any personal items left in the room. 10) Because the room is restricted and must be accessed through an alarmed door, entry is provided by designated Library staff or security. 11) Users in the room will be asked to leave about 30 minutes before closing each night. 12) Any questions or concerns about the room should be presented to the Circulation Desk at the main entrance.
|