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Lending Policies & Fees

How to Register

Penn State Students, Faculty and Staff: Members of the Penn State community should register with the Libraries by presenting a valid Penn State id and completing a registration card at the Circulation Desk. Please note that a signed registration card must be completed before exercising your library privileges. New students, faculty and staff also can register with the libraries electronically. Electronic registration is a two-part process:

  1. Pick up your PSU Access Account at any ITS signature station. Your electronic signature indicates your agreement with all Libraries' policies.
  2. Complete your registration online by updating your address information and status with the Libraries. Approximately 24 hours after you retrieve your PSU Access Account, you will receive an email from the Libraries containing a link to a webpage that will allow you to complete your library registration.

Pennsylvania Residents: Residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania who are not directly affiliated with the University may register with the Libraries by presenting a picture id with proof of residency (Pennsylvania driver's license or Pennsylvania id card) with a current address and by completing a registration card at the Circulation Desk.

All registered patrons may update their address online at My Library Account or at the Circulation Desk.

Loan Periods & Account Limits

 

Patron Status

Loan Period
Max Number of Items
Undergraduate
28 days
200
Scholar
semester
500
Graduate
semester
500
Faculty/Staff
semester
500
State Resident
28 days
100

Patron Responsibilities

As a patron of the Libraries, it is your responsibility to understand and comply with all Penn State Libraries' policies as explained both in this document and in the Libraries' Lending Code. As a borrower, you also are responsible for all materials charged to your account. Borrowing materials "for" someone else with your card, loaning library materials charged to your account to another, or giving library materials to someone else to return for you does not alleviate your responsibility for such materials.

Library Notices

Notices for materials on hold, recalled and overdue materials, and overdue and replacement fees will be sent by email, unless requested otherwise. Any changes in address must be reported to the Library. Failure to receive notification does not relieve the borrower of the obligation to return materials when they are due.

Renewals

Library materials not subject to restricted loan periods may be renewed twice by phone, 215-881-7427, or online at My Library Account. Materials to be renewed a third time must be brought to the Circulation Desk. Please note: Penn State faculty and staff have unlimited renewals on regular loans.

Material that has been recalled cannot be renewed, although patrons may place another hold on such material.

Renewals of interlibrary loans is subject to the policies of the lending institution.

E-ZBorrow (PALCI) materials may be renewed once and are subject to recall.

Non-Circulating Materials

Many periodicals, course reserves and reference materials do not circulate for extended periods of time. Such materials may be borrowed and removed from the Libraries for two hours or longer at the discretion of Libraries' staff. If you wish to borrow such materials, contact staff at the Circulation Desk.

Returning Materials

All materials borrowed from the general stacks, including materials that have been recalled, may be returned to any Penn State Libraries' location statewide. Recalled materials must be returned directly to the Circulation Desk.

Please note: Although Penn State participates with a number of other institutions to share resources, all materials borrowed from Penn State directly (i.e., not through interlibrary loan) should be returned to a Penn State Library. Returning Penn State material to any location other than a Penn State Libraries' location, even if that location accepts the material, does not relieve the borrower of any responsibilities.

Recalls

All materials borrowed from the Libraries are subject to recall by other patrons after the current borrower has had the material for seven days. Materials needed for course reserves may be recalled immediately. All patrons will have no fewer than ten days from the date on which a recall notice is issued to return a recalled item without fee. After ten days, overdue fees will be assessed at the rate of $3.00 a day. Total overdue fees for a recalled item shall not exceed $30.00; however, an additional processing fee may be assessed if a patron has been billed for replacement costs of the material.

Overdue Materials

All materials borrowed from the general stacks (i.e., materials that are not subject to restricted loan periods) that have not been recalled may be returned or renewed within 30 days of the due date without fee. This grace period applies to materials from the general stacks only and does not include periodicals, reserves or recalled materials. Materials that have not been returned or renewed within 30 days will be presumed lost by the Libraries', and lost and processing fees will be assessed. Please note that materials for which replacement costs have been assessed cannot be renewed. If such materials are returned within a month of the bill date, lost and processing fees will be waived, although the patron will still be responsible for any overdue fees. If the materials are returned more than a month after the date billed, the borrower is responsible for the entire processing fee, plus overdue fees if applicable.

Fees & Fee Payment

Fees for overdue and replacement costs may be paid by cash, check, money order or IDCC (sorry, no credit or debit cards) at any Penn State Libraries' Lending Desk. Any fees that remain unpaid may be eligible for payroll deduction, sent to a collection agency, or transferred to a student's account with the University Bursar's Office. All fees transferred to the Bursar's Office must be paid to the Bursar by mail or in person at 103 Shields Building. Library fees that have been transferred to the Bursar's Office cannot be paid at the Libraries.

Lost or Damaged Materials

If Library material has been lost by a patron, the Libraries typically will assess replacement costs that are an average of the current replacement costs of any materials within a given subject. This average cost may be greater or lesser than the actual replacement cost for a particular item. In addition to this replacement fee, a patron will be assessed a general processing fee of $25.00 and overdue fees if applicable. If a patron loses an item, he or she has several options available:

  • Payment of Fees - The patron may elect to pay the Libraries' charges.
  • Replacement of Material - The patron may elect to replace the material. Replacement material must be in good (i.e., no broken bindings or writing on any text pages), but not necessarily new, condition. The replacement copy must be bound as a hardback or a $15.00 binding fee may be assessed. Also the material must be the same edition. If a patron provides replacement of material, the Libraries will waive all lost fees. Processing and overdue fees remain.

Depending on the circumstances, either payment of fees or replacement of material may be recommended. For example, if there is a reasonable chance that a lost item will eventually be found, payment of fees may be the better option, since the patron will be refunded all lost fees should the item be returned within six months of its bill date (overdue fees and a portion of the processing fee will not be refunded). If it is unlikely that a lost item will be found, replacement of material may be a better option, as the patron will not be responsible for lost and processing fees and may be able to find a good-quality used copy at a lower price.

Please note that the Libraries cannot issue a refund to patrons who have provided replacement materials, rather than having paid the replacement fees, if the lost materials are found. Only if replacement fees are paid and lost materials found within six months of their bill dates will the Libraries issue a refund.

Please Note: The decision to pay replacement fees or provide replacement material is final. We cannot accept replacement material after a patron has paid replacement fees for the same item.

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Contact

1600 Woodland Road
Abington, PA 19001
Phone: 215-881-7424
Fax: 215-881-7423
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Web Site Contact: lxk17@psu.edu

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