Library Policies

The following policies are devised with the desire to serve the entire student body in the best and fairest way possible.  We ask for your cooperation in carrying them out.

Book Circulation

1. Books may be checked out of the library by Students, Faculty, and Staff.
2. Books in general circulation may be checked out to patrons in good standing and may be renewed up to two times, provided no one has placed a hold on the item.  Books must be presented at the circulation desk in order to renew them.
3. Should an item desired be checked out, holds may be placed on books in general circulation.  Inquire at the circulation desk for this service.
4. When a student checks out a book, he or she assumes responsibility for that book until it has been turned in, regardless of who uses the book during the time it is checked out.
5. A grace period of one day is given on overdue books.  Books returned beyond the grace period are subject to fines of 25 cents per item, per day, with no maximum fine.
6. All books must be turned in, and all library fines paid before transcripts and diplomas will be issued.
7. The library does not collect textbooks used by classes offered by Belhaven College.

Reserve Books

Books are placed on reserve so that all students may have equal access to them.  Students are asked to observe these rules in fairness to the other members of their classes.  Continued abuse of reserve privileges will result in the intervention of the class instructor.

1. Reserve books have varying circulation periods, set by class instructors.  Books may circulate In Library Only, One Day, Two Days, and One Week.  Renewals may or may not be allowed, based upon the instructor's decision.
2. Fines accrue at the rate of $3.00 day, per ITEM, with no maximum. The one day’s grace before accrual of fines begins does not apply to Reserves.
3. In Library Only reserve materials may be recalled after a period of two hours in order to insure access to all members of a class.

General Rules

1. The library is a place for study and reading; therefore, each student is asked to carry on only such conversation as is absolutely necessary.  Students will be asked to leave if the library staff feels they are disturbing other students.
2. No food or tobacco product is to be consumed in the library.  Beverages are permitted in the uncarpeted areas of the top floor of the library.
3. A telephone for student use is located in the Photocopy Room to the left of the library entrance.  Students will not be paged or summoned to the library telephone and will not be allowed to use staff telephones.
4. If a staff member is not present when you approach the desk, please summon assistance by use of the bell placed there for this purpose.  Students are not permitted access to staff work areas, which includes the area behind the circulation desk.
5. When using books and periodicals in the library, please do not re-shelve them.  Leave them on tables or at the circulation desk for re-shelving.
6. For the protection of your home computer and ours, we cannot allow outside disks to be used in our computers.
7. Transparencies may be made on the Library copiers. To ensure the proper maintenance of Library equipment, appropriate transparencies must be purchased at the Circulation Desk for 25 cents each.

Policies Governing the Use of Library Computers

1. Library computer terminals are primarily for research purposes for enrolled Belhaven College students. Patrons engaged in non-research activities may be asked to relinquish the terminal.
2. Students’ personal laptop computers may be used in the library. The library does not, however, provide Internet access for individually owned computers.
3. Library Public Service computers print to a networked laser printer at the Circulation Desk. Cost of prints is 10 cents per page for black and white copies and 25 cents per page for color copies.

Delinquent Student Policy

We reserve the right to suspend the borrowing privileges of any student who demonstrates habitual abuse of library policies.  Should a student demonstrate recurring irresponsibility toward library materials, his or her borrowing privileges will be limited to In Library Only use.

When library fines exceed $2.00 a student's borrowing privileges are suspended until the amount is paid in full.