Policies and Procedures: Circulation Policies and Procedures

Circulation Policies and Procedures 

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Circulation Services, Policies, and Procedures

Patron Borrowing Cards

All library users must present proper identification to check-out library materials.  Patrons may check out up to ten (10) books at a time with a loan period of thirty (30) days.  No checking out materials one-half (1/2) hour before closing on any given day.

SC State Students, Faculty, and Staff

Current SC State University students, faculty, and staff must have a valid SC State University ID.

Alumni and Retirees Borrowing Card

Alumni and retirees of SC State University may obtain a library borrowing card by completing a brief form.  After your information is verified, you will be issued a library card by the Circulation staff.

Community Borrowing Card

The library is accessible to the public.  Persons who are not South Carolina State University students, faculty, staff, alumni, retirees, or librarians in the city of Orangeburg may obtain the Community Borrowing Card for library privileges:

1. Upon payment of a non-refundable twenty-five dollars ($25) annual fee to the Cashiers’ Office, Crawford- Zimmerman Building, second floor.
2. Present the twenty-five dollars ($25) receipt to the desk attendant in the Circulation Unit.
3. When your receipt is presented at the circulation desk, your Community Borrowing Card will be issued.  Card is only valid for a one (1) year from date of purchase.
4. Books are due in the library within 30 days of the check-out date.  The due date is also stamped in the back of the book. A limit of ten (10) books is permitted at a time.

NOTE:  If two or more persons are using the same library card (parent/child, instructor/student, friends, etc.), the card holder is solely liable for all materials that are checked-out.

There is a .25 per day charge for each book that is returned to the library after the due date.  Lost book(s) are $75.00 plus a $10.00 processing fee for each item. 

ALL charges are payable to South Carolina State University Cashiers’ Office ONLY.  The receipt is brought to the Circulation Desk for record update.

In House Use of Library Materials

All books may be read in any area of the library.  After usage, books are to be placed on book trucks. Users are not to re-shelve any material.  Library personnel will return all books to their proper location.  A mis-shelved book is a lost book.

Item Loan (Book Check Out) Procedure

1. Obtain the call number for desired book(s) from the online catalog
2. Check the Library's Stack Directory (Reference Area) to determine the floor location of the book(s)
3. Pull book(s) from shelves
4. Take book(s) to the circulation desk (lobby) for charging
5. Present a SC State University or Community Patrons Borrowing Card (ID) to desk attendant
6. No checking out materials one-half (1/2) hour before closing on any given day.

Item Loan Period

Library materials are loaned (checked out) for a period of thirty (30) days.  The due date is stamped on the Date Due Slip in the back of the book.  There are no renewals on books.

The library staff emails borrowers overdue notices, but it is the borrower's responsibility to know when books are due and to return them on time.

Overdue Notices, Fines, and Fees

The Circulation staff sends borrowers two overdue notices, but it is the borrower's responsibility to know when books are due and to return them on time.  Notices will be sent before a patron is charged for a book. The first notice will be sent ten (10) days after the due date, and the final notice will be sent thirty (30) days after the due date.  Any material more than 30 days past the overdue date is considered lost.

A $.25 cents per day fine is imposed on books returned late. If a book is lost or destroyed by a borrower, the borrower will pay $75.00 plus a $10.00 non-refundable processing fee. If parts of a set are missing, the borrower must pay to replace the entire set at the current price of the set. The borrower may retain remaining parts of the set.

Faculty and staff are not required to pay fines.  If the book is lost, faculty and staff must pay the actual cost of the book.

When a borrower incurs fines and fees, the borrower will receive an invoice to pay with Cashiers' Office.  Upon payment at the Cashiers' Office, the borrower must get a receipt to  present at the Circulation Desk to clear the fines from the borrower's account and restore borrowing privileges.

Loss of Borrowing Privileges

A borrower's right to borrow library materials will be suspended when they have 10 or more overdue books, or owe $5.00 in fines for books returned or owe $10.00 for books not returned.

Reserve Materials

Faculty may withdraw books from circulation or photocopy materials from other sources that are required for course assignments or recommended for supplementary study. These materials may be placed on reserve at the circulation desk. Copyright guidelines are adhered to for photocopied materials.

To Use Faculty Reserve Materials:

1. Books and materials that faculty have on reserve are shelved behind the circulation desk
2. Ask for the Instructor's Reserve List if you do not have the call number and/or title of the desired reserved material
3. Present SC State University Borrowing Card or ID.  This card will be held with the Reserve Card until material(s) is returned to the desk attendant.  Sign the reserve card legibly and EXACTLY as it is on your borrowing card or ID.
4. Desk attendant will then pull the reserve material
5. Reserve items are checked out/in on the library system for In House Usage Count only and cannot be physically taken out of the library.  Items must be returned within two hours.

Reserve books are checked out according to instructor's specifications.  Fines are one dollar ($1.00) an hour for the return of late reserve materials.

Special Collection

Special Collection (Spec. C.) books are housed on the first floor.  All Special Collection books are to be used in house and cannot be checked out.