Borrowing Policies
When items are checked out, the date due is stamped on the slip in the front of the item.
You are responsible for:
- All material checked out on your card. Do not loan it to others. A unique number embedded in the mag stripe on your card links materials to your record.
- Knowing due dates. Dates may change based on renewal and recall requests. Select the "MY ACCOUNT" feature in ACORN and "Review Checkouts" to view a list of your checkouts and their due dates.
- Returning or renewing materials on time.
- Notifying the University of any change of address or e-mail address.
- Reading your e-mail messages and library notices.
- Paying any charges that accrue as a result of unreturned material. Overdue books or unpaid late fees may automatically block your borrowing privileges. Unpaid fees owed by students are transferred to Student Accounts after 30 days. All unpaid fees can be paid by cash, check or credit card (Visa or Mastercard only).
Circulation and Return Policies
Circulation Types and Non-Circulating Items
Materials circulate based on the location (location indicates category of the item borrowed) of the item and the category of the borrower. View or print the complete list of length of checkout, renewal limits, and fines here.
- Location 1
..... Central and Central Annex books; circulating Government Documents (GOVPUB materials)- Location 2
..... Leisure Reading Materials; Travel Collection Books- Location 3
..... Media Services cassettes, slides, CD-ROMs, and relatedmaterials; MRDF codebooks- Location 4
..... Central Arts and Oversize materials- Location 5
..... Bound periodicals- Location 6
..... DVDs (but not Leisure Viewing DVDs) and videotapes- Location 7
..... Leisure Viewing DVDs- Location 8
..... Non-circulating items- Location 9
..... Reserve items- Location 10
..... LaptopsLocation 1. Central Central Annex Circulating Government Documents (GOVPUB)
Category
Loan Period
Renewals
Fines
Faculty, Library Staff 365 days 3 renewals online unless recalled. Unlimited renewals at Circulation Desk No overdue fines charged. If item is not returned within 55 days of the due date, patron will be billed for the item. The bill includes the cost of the item, a $35.00 cataloging fee, and a non-refundable $25.00 billing fee.
Graduate Students 90 days 4 renewals online unless recalled. Unlimited renewals at Circulation Desk. No overdue fines charged. If item is not returned within 55 days of the due date, patron will be billed for the item. The bill includes the cost of the item, a $35.00 cataloging fee, and a non-refundable $25.00 billing fee. Undergraduates, Alumni, Other Staff, Library Use Card Holders 28 days 4 renewals online unless recalled. Unlimited renewals at Circulation Desk. No overdue fines charged. If item is not returned within 55 days of the due date, patron will be billed for the item. The bill includes the cost of the item, a $35.00 cataloging fee, and a non-refundable $25.00 billing fee. These materials may be renewed as many times as needed unless recalled by another borrower. Materials not renewed or returned are overdue.
Location 2. Leisure Reading Materials Travel Collection Books
Category
Loan Period
Renewals
Fines
All 14 days 2, but none if recalled 30 cents per day, 7 day grace period (after 7 days, grace period no longer applies)
Location 3. Media Center Cassettes/Media Center Slides/Media Center CDROMs (selected
titles)/Media Center CDs/Videodiscs/Laserdiscs/DVD-ROMs/VCDs/Kits/MRDF Codebooks
Category
Loan Period
Renewals
Fines
All 14 days 2, but none if recalled No fines
Location 4. Central Arts and Central Oversize
Category
Loan Period
Renewals
Fines
Faculty, Library Staff
90 days
3 renewals online unless recalled. Unlimited renewals at Circulation Desk.
No overdue fines charged. If item is not returned within 55 days of the due date, patron will be billed for the item. The bill includes the cost of the item, a $35.00 cataloging fee, and a non-refundable $25.00 billing fee.
Undergraduate, Graduate, Staff, Alumni 3 days 2 renewals online but none if recalled $1.00 per day; 3 day grace period.
Category
Loan Period
Renewals
Fines
Faculty, Library Staff 1 day 3, but none if recalled $1.00 per day, no grace period
Location 6. DVDs (but not Leisure Viewing DVDs) Videotapes
Category
Loan Period
Renewals
Fines
Faculty, Library Staff 7 days 2 but none if recalled $1.00 per day, 7 day grace period Learning Resource Center 7 days 2 but none if recalled No fines charged Graduate Students 7 days 2 but none if recalled $1.00 per day, 7 day grace period Undergraduates, Staff 3 days 2 but none if recalled $1.00 per day, 3 day grace period
Location 7. Leisure Viewing DVDs (DVD-LEIS)
Category
Loan Period
Renewals
Fines
Faculty, Graduate Students, Library Staff 7 days 2 but none if recalled $1.00 per day, 7 day grace period Undergraduate Students, Alumni, Staff, and Library Use Card Holders 3 days 2 but none if recalled $1.00 per day, 3 day grace period
Location 8. Non-Circulating Items
Certain materials are considered crucial to academic research. For that reason they must always be available in the libraries. These items include:
- current periodicals on the 6th floor
- certain government information material with the item type GOVPUB-N, such as certain legislative documents, census documents and reference items in Government Information and Media Services (see here for further details)
- materials in the Reference collection on the 4th floor
- Bibliography collection on the 6th floor
- Microfilm, microfiche and microcard in the Media Center
- Folio materials housed on the 3rd floor and in the arts collection on the 8th floor.
- Materials shelved in the regular stacks but with “non-circulating” labels on them.
Exceptions: Under extraordinary circumstances, special permission may be granted to check out non-circulating materials. If special permission is granted, the fine for those items not returned by the due date is $1.00 per hour, with no grace period.
Non-book materials, such as compact discs that accompany books that circulate, also circulate for the same length of time as the books they accompany. These are kept at the Circulation Desk.
Course Reserves are supplementary course materials that an instructor makes available to his/her students either physically in the library (print reserves or video reserves) or online (electronic reserves). Examples are: books, journal articles, homework assignments, case studies, sample exams, etc. You will need to ask your instructor which platform he/she is using for your class reserves.
Materials on print reserve in Central Library have a designated location on Acorn which specifies the loan period. The loan periods on these items range from restricted (no loan, does not leave reserve) to two (2) weeks and apply to all categories of borrowers. Loan periods are determined by the faculty member placing the material on reserve. Materials are on reserve by semester only. Fines for reserve overdue items accrue at the rate of $.60 per hour with a 1-hour grace period for those materials which circulate hourly or overnight. Those items with daily/weekly loan periods accrue fines at the rate of $1.00 per day.
Other reserve materials are available electronically. Use OAK to find electronic reserves. Login in to Blackboard with your VUNET ID and Password and the courses you are enrolled in will be displayed. The items on electronic reserves will be displayed in the E-Reserves section which is located in the course content area.
Certain DVDs and videos are often placed on reserve by faculty for course use. If you wish to use or borrow a video item which has been placed on reserve, please ask Brian Boling or other staff at the Government Information and Media Services Desk (4th floor) for assistance.
Category
Loan Period
Renewals
Fines
Undergraduate, Graduate, Faculty, Staff, Library Staff 8 hours (Can be checked out overnight after 6:00 p.m.) $7.50 per hour, 30 minute grace period
Returns
It is expected that books and other library materials will be returned in good condition, unmarked and without evidence of damage. Borrowers will be held responsible for materials returned damaged. If the book you wish to charge out is already damaged, bring it to the attention of the circulation desk staff who will make note of the damage so that you will not be held responsible.
All items checked out must be returned to the Circulation Desk or deposited in one of the Book Returns located inside and outside of the libraries on Campus. In addition, there is a Book Return in Carmichael Towers. Book Returns are emptied several times daily, except the Carmichael return, which is emptied once a day. Materials checked out that have hourly loan periods such as reserve materials should NOT be returned in a Book Return.
Other Circulation Information
If you cannot find material in the expected location, ask for help at the Circulation Desk. At your request, Circulation staff will recall books that are checked out and will search for books not on the correct shelf but not checked out.You will be notified as each item becomes available.
Items with an Annex location may be requested in any of the following ways:1. At the Circulation Desk
2. Clicking on the Annex Request button once you find your needed citation on Acorn
3. Choosing the Annex Request form from the All Request Forms button on the Heard Library Home Page
Materials requested will be available for pickup within 24 hours on weekdays. You will only be notified if there is a problem in filling your request. Two deliveries are received from the Annex each weekday. Material will be held for pickup at the Circulation Desk for seven (7) days.Materials that have been requested but are not yet on the shelves are listed in the ACORN catalog with a location of "in process," "ask staff," "Baker Hold," or "verification." All of these locations have "rush this item" buttons beside the location in Acorn. Once completing the on-line request form, these items normally are available within 4-6 days at the Circulation Desk. You can also request these items at the Circulation Desk directly. You will be notified when the item becomes available for your use or if there is a problem filling your request.Items that have been ordered for the library but are not yet received are listed in the catalog with the location "on order" or location "none" depending on the state of the order. There can be no guarantee how soon such materials will be received, but requests for this material can be made on-line by clicking on the "rush this item" button beside the location in Acorn or requesting the item directly at the Circulation Desk. Once the material is available at the Circulation Desk, you will be notified.
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419 21st Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37240
Information 615-322-2800 | Reference 615-322-2407 | Fax 615-343-7451
Last updated August 2009
