Circulation Policies

Privileges | Identification | Borrowing Policies | Returning Books | Renewals | Placing Holds/ Recalls | Recall Fines | Overdues | Fines / Lost Books | Damaged Books |Stacks | Missing Books | Placing Items on Reserve |Study Carrels | Contact Us |

Checkout Privileges
Checking out library materials is permitted for currently enrolled students, currently employed faculty and staff, and other individuals who have been approved with affiliate status for circulation privileges by the Circulation Department. Report lost or stolen ID's immediately to the ID Center and to the Circulation desk.

Valid Identification
All patrons must present a valid ASU photo identification card and/or an ArkLink Card or valid Courtesy Borrower's Card. The patron is responsible for all material borrowed against his/her ID. Affiliate status may be requested by completing a Courtesy Borrower's Card application.

Circulation privileges are not transferable from one person to another.
You are responsible for all library items checked out on your ASU library record.

Borrowing Policies

Undergraduate Students

• 30 day loan period for most books.
• 3 day grace period beyond the due date before fines are assessed.
• Undergraduate students may borrow a maximum of 20 items at any given time.
• Overdue charges for most books are 25 cents per day per book with no maximum.

Graduate Students

• 45 day loan period
• Graduate students may borrow a maximum of 40 items at a time.
• 3 day grace period beyond the due date before fines are assessed.
• Overdue charges for most books are 25 cents per day per book with no maximum.

ASU Staff Grade 16 and Below

• Policies are identical to those for current ASU undergraduate students.

ASU Staff Grade 17 and Higher

• End of current semester due date for most books.
• 3 day grace period beyond the due date before fines are assessed.
• May borrow a maximum of 25 items at any given time.
• Overdue charges for most books are 25 cents per day per book with no maximum.

ASU Faculty

• A faculty member may send a GA to the Library to borrow materials, but they must have the faculty member's ASU ID card with them each time they borrow materials on behalf of the faculty member.
• End of current semester due date for most books.
• May have a maximum of 50 items checked out at any given time.
• Periodicals are loaned to ASU faculty on an overnight basis only.

Emeritus ASU Faculty

• Must present a valid photo ID.
• Must complete a Courtesy Borrowers Application Form at Circulation before borrowing.
• May have a maximum of 10 items checked out at any given time.
• All other policies for Emeritus Faculty are identical to those for current ASU students.

Honors Program and Special Project Graduate Students

• Must be working on a special project that necessitates a longer loan period.
• May borrow a maximum of 25 items at any given time until the end of the current semester. This status is available only during the fall and spring semesters. The chair of their department must sign a form from Circulation stating that the student is working on a special project.
• 3 day grace period beyond the due date before fines are assessed.
• Overdue charges for most books are 25 cents per day per book with no maximum.

Library Associates

• 30 day loan period for most books.
• 3 day grace period beyond the due date before fines are assessed.
• LA may borrow a maximum of 5 items at any given time.
• Overdue charges for most books are 25 cents per day per book with no maximum.

Courtesy Borrowers

• Must have a valid photo ID.
• Must complete a Courtesy Borrowers Application Form and sign it at the Circulation Desk.
• If the application is approved, a Courtesy Borrower Card will be mailed to the applicant. The applicant may not borrow any materials until they receive their Courtesy Borrower Card.
• If the application is not approved, the applicant will be contacted and given the reason for the denial of borrowing privileges.
• Courtesy borrowers may check out 2 books for a maximum 30 day loan period.
• 3 day grace period beyond the due date before fines are assessed.
• The borrower must be 16 years of age or older.
• Overdue charges for most books are 25 cents per day per book with no maximum.
• ASU Alumni must complete a Courtesy Borrowers Application Form in order to receive borrowing privileges.

Returning Books
Books that were checked out at the Circulation Desk may be returned at several locations. There are two book drops located at the Circulation Desk, one book drop located adjacent to the south entrance of the library, a book drop located to the east of the north entrance of the library, and a book drop in the south parking lot next to the bus stop. The outdoor book drops are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Renewals
General Collection books may be renewed twice, unless another patron has requested the book(s). Books must be renewed before the due date. Patron self-renewal is available through the online catalog by logging in and choosing "My Library Account"

Recall Fines
All circulating books are subject to recall by another user. When a recall is issued, the original due date is cancelled and a new due date is established. Books that are overdue and that have been recalled are subject to immediate recall fines. Recall fines are $1.00 per day.

Failure to receive a recall notice (due to travel, sabbatical, illness, or problems with mail delivery, for example) does not excuse faculty/staff, students, or other borrowers from paying recall fines. Fines will accrue $1.00 per day until the books have been returned.

Overdues
No service charge is made during the three day grace period following the actual due date which is printed on a date due slip and placed in the back of each book. A fine is assessed on a book that is 4 or more days over due. As a courtesy reminder only, overdue notices are sent on the 10th and 20th day after the book is due. A failure to receive this reminder does not constitute a valid excuse for voiding overdue service charges.

Please notify the library of any change of address.

Fines/Lost Books
A fine is assessed for individual books that are 4 or more days overdue. On the fourth day the fine is $1.00, with each additional day another $.25 per day. There is no maximum charge. Fines will accrue at a rate of $.25 per day per book until the book is returned or declared lost by the online system. For books not returned, there will be a replacement cost plus a $20 nonrefundable processing fee for each item that is not returned. Having outstanding overdue fines or lost books on your library record may cause you to be blocked from checking out books, registering for classes, or getting transcripts. Your circulation records at the ASU Library are confidential.

In order to graduate or withdraw from the University, students must return all materials borrowed from the Library and must pay any accumulated Library fines.

Damaged Books
The borrower is responsible for all books checked out on his/her record and should point out any noticeable damage to books before checking them out. Borrowers who return library books that are damaged will be assessed a service charge based on the cost of repairing the item. If the book cannot be repaired, the "Lost Item" replacement charge will apply. Charges will vary and payment is the responsibility of the patron that borrowed the item on his/her ID Card.

Stacks
The majority of books in the Dean B. Ellis library are shelved in call number order using the Library of Congress Classification system. General Collection books are housed on the 3rd - 5th floor beginning with the oversize A-Z and then starting with the General Collection A-HJ. The 4th floor houses HM-PR, and the 5th floor houses PS-Z. The "Closed Shelves" books are located behind the Circulation Desk.

Missing Books
If the online catalog shows that a book has not been checked out but the book cannot be located, you may request that the Stacks/Circulation Department conduct a search for the item. After the book has been located, the user will be notified. Books will be held at the Circulation Desk for 24 hours. If the user has not contacted the Circulation Desk within the time allowed, then the book will be re-shelved.

Placing Items on Reserve
A faculty member may place an item on reserve at the Circulation Desk by filling out a reserve form to accompany each item to be placed on reserve. Only one completed form is required for each class. The form must contain the faculty member's name, the departmental office number to return the items at the end of the semester, the course number, how long the material is to stay on reserve, whether or not the material can leave the library, and how the item(s) should circulate. Additionally, any special instructions can be indicated on the reserve form. Reserves may be picked up at the end of the semester, or a library employee will return them to the appropriate departmental office. There is a twenty-four hour turn around time for placing materials on reserve. Faculty should bring reserve materials over before the semester begins. Reserve materials are put on reserve in the order in which they are received. Videos, music, and CD's are placed on reserve in Media Services. Every attempt will be made to protect faculty's personal materials, but the library is not responsible for and cannot replace materials that are lost, stolen, or damaged! When no circulation checkout period is specified on the reserve form, the checkout default period will be one hour with in-library use only.
Faculty should be familiar with the appropriate copyright laws when placing photocopied materials on reserve. For more information, visit our Reserves page.

Study Carrels

• Available to graduate students and faculty only on a first come first serve basis.
• There is no charge for study carrels, however there is a $25.00 non-refundable charge to replace a lost key.
• To inquire about a study carrel, contact John Sifford (jsifford@astate.edu) at 972-2751.

Contact us:
Call the Circulation Desk at (870) 972-2460 or
Contact us by email: Click here for the Circulation staff directory.