LIBRARY POLICIES

Circulation Policies and Procedures

Library Code
All Clarendon College students are issued a QR Code which is used as their library card. It just takes a few minutes to add your library QR Code/number in the library’s computer. Students MUST have a card/code at time of check out. This includes materials on faculty reserve that are used in the library only. Residents and non-residents of the Clarendon College service area are encouraged to use the library by presenting a valid participating Harrington Library Consortium (HLC) member library card.

Checkout Procedures
All library users must present valid library code/card in order to checkout materials including the reserves material which cannot leave the library. There is no limit to the number of items that can be checked out for CC students. Non-students are limited to two items per visit. Items are checked out at the Circulation Desk or by a library staff’s desk.

Loan Periods
Books are checked out for two-weeks. Toward the end of the semester the checkout period will be shorter to allow books to be returned by the end of the semester. Reserve materials are checked out for two hours. Loan period for Inter-library Loan materials are set by the lending library, and it is generally three weeks. DVDs are checked out for three days, compact discs and Magazines are checked out for one week. Reference materials do not checkout; they are in-library use only.

Closing Policy
Fifteen minutes prior to closing staff will inform patrons that the library is about to close. Patrons must save their work, print documents, complete needed photocopying, and checked out all books or items at this time.

Return Policy
Place materials in the Book Return located at the circulation desk in the library.  All materials are due on or before the due date. 

Renewals
Renewals are available upon request if the items are not overdue, has no late fees or delinquent charges on the patron account, and there is no request for the title.  Books may be renewed in person or telephone by calling (806)874-4815 or (800)687-9737 ext. 118.  

Overdue Notices
Overdue notices are sent out by text or email depending on what is designated on the user's registration form.  This service is offered as a courtesy.  It is the responsibility of the student to return materials to the library.

Late Charges
Fines will be imposed for late, lost and damaged materials. Transcripts maybe withheld if a student does not return materials and/or pay fines by end of the semester. Books and Magazines .10 cents per day - Videos $1.00 per day – Compact Disc $1.00 per day - Reserve Items $1.00 per hour, Inter-library Loans $1.00 per day. Borrowers are responsible for all fines, fees, and all items checked out on their account.

Failure to Checkout Materials
A non-refundable fee of $10 per item will be charged if an attempt is made to remove materials from the library in an unauthorized manner.  Materials include magazines, reference material designated in-house use only, circulating books that have not been checked out at the time of the breach, audiovisual material and/or equipment, and any other library material not listed.  

Lost/Damaged Materials

Student must pay the replacement cost of lost or damaged items, plus a non-refundable $3.00 processing fee per item, and any fines incurred during this time.  All lost and damaged items should be reported to the library immediately as fines are being charged up to the time the loss is reported and paid for.

Equipment
Equipment may be checked out by Clarendon College faculty or staff.  Students may use equipment in the library only or have faculty approve the checkout.  Equipment that is not returned on the day it is due is subject to a fine of $10 per day for the LCD projector, laptop, and $5.00 per day for all the other equipment.

Refund Policy

To receive a refund for the cost of the item reported lost, student must present paid receipt and the item must be returned to the library in good condition. 

Financial Obligation to the Library

Students incurring financial obligations to the library as a result of unpaid fines, fees, and items not returned or lost, or insufficient checks will have administrative action taken against them by the college, such as withholding of transcripts.

Privacy of Patron Information
The primary purpose of patron information is to maintain control of library materials.
     • All information on the "Library Application Form" is for library use only and is confidential.
     • Due date information for circulated library material will be made available upon request.
     • If overdue material is requested, library personnel will contact the current user and request the return of the library material. The requesting user may place a "hold" on the item and will be contacted when the material is available.
     • If requested, faculty is informed of the number of times and who in their class reserved item.  A sign-in sheet needs to accompany the reserve item, otherwise only the number of times the item is checked out can be obtained.

  • Personal and circulation information will be released only for the purposes of retrieval of overdue library materials or fines.

Library Use and Conduct Policy

The Library seeks to provide users with a clean, safe, and quiet environment appropriate for study and research. The College Library Use and Conduct Policy are established for the benefit of all library users and are applicable to all. Violations should be reported to library staff, who will take appropriate action. This policy is enforceable by all members of the library staff. Violators will be reported and pursued to the full extent of federal and state laws. Disruptive behavior may result in expulsion from the library. To ensure that the environment is conducive to study and research, all users are asked to abide by this Library Use and Conduct Policy. Warning will be documented in the students Learning Resource Folder to be reviewed by coach or dean.

Noise and Cell Phones
Users must help to maintain a quiet environment and refrain from engaging in any behavior that interferes with the normal use and operation of the Library by others. Cell phones are to be turned off BEFORE entering the library. Cell phone conversations are not allowed in any area of the library.

Food and Drink
Food and drinks are not allow in the Library except in staff areas and at special Library scheduled events. Only bottled drinks may be allowed in the LRC lab; and only bottled drinks or coffee from the library are allowed in the Library.

Smoking and Tobacco
Smoking and tobacco use is not permitted in the Library or in the entrance of the Library.

General Rules of Conduct
      1. Individuals — either library users or employees — must not engage in verbal or physical abuse, intimidation, sexual harassment or harassment on account of race, religion, ethnic or national background, gender or sexual orientation.
      2. Users engaging in vandalizing, altering or damaging library buildings, furniture or equipment, including computer systems, networks, programs or data, are in violation and will be prosecuted to the full extent of that law.
     3. Users are responsible for their personal property.
     4. Users are required to leave the Library at closing and during emergency situations, drills or following a violation of this Library Use and Conduct Policy.
     5. Only animals trained to assist persons with disabilities are allowed into the Library.
     6. Firearms or other deadly weapons, explosives and/or explosive devices, or other dangerous devices are not permitted in the Library.
     7. Users must not interfere with an employee's performance of his/her duties.
     8. Users must not enter areas of the Library restricted to authorized staff.

Computer and Audiovisual Equipment Use
Clarendon College (CC) students, faculty, and staff have priority for accessing electronic resources and using library computer and audiovisual equipment. Affiliated users may be asked to limit their use of computers and/or equipment if others are waiting. Non affiliated users may be asked to relinquish their use of the computer and/or equipment to CC students, faculty, or staff at any time. Any user may be asked to show a valid CC or Harrington library card or identification. Users must avoid any activities that may be disruptive to other library users. The library is not responsible for damage to patron’s flash drives, loss of data, nor damage that may occur from use of the library’s computer. Users should notify library staff immediately if they encounter any problems with the computers or programs.

Internet Use
The Internet is an information resource that enables the library to provide information beyond what is in our own collection. It also has access to some material that may be offensive or illegal. The library does not monitor the information accessed through the Internet and cannot be held responsible for its content. The library user must be mindful and respectful of the rights of others (particularly children) not to be inadvertently exposed to explicit material and images they may find personally unsuitable. Staff members may request that a patron remove such images or text from a workstation screen and refrain from viewing it in the future. Users may not use the Internet for any illegal or criminal activity including slander, or the transmission or display of pornography.

Electronic Databases
The library subscribes to some electronic databases for student, faculty, and staff use. Clarendon College students have automatic access to the databases when on the library’s computers. Students who wish to access these databases from home can find the username and password in the Student Portal.

Equipment Use
Media equipment is available for classroom use and assignments. Students wishing to borrow equipment must get approval from their instructor who will be responsible for checking out the equipment. Reservations must be made at least 24-48 hours in advance.

Library Satisfaction Survey
The library is interested in user’s comments, observations and suggestions about the services, programs and resources provided to our students. The library administers a survey at least once a year; however, we encourage students to take this opportunity and throughout the semester to let us know if we are meeting your academic needs. Surveys can be found on the library’s webpage; students may be asked to fill one out in class as well.

Policy Violation
Any person who violates the library policies may be asked to leave the Library and may be refused future access to the building. Such persons may be subject to the sanctions of suspension, prosecution, forfeiture, warning and restitution, as well as criminal penalties and civil fines, and may be accountable to college and civil authorities (city, state, or federal). The authorities will be called if serious offenses or failure to leave the premises when instructed. The Clarendon College Library Use and Conduct Policy supplements the College’s Student Conduct Code and other College policies.

Academic Integrity
Plagiarism- What is it? Most students know that plagiarism is illegal, and it's a punishable offense, but many don't know quite what it is or how to avoid it. In short, plagiarism is taking credit for someone else's words or ideas - either intentionally or not. Examples might be taking an idea from an article and putting it in a research paper or presentation without crediting the original source, using someone's exact words without citing them, or even going so far as to buy a paper off the Internet and turning it in as your own work. Plagiarism is a violation of copyright law to use all or any part of a document, either verbatim or with trivial changes, except when applying the Fair Use guidelines. Plagiarism is "a form of academic misconduct in which an individual submits or presents the work of another person as his or her own". Plagiarism is the most serious academic offense you can commit. Plagiarism destroys the integrity of your research and is a misuse of academic freedom.
    1. If you use someone else's ideas, you should cite the source.
    2. If the way in which you are using the source is unclear, make it clear.
    3. If you received specific help from someone in writing the paper, acknowledge it.

What is copyright?
Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works. https://www.copyright.gov/help/ The Library supports the copyright law and recognizes “fair use” by educational institutions.

Collection Development Maintenance Policy

Purpose
The purpose of the Collection Development Policy is to guide the growth and maintenance of the Library Collection in accordance with the College and Library’s mission statement, and to ensure that the library builds and maintains a balanced, well used, relevant, and quality collection.

Clarendon College Mission Statement
Clarendon College is a comprehensive community college committed to teaching and learning, and to providing equal access to opportunities that assist in the holistic development of its constituents and community. In pursuit of that mission, the College provides academic transfer programs workforce education programs student services developmental education courses continuing education community service courses and diverse cultural enrichment opportunities.

Responsibility for Collection Development
All library users, regardless of status, are encouraged to make requests for library purchases by contacting the library director. If the item requested is consistent with the collection policy guidelines, and if money is available, the material will be acquired. The library director acts as the liaison to the academic departments for collection development. The director consults with faculty to obtain purchasing recommendations, and utilizes selection tools such as review publications, bibliographies, and publisher catalogs to select materials. Ultimate responsibility for collection development lies with the library director.

Budget
The Library receives funding from the college to purchase new print and non-print materials. These resources may be supplemented by grants and donations. There is no specific allocation for individual disciplines. This allows for greater flexibility in meeting departmental and program demands, as well as patron requests.

Selection Philosophy
The library collects a wide variety of materials in various formats. Selections are based on quality rather than quantity. Budget considerations preclude purchasing materials that do not support the curriculum and fulfill the mission of the college and the library.

Selection Guidelines
    1) Support of the college’s educational curriculum
    2) Correlations with the existing collection
    3) Appropriate level
    4) Accuracy and objectivity
    5) Reputation of author and/or publisher
    6) How current and permanent is the material?
    7) Price appropriateness
    8)Demand
    9)Condition

Standing Order Resources
The library has a number of standing order reference titles that are automatically received by the library upon their publication.

Approval Plans
The approval plan allows the library to acquire current, high interest, bestseller, print titles supplied by a vendor soon after publication. The plan allows the library to return titles that are no longer in high demand and allows the library to purchase titles at a minimal rate.

Government Publications
The Library is not a depository for federal or state government documents.Government publications are selected according to our regular collection development guidelines and are shelved in the library collection with other books, periodicals and vertical file material.

Telephone Books
Due to the availability of free telephone books on the Internet, the library does not collect and/or maintain these items.

Gift and Donation Policy
The library accepts donations of books and other materials, as well as monetary donations for the purchase of materials in accordance with the overall collection development policy.Gift and donation materials that do not meet the collection guidelines will be disposed of as the library sees fit, either through discard or donation. Library staff will provide a letter of acknowledgement of receipt to the donor, but will not appraise the value of the materials donated.

Reconsideration of Materials
The Library recognizes that some materials are controversial in nature and may offend some library users. Selection of material is made on the basis of the principles stated in the selection guidelines. Anyone may request reconsideration of material by completing the “Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials” form located at the circulation desk in the library, and submitting it to the Library Director to discuss with the Library Committee. Final authority and decision rests with the Library Director.

Collection Maintenance
Library Director periodically evaluates the collection to identify materials for withdrawal that no longer meet the collection criteria such as outdated, damaged, non-circulated, and/or materials that contain inaccurate information will be removed. Faculty members are consulted when materials in their discipline are being considered for withdrawal. Damaged and missing materials are not automatically replaced, but are subject to a reorder review process. If the item still meets the collection development policy criteria, the item will be replaced, if available.

DE-SELECTION (WEEDING)
The CREW method is used when considering removing items from the collection. The CREW method uses the acronym MUSTIE to indicate when an item should be removed:
     M – Misleading and/or factually inaccurate.
     U – Ugly, worn out beyond mending or rebinding.
     S – Superseded by a new edition or a better source.
     T – Trivial or of no discernible literary or scientific merit.
      I – Irrelevant to the needs and interests of your community of users.
     E – Elsewhere - the material may be easily borrowed from another source.

Additional weeding criteria
When weeding the following is considered: age, frequency of use, multiple copies, appropriate coverage in a changing world, and does the material include stereotypical or biased information and illustrations.

 The Library staff works on weeding any medical books that have a copyright date older than five years when inventory is done on the collection. Medical books that have historic value remain in the collection and are labeled Historical.

Inventory
To keep the collection balanced and to ensure a quality, relevant and used collection, an inventory of the library collection is done every other year. Inventory is a vital element of collection maintenance. The library remains open for normal circulation and a designated section(s) of the collection is targeted for inventory. When the entire collection is done all at once, it is usually done at the end of the spring semester.
     • Staff conducts a search for unreturned, overdue and/or missing items.
     • If an item is missing during the first inventory, a note is made on the printed report. If it is still missing during the second inventory, it is considered missing. Items reported missing during the second inventory is deleted from the system and the print report is placed in a file for consideration to reorder.
     • If an item is lost and paid for, it is marked L&P (Lost & Paid) in the system. Policies and Procedures 9 Revised 10-2017
     • If an item is withdrawn, it is marked (W). All items are up for consideration to reorder and/or update.
     • When the inventory is complete, all missing, lost and withdrawn items are recorded and removed from the online catalog database.

Policy Review
The Collection Development Policy is reviewed annually by library director, library staff, college faculty and the Library/Learning Resource Committee for revision when appropriate.

Intellectual Freedom

          Clarendon College Library upholds the principles of the “Library Bill of Rights” and "Freedom to View" statements. The library strives to select material that represents all sides of various issues. Because of this, certain groups and/or individuals may consider some materials in the collection controversial. It is our intent not to offend anyone or endorse a certain issue. Our goal is to provide materials that support the diverse viewpoints of the college’s academic offerings, and the diverse backgrounds and cultures of our students, faculty, staff and service area. If a library user has a complaint regarding the material in the collection, they may fill out a “Request for Reconsideration” form located at the circulation desk. The Library Director and the Library/Learning Resource committee will review the form and a decision will be made regarding the challenged material, and the complainant will receive a written copy of the decision.

First Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The Freedom to Read Statement
The freedom to read is essential to our democracy. It is continuously under attack. Private groups and public authorities in various parts of the country are working to remove or limit access to reading materials, to censor content in schools, to label “controversial” views, to distribute lists of “objectionable” books or authors, and to purge libraries. These actions apparently rise from a view that our national tradition of free expression is no longer valid; that censorship and suppression are needed to avoid the subversion of politics and the corruption of morals. We, as citizens devoted to reading and as librarians and publishers responsible for disseminating ideas, wish to assert the public interest in the preservation of the freedom to read.

Position Statement on the Confidentiality of Library Records
The members of the American Library Association, recognizing the right to privacy of library users, believe that records held in libraries which connect specific individuals with specific resources, programs or services, are confidential and not to be used for purposes other than routine record keeping: i.e., to maintain access to resources, to assure that resources are available Policies and Procedures 10 Revised 10-2017 to users who need them, to arrange facilities, to provide resources for the comfort and safety of patrons, or to accomplish the purposes of the program or service.

Code of Ethics of the American Library Association

As members of the American Library Association, we recognize the importance of codifying and making known to the profession and to the general public the ethical principles that guide the work of librarians, other professionals providing information services, library trustees and library staffs. Ethical dilemmas occur when values are in conflict. The American Library Association Code of Ethics states the values to which we are committed, and embodies the ethical responsibilities of the profession in this changing information environment. We significantly influence or control the selection, organization, preservation, and dissemination of information. In a political system grounded in an informed citizenry, we are members of a profession explicitly committed to intellectual freedom and the freedom of access to information. We have a special obligation to ensure the free flow of information and ideas to present and future generations. The principles of this Code are expressed in broad statements to guide ethical decision making. These statements provide a framework; they cannot and do not dictate conduct to cover particular situations.

1. We provide the highest level of service to all library users through appropriate and usefully organized resources; equitable service policies; equitable access; and accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests.

2. We uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources.

3. We protect each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted.

4. We recognize and respect intellectual property rights.

5. We treat co-workers and other colleagues with respect, fairness and good faith, and advocate conditions of employment that safeguard the rights and welfare of all employees of our institutions.

6. We do not advance private interests at the expense of library users, colleagues, or our employing institutions.

7. We distinguish between our personal convictions and professional duties and do not allow our personal beliefs to interfere with fair representation of the aims of our institutions or the provision of access to their information resources.

8. We strive for excellence in the profession by maintaining and enhancing our own knowledge and skills, by encouraging the professional development of co-workers, and by fostering the aspirations of potential members of the profession.
   
   

Library Bill of Rights

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that the following basic policies should guide their services.

1. Books and other library resources should be provided for the interest, information, and enlightenment of all people of the community the library serves. Materials should not be excluded because of the origin, background, or views of those contributing to their creation.

2. Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.

3. Libraries should challenge censorship in the fulfillment of their responsibility to provide information and enlightenment.

4. Libraries should cooperate with all persons and groups concerned with resisting abridgment of free expression and free access to ideas.

5. A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.

6. Libraries that make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

Adopted June 19, 1939, by the ALA Council; amended October 14, 1944; June 18, 1948; February 2, 1961; June 27, 1967; January 23, 1980; inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996.