Circulation

Circulation Policy

This policy applies to the circulation of library materials for all NSU community members (students, faculty, and staff) and public patrons.

Checkout Procedures

NSU Community Members:

• When patrons are ready to check out circulating print and audiovisual items, they should bring the items along with their NSU ID cards to the circulation desk.

Public Patrons:

• Public patrons unaffiliated with NSU are required to complete a Patron Lending Card application prior to checking out circulating print and audiovisual items. Public patrons must present their card at the circulation desk when checking out items.

Lending Periods and Renewals

Undergraduate Lending Periods and Renewals
Item Type	Lending Period	Renewals
Circulating Print	3 weeks	2
Audiovisual	7 days	2
Laptops	30 days	N/A
Portable Charging Stations	7 days	1
Physical ILL	Varies	3 max*

*ILL lending periods and renewals are determined by the lending institution.

Graduate Lending Periods and Renewals
Item Type	Lending Period	Renewals
Circulating Print	1 semester	1
Audiovisual	3 weeks	1
Laptops	30 days	N/A
Portable Charging Stations	7 days	1
Physical ILL	Varies	3 max*

*ILL lending periods and renewals are determined by the lending institution.

Faculty/Staff Lending Periods and Renewals
Item Type	Lending Period	Renewals
Circulating Print	1 semester	1
Audiovisual	3 weeks	1
Laptops	N/A	N/A
Portable Charging Stations	7 days	1
Physical ILL	Varies	3 max*

*ILL lending periods and renewals are determined by the lending institution.

Non-NSU Academic, Public Patron Lending Periods and Renewals
Item Type	Lending Period	Renewals
Circulating Print	3 weeks	2
Audiovisual	7 days	2
Laptops	N/A	N/A
Physical ILL	N/A	N/A

Item Limits

Patron Type	Total Items	Physical ILL Items (Cumulative with Total Items)	Digital ILL Items
Undergraduate	15	10	No Limit
Graduate	50	25	No Limit
Staff/Faculty	50	25	No Limit
Public	5 (3 DVD max)	N/A	N/A
Non-NSU Academic	10	N/A	N/A

Interlibrary Loan

• Patrons can request and receive materials from other libraries when they are unavailable through the NSU collection.
• NSU can also obtain almost any article patrons cannot find through our databases. 
• Note: NSU Libraries do not furnish textbooks and required course materials via Interlibrary Loan. 
• Lending periods for physical Interlibrary Loan items are set by the lending library.
• Patrons who lose or damage Interlibrary Loan materials are assessed a processing fee of $25.00 and a replacement cost set by the ending Library. 
• Once fees are assessed, the patron’s borrowing privileges are suspended until all items are returned and/or fees paid.

Condition of Returned Items

• Items must be returned in the same condition they were in at the time of check out. Patrons returning items with any kind of damage, such as water damage, underlining/writing in books, broken spines, inoperable DVDs or CDs, etc. will be charged a replacement fee.

Overdue Item and Fee Policy

Long Overdue Items

• NSU Libraries assess Processing Fees and replacement fees for Long Overdue items. Items are considered Long Overdue if they remain checked out for a set period past their due date. This period is assigned according to patron account type and item format. Long Overdue periods are listed in the table below.

Processing Fees

• When items become Long Overdue, Processing Fees for each item are added to patrons’ Banner account.
• Processing Fees for print items, audiovisual items, and reserve items are $10.00 per item.
• Processing Fees for ILL items, laptops, and portable charging stations are $25.00 per item.
• Patrons remain responsible for payment of Processing Fees after the return of Long Overdue items.

Long Overdue Periods and Processing Fees
Item Format	Patron Type	Long Overdue Period	Processing Fee Cost
Circulating Print Items	NSU Undergraduate, Non-NSU	1 Month	$10.00
	NSU Graduate, Staff, Faculty	1 Month
Audiovisual Items	NSU Undergraduate, Non-NSU	14 days
	NSU Graduate, Staff, Faculty	1 Month
1, 2, 3-Hour Reserve	All	3 days
1, 2, 3-Day Reserve	All	3 days
7-Day Reserve	All	7 days
14-Day Reserve	All	14 days
Permanent Reserve	All	3 days
Portable Charging Stations	All	2 days	$25.00

Overdue Laptops

Fee amounts for Long Overdue laptops accrue based on the length of time they remain overdue. When a laptop becomes Long Overdue, a $25 fee is assessed to the patron’s account. Each week the laptop remains Long Overdue, the patron will be charged an additional $10. 
Patrons facing circumstances that prevent them from returning laptops should contact NSU Libraries Access Services at nsuref2@nsuok.edu for accommodations.

Laptop Long Overdue Fees
Periodic Fee	Total Days Overdue	Periodic Fee Amount
First Fee	2 Days	$25.00
Second Fee	9 Days	$10.00
Third and Subsequent Fees	16 Days, then every additional 7 days	$10.00

Assumed Lost Items

Long Overdue items are considered Assumed Lost if they remain on loan for a set period after becoming Long Overdue. Assumed Lost periods are determined according to patron account type and item format. Replacement costs for Assumed Lost items will be added to patrons’ Banner accounts.

• Patrons remain liable for replacement costs after Assumed Lost items are returned.
• Replacement costs are referred to as “Billed Item” fees on automated bill reminder emails.
• Replacement costs are based on item purchase cost at the time they were cataloged.

Assumed Lost Periods
Item Format	Patron Type	Assumed Lost Period [Days Long Overdue]	Total Days Overdue
Circulating Print	NSU Faculty/Staff, NSU Graduate	15 Days	45 Days
	NSU Undergraduate, Non-NSU	1 Month	60 Days
Audiovisual	NSU Faculty/Staff, NSU Graduate	1 Month	60 Days
	NSU Undergraduate, Non-NSU	1 Month	60 Days

Outstanding Fees and Circulation Blocks

NSU Community

Undergraduate, Graduate, and Faculty/Staff patrons with outstanding fees on their library accounts will be blocked from borrowing NSU Libraries items and submitting Interlibrary Loan requests if any of the following criteria are met

• The patron’s outstanding library fee balance is $40 or more.
• The patron has Long Overdue items on loan.
• The patron has outstanding fees for Assumed Lost items.

Non-NSU Patrons

Non-NSU Patrons with any outstanding fees will remain blocked until the balance is paid in full.

Fee Payments

Undergraduate, Graduate, and Faculty/Staff patrons must make payments for library fees to the University Bursar. Payments may be made to the bursar through Banner or at the Bursar’s Office. Please note that payments made to the bursar may be applied to balances for other university fees instead of library fees.

Non-NSU patrons may pay library fees in cash at the circulation desk at John Vaughan Library on the Tahlequah campus.

Replacement Copies

NSU Libraries do not accept patron-purchased copies of items in lieu of payment for replacement and Processing Fees.

Removing Blocks

Once a patron’s library account no longer meets the criteria under Outstanding Fees and Circulation Blocks, NSU Libraries staff will remove circulation and ILL blocks.

Other Questions

• Questions about the Circulation policy or other circulation issues may be addressed to:
  • Head of Access Services (918-444-3246)
• Questions about Interlibrary Loan policy or other Interlibrary Loan issues may be addressed to: 
  • Resource Sharing Coordinator (918-449-6450)

Non-NSU Patron Lending and Usage Policies

NSU Libraries shall grant borrowing privileges to Public patrons and Non-NSU Academic patrons. Public patrons are defined as library patrons who are not employed by Northeastern State University, who are not enrolled in NSU courses, and who are not visiting faculty or researchers from an institution other than NSU. Non-NSU Academic patrons are defined as visiting instructors, academic/library faculty, or researchers from an institution other than NSU. 
Public/Non-NSU Academic patrons may borrow from the NSU Libraries circulating collections upon the completion of an application. 

Non-NSU Patron Circulation Policies

Public and Non-NSU Academic patrons shall abide by the following:

Public Patron Circulation Policy
Public patrons may borrow items from the circulating collections with the following limits:

• Public patrons may borrow up to 5 items at a time. 
  • Public patrons may borrow a total of 3 Audiovisual items at a time. 
• Lending Periods for Public patrons are as follows:
  • Books: 3 weeks
  • Audiovisual material: 7 days

Non-NSU Academic Circulation Policy
Non-NSU Academic Patrons may borrow items from the circulating collections with the following limits: 

• Non-NSU Academic Patrons may borrow up to 10 items at a time. 
• Lending Periods for Non-NSU Academic patrons are as follows: 
  • Books: 3 weeks
  • Audiovisual material: 7 days

Item Renewals 

• Non-NSU patrons may request up to 2 renewals for overdue items. Items shall be renewed for the same amount of time as the original lending period.
• Non-NSU may request renewals up to 2 business days past an item’s due date. Renewal requests past this period shall be denied.

Overdue and Damaged Items

• Non-NSU Patrons shall be charged a $10.00 processing fee for each long overdue item.
• Public and Non-NSU Academic Patrons shall be responsible for the replacement costs of missing or damaged items. 
• Public/Non-NSU Academic patrons with outstanding fees and/or unreturned overdue items may not check out additional items until all overdue items are returned and all fees are paid in full.
  • Public/Non-NSU Academic patrons may pay processing fees and replacement fees in 2 installments of 50% of the billed amount.
  • Patrons may pay up to $50.00 in cash for processing fees and item replacement fees on their WMS account. 
  • Payments must be made at the main circulation desk of the patron’s home library.
• Non-NSU patrons with outstanding fees and/or unreturned overdue items may not check out additional items until all fees are paid and/or all overdue items are returned.

Non-NSU Patron Computer Usage

• Non-NSU patrons may use library computers designated for use by Non-NSU patrons. 
• Non-NSU patrons shall provide a valid phone number and email address to use library computers.
• In compliance with 70 O.S. § 11-201, patrons under the age of 18 and/or K-12 students are prohibited from library computer use. This prohibition excludes patrons under the age of 18 who are currently enrolled at NSU, a concurrent high school, or affiliated Higher Education Programs.
• Library staff shall log Non-NSU patrons into public computers under a guest username and password. 
• Non-NSU patrons may use public computers for up to 2 hours each day.
• All computer users must abide by the NSU Libraries' Computer Use Policies.

Non-NSU Patron Conduct Policy

• Public/Non-NSU Academic patrons must abide by all federal and state laws, local ordinances, and NSU regulations.
• Threatening or harassing behavior is prohibited.
• Intoxicated patrons will be escorted from the library by campus police.
• Disruptive patrons will be escorted from the library by campus police.

OK-Share Borrowing

OK-Share is a cooperative agreement between the major academic libraries within the state of Oklahoma that allows access and limited circulation privileges at participating institutions (listed below) for the students, faculty and staff of Northeastern State University.

Obtain an OK-Share Card (BEFORE you visit a participating library!)

Stop by a Northeastern State University Library and fill out an OK-Share application (link below). Or print out the application and drop off the completed application at an NSU Library Circulation Desk.

When all information has been updated, the library will issue an OK-Share card that can be used at any participating OK-Share library in Oklahoma. The card will be set to expire at the end of the current academic semester.

Show your OK-Share card to the Circulation Desk staff at the participating library (along with any other required identification) for limited circulation privileges.

NSU Borrowing

OK-Share card borrowers are allowed two books in their possession at one time. The suggested loan period is two weeks for faculty, students and staff. Circulation and renewal of materials is governed by the local policies of the lending library. Use of the electronic reference tools and databases may not be available to OK-Share card borrowers.

To borrow material from a cooperating academic library, faculty, students and staff should present their current OK-Share card from their home educational institution's library at the circulation desk of the lending library. Other photo identification, such as driver's license, may be required by lending libraries.