Circulation and Borrowing Policies
The mission of the Circulation Department is to provide helpful, professional service in making library materials available to the Fort Lewis College community and other library users. The goals of the Department are to promote circulation services to users, to provide excellent customer service, to upgrade services through the use of technology, and to efficiently manage library materials.
General Functions
- Material check-out, renewal, and returns
- Patrons holds (for materials currently checked out) and missing holds (for unlocated materials).
- Interlibrary Loan and Prospector pickup
- Manage Course Reserves (more information below)
- Manage Video Requests
- Request searches for books or other material not found on the shelf and not checked out
- Payment center for overdue materials
- Library lost and found
- Copy machine services
- Library registration
- Directions and referral
Who Can Borrow?
Fort Lewis College students, faculty, and staff, Colorado and Four Corner Region residents (18 years and over), Durango High School students, and other students registered at Colorado institutions of higher learning may check out library materials. Durango High School students must must have the permission of their High School Librarian to check out books at Fort Lewis College and all non- FLC borrowers must provide their driver's license in order to register for checkout privileges. Parents may add their children, who are under 18, to their FLC library card in order that their children may checkout materials. All patrons must present a current Fort Lewis ID or Fort Lewis Library card in order to check out library materials.
Loan Periods and Renewals
FLC students, local patrons, and DHS students may check out books for a three-week period. Videos check out for one day only. Faculty and staff have a seven-day video check-out and may check out books for one semester at a time; however, all items checked out by faculty and staff are subject to recall. Current borrowers are given 21 days before a recall due date is applied, and then an email notice is sent to the original borrower with the new due date. When the item is returned, a notice is sent to the requesting patron notifying them that the item is on hold in the library for them. Borrowed material may be renewed in person, by telephone (247-7270), or through "My Catalog" . Please access our loan table, which identifies library items and their checkout periods.
Fines and Lost Materials: Reed Library
If FLC materials are not returned on time, a $5.00 fine is charged for all materials (except Reserves). The fine for Reserves is $1.00 per hour, per item, up to $25.00. Items not returned will be billed at $100.00 (or more) and unpaid accounts will be sent to Collections. The Library will accept the return of or replacement of items up until an account is sent to Collections. However, once the Library has sent an account to Collections, refunds will not be made for returned "lost/replacement" items. Past due accounts are sent to Collections at the end of every semester. If payment has been made to the Library for a lost item prior to being sent to Collections and a patron later finds the item, the Library will make refunds for up to six months.
Fines and Lost Materials: Prospector & Interlibrary Loan
Registered patrons in good standing may order materials through Prospector and Interlibrary Loan. Visit these web pages for information and policies regarding these services. Fines are charged for overdue materials borrowed through Prospector and Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Overdue Prospector books are $5.00; Prospector items not returned will be billed at $100.00 per item. Overdue Interlibrary Loan items are $7.00 and if not returned will be billed at $125.00 per item. Unpaid Prospector and ILL accounts are also sent to Collections.
Course Reserve Materials
Reserves are items designated by faculty as short-term checkouts. They include books, videos, CDs, and maps. Individual items are listed by Instructor and Course name in the FLC Catalog accessed from the Library Homepage. Circulation staff will retrieve the materials that are located behind the Circulation Desk. A valid FLC ID must be presented to check out reserves. Each item has a loan period established by the faculty member placing the item on reserve. Loan periods range from one hour to seven days. Photocopied materials are available electronically in the Library catalog.
Electronic Reserves
Photocopied materials are now available via the web. Please see the Reserves page for instructions. Access is limited to the students and faculty at FLC.
Center for Southwest Studies
Please access the Delaney Library at the Center for Southwest Studies for information on the policies and procedures.
Updated by ch on October 7, 2008