Learning Commons and Library Services & Policies: Policies & Procedures - Borrowing Materials/ILL

Our most current policies and procedures related to borrowing materials are listed below. 

The Learning Commons and Health Sciences Library reserve the right to modify policies when necessary.

Borrowing Materials

The Learning Commons and Health Sciences Library serve Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences and Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health. These patrons as well as affiliated patrons may borrow items from our collection.

College students, faculty, and staff who want to borrow technology equipment from the library should refer to the policy’s section on technology.

A valid College or LGH photo ID is required to check out items. If you do not have one, another valid photo ID is acceptable provided we can verify your affiliation.

If you are not already registered in our library system, you will be required to complete a brief registration form.

College and LGH patrons

• A college or LGH ID or valid photo ID must be presented when checking out items.
• Loan periods and item limits for items
  • Students: Students may check items out for two weeks at a time and may renew items twice. Students may have no more than six items checked out at one time.
  • PA College and LGH Faculty/staff: Faculty and staff may check items out for one month at a time, and may have no more than 10 items checked out at one time.
  • Items may not be renewed if they have been placed on hold by another patron.
• College and LGH patrons may obtain materials through interlibrary loan; patrons with interlibrary loan items must abide by our interlibrary loan policy.

Affiliated patrons

• Affiliated patrons are patrons from schools in a partner Associated College Libraries of Central Pennsylvania (ACLCP) institution, retired LGH physicians, and alumni.
• A valid photo ID that allows us to verify your affiliation with an ACLCP institution must be presented when checking out items.
• Affiliated patrons may have no more than two items checked out at one time and may borrow these items for a period of two weeks.

Technology

PA College students, faculty, and staff may borrow technology that is available for circulation. The following rules apply:

• Check out period: 24 hours (if checking an item out on a Friday, it must be returned Monday morning)
• Damaged or lost items – Patron will be charged to replace the item plus a $100 processing fee.
• Item must be physically returned to a Learning Commons staff member (do not place item at the kiosk, in the book return box, in interoffice mail, or give to any other staff member or patron) and the equipment will be inspected for damaged when returned. ALL equipment must be returned (device, charger, and any accompanies accessories) and will be inspected upon return.
• Patrons must sign a form documenting their acknowledgement of these rules when they check out an item.
• Users are not able to install apps. App requests can be submitted to Ryan McFadden, Digital Literacy Coordinator, at rcmafadden@pacollege.edu. 
• Borrowers agree to follow the PA College Acceptable and Responsible Use policy while using the devices.

Non-circulating items

Reference books (marked with a REF prefix on the call number), reserve items, and print journals may not be removed from the Learning Commons or Health Sciences Library without special permission.

Lost/Damaged Items and Suspension of Borrowing Privileges

Items other than technology

If a patron fails to return an item within two weeks of an item’s due date, the patron will lose borrowing privileges. 

If a patron fails to return an item within four weeks of an item’s due date, the item will be considered lost and the patron will be billed for a replacement copy plus a $25 processing fee. Current students will also have a hold placed on their College accounts which will prohibit them from registering for future courses and will prohibit release of transcripts and graduation verification. The hold will be removed once the fees are paid. If the patron finds and returns the item after this process has been initiated, the patron will still be responsible for paying the processing fee. All invoices for payment will emailed to the student's College email address or to the LGH patron's LGH email address. Print copies will also be mailed to addresses on file. Payment is due by cash or check within 30 days of receipt of invoice.

All items must be returned and all fees must be paid by the time the patron leaves the College or LGH or is no longer affiliated with either institution.

For damaged items, the patron will be charged for a replacement copy plus a $25 processing fee.

Technology

If a patron fails to return an item by the due date, the item will be considered lost and the patron will be billed for replacement of the technology plus a $100 processing fee. Current students will also have a hold placed on their College accounts which will prohibit them from registering for future courses and will prohibit release of transcripts and graduation verification. The hold will be removed once the fees are paid. If the patron finds and returns the item after this process has been initiated, the patron will still be responsible for paying the processing fee. All invoices for payment will emailed to the student's College email address or to the LGH patron's LGH email address. Print copies will also be mailed to addresses on file. Payment is due by cash or check within 30 days of receipt of invoice.

All items must be returned and all fees must be paid by the time the patron leaves the College or LGH or is no longer affiliated with either institution.

For damaged items, the patron will be charged for a replacement plus a $100 processing fee.

Interlibrary Loan – College and LGH Patrons

Current students, faculty, and staff of Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences and Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health may request items we do not have access to from other libraries; this is a process called interlibrary loan (ILL).

Before requesting an item through ILL, please check the library databases or catalog to see if we own the item. Also, please only request items you believe are necessary for your research or patient care.

Please note that requesting an item through ILL does not guarantee we will be able to get the item for you, but we will make every attempt to do so within the following guidelines.

• We will request books and articles for patrons, but we will not request dissertations and theses.
• Undergraduate items will only receive items we can obtain for free.
• For graduate students, faculty, and staff, we will pay for items up to $15.
• If a request is related to direct patient care, we will pay more than $15.
• We will not pay for dissertations and theses because they are cost prohibitive. We will attempt to obtain them for free, though.

Timeline

Please allow seven business days to receive your items. Books and rare items may take longer than seven days.

We will only rush direct patient care requests. Every attempt will be made to obtain these items within 24 hours.

If you request a print book or other print item, you will have two weeks from the date it is received at the Learning Commons to pick up your item (unless the due date is less than 2 weeks). You will be notified upon our receipt of your item. If you do not retrieve the item within two weeks, we will send the item back to the lending library.

Copyright

Articles and books obtained through ILL are for your own personal scholarly use. You are responsible for abiding by copyright and for the any penalties if you violate copyright once you have the item. If you have questions about copyright, please contact the library.

Processing requests

Please use the library forms to submit requests. If you cannot use a form, please email your request to library@pacollege.edu.

Please only submit one item request per form or email.

We will not accept or send requests via fax.

Renewals

When you request a book or other print item, the lending library determines the due date. Items are due back to PA College by the due date so we can return them. If you want the item longer, we can request a renewal but we cannot guarantee the library will grant the request.

Interlibrary Loan – Patrons of Other Libraries

Patrons of affiliated libraries who borrow materials from Pennsylvania College of Health Sciences must abide by our circulation policies. Any bills for lost or damaged items will be submitted to your library. Please follow your library’s procedures for paying bills.

Staff will copy and email or mail materials to distance education patrons and those who work off campus and cannot make it to the Learning Commons or Library to get the materials themselves.

Through the Library’s membership  in the Associated College Libraries of Central Pennsylvania (ACLCP), PAC students and others may visit and borrow materials from other member libraries. You will need a valid photo ID when visiting the libraries. Please contact the Learning Commons or Health Sciences Library for more information, or visit the ACLCP website for more information.