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Lending Code

Caltech Borrowers | Other Borrowers

For the Caltech Community

The Lending Code defines the privileges and responsibilities of all who borrow materials from the Caltech Library System. The purpose of the code and the regulations outlined in it is to provide optimum use of the collection for students, faculty, staff, and other scholars. The Caltech library system maintains up-to-date borrowers’ records based upon documentation provided by borrowers and issues library cards/barcodes as evidence that borrowing privileges have been granted.

Responsibility
A patron who has been granted borrowing privileges is responsible for all materials borrowed against their record. It is the borrower’s responsibility to:

Library privileges may not be transferred to another individual. Proxy or faculty authorization cards are available for staff using the library on behalf of a faculty member (see below). Immediate family members of current Caltech faculty, graduate students, and staff may apply for their own borrower’s card if they are over the age of fourteen.

Faculty, students, and staff are expected to uphold those provisions of the Caltech Honor code regarding library regulations. Students involved in abuse of privileges will be reported to the professor whose course reserves may have been involved and/or to the respective Board of Control as per the Caltech Honor Code.

Obtaining Borrowing Privileges
Borrowing privileges may be obtained at any circulation desk in the Caltech Library System upon presentation of a valid Caltech/JPL picture ID and confirmation of a current address. Renewal of privileges may be denied if there are:

Lost Library ID
If a library ID is lost or stolen, the borrower must notify the library immediately. The borrower to whom borrowing privilege has been granted will be held responsible for any material checked out with their library ID before its loss is reported.

Borrowing Materials
A valid Caltech/JPL identification card with a UID number or library barcode is required to check out materials. For faculty, postdocs and graduate students, the loan period for most material is through the end of the current term. The loan period for undergraduates, Caltech and JPL staff is four weeks. Exceptions are:

Loan policies may vary among the libraries for unique types of materials. Most loan policies are the same at all CLS locations.

Recalls and Holds
Material requested by another borrower or needed by the library may be recalled at any time. The due date for the recalled item will be reset to a shorter loan period. The original borrower is assured of having the book for seven days from checkout unless the book is needed for Course Reserve, in which case it must be returned immediately. Notice will be sent informing the borrower of the new due date. For this reason, borrowers need to keep their address current with the library. When a recalled item is available, it will be placed on a hold shelf in the library. The requestor will be notified by mail to pick up the material within a week. If there are multiple requests for a single item, they will be honored in the order received.

Returning and Renewing Library Materials
Library material must be returned or renewed on or before the due date. Most materials may be renewed three times in person or by phone at the circulation desk (x6401) as long as the loan conditions continue to be met. After three renewals, the books must be returned to the library for renewal. Materials may also be self-renewed via CLAS. Reserve materials may only be renewed in person and materials with holds cannot be renewed.

Late Returns
Failure to return material after two notices have been sent will result in the borrower being charged for replacement. For each item, the minimum replacement fee is $50.00 plus a $20.00 processing fee. The library will adjust the replacement fee upward if the $50.00 minimum does not cover the purchase price of the item. The charge will be cancelled or refunded if the book is returned or replaced before it is reordered or before three months have passed since the final notice.

Lost or Damaged Materials
Borrowers are responsible for replacing or paying for materials lost or damaged while out on loan and no longer usable. A borrower may replace a lost or damaged item with a duplicate copy acceptable to the library from which it is borrowed. Billing for replacement will be the same as described above.

Paying Bills
All borrowers will be billed for lost or damaged materials. Faculty and students may remit by returning an account number to be charged. Others will be sent a bill payable at the Institute cashier’s window. The receipt for such payments must be presented to circulation staff.

Document Delivery ( DocuServe )
The Caltech Library System provides a service to borrow books or deliver photocopies of materials from other libraries to support the research, teaching, and professional activities of Caltech’s faculty, postdocs, students, and staff. A charge is usually assessed for this service. The Caltech Library System does not provide interlibrary loan service for JPL staff. The JPL library provides this service for them.

Proxy or Faculty Authorization Cards
Proxy borrower cards are provided for those members of the faculty who find it convenient to have an assistant conduct business on their behalf. While library borrowing privileges are not transferable, Caltech faculty may request that a joint “proxy” borrower’s card be issued to permit a designated second party to charge out library materials for the faculty member’s use. A separate proxy borrower card must be requested for each individual authorized to borrow library materials in the faculty member’s name. The faculty member assumes full responsibility for all library loans made on each proxy borrower card. Lack of responses to recall and overdue notices for library materials charged against a proxy borrower card may result in the suspension of delegated proxy-borrowing privileges.

Faculty may obtain proxy borrower cards by filling out a “Request for Proxy Privileges” form available from the Millikan circulation desk. The faculty member’s and the proxy’s own borrowing records must be in good standing. Proxy borrower cards are valid for one academic year (October-September). It is the faculty member’s responsibility to notify the library if proxy-borrowing privileges should be terminated.

Family Member Cards
Immediate family members (above the age of 15) of Caltech faculty, postdocs, graduate students, and staff may apply for a library card at the Millikan library circulation desk. The Caltech person is responsible for insuring that the family member observes the Lending Code. The family member’s card will be linked to the Caltech person’s card so the Latter is notified of any charges or action that is required or being taken. Family member cards are not available to JPL staff.

Confidentiality
It is the policy of the Caltech Library System not to release or otherwise disclose any personal information or contents of any records, including borrowing information, which is prepared or maintained by the Caltech Library System to any person other that the individual who is the subject of the record without the consent of that individual. This policy does not apply to request for disclosure pursuant to a lawful subpoena, court order, or search warrant.

The Caltech Library System will act as an intermediary when necessary to request permission from a borrower to let a second party have temporary access to a borrowed book.

The Caltech Library System maintains no historical information about past use of library materials by any individual.

For Other Borrowers

The Lending Code defines the privileges and responsibilities of all who borrow materials from the Caltech Libraries. The purpose of the code and the regulations outlined in it is to provide optimum use of the collection for students, faculty, staff, and other scholars. The library maintains up-to-date borrowers’ records based upon documentation provided by the borrowers, and issues library cards to them as evidence that borrowing privileges have been granted.

Responsibility
A person issued a library card is responsible for all materials borrowed on it. It is the borrower’s responsibility to:

Library card privileges may not be transferred to another individual.

Borrowers who abuse provisions of the Lending Code may have their library privileges revoked.

Obtaining a Library Card
Renewal of privileges may be denied if there are:

Lost Library Card
If a library card is lost or stolen, the Borrower must notify the Library immediately. The Borrower to whom the card is issued will be held responsible for any material checked out with that card before its loss is reported.

Borrowing Materials
A valid borrower’s card with library barcode is required to check out materials. The loan period for most materials is four weeks. Exceptions are:

Loan policies may vary among the libraries for selected types of materials; most loan policies are the same in the Caltech Library System.

Recalls and Holds

Returning and Renewing Library Materials
Library material must be returned or renewed on or before the due date. Most materials may be renewed by telephone, in person at any circulation desk or by self-renewal through the CLS website. Reserve materials may only be renewed in person and materials with holds cannot be renewed.

Late Returns
Failure to return material after several notices have been sent will result in the Borrower being billed for replacement, and borrowing privileges will be suspended. For each item billed, the minimum replacement fee is $50.00 plus a $20.00 processing fee. The library will adjust the replacement fee upward if $50.00 does not cover the cost of replacement and processing. Return of the material will cancel the replacement bill and borrowing privileges will be reinstated.

Lost or Damaged Materials
Billing for replacement will be the same as for late returns.

Confidentiality
The Caltech Library System maintains no historical information about past use of library materials by any individual.