Circulation Policies
The Marx Library Circulation Department is located on the first floor as you enter the library. This department provides the following services.
Hours
Library hours vary but the Circulation department is open all the hours that the building is open. Users are requested to bring materials to the Circulation Desk for check-out at least 15 minutes before the library closes.
Borrowing
Borrowing privileges are available at no charge for USA students, faculty, and staff. Other individuals who qualify may be granted borrowing privileges as Courtesy Card patrons.
Loans and Returns
To borrow materials from the Marx Library you must have and present a valid borrower's card. For students and employees, this is your USA Picture ID (Jag Card or employee ID). Undergraduates may borrow 20 books and graduate students up to 40 books at a time.
Materials are checked out at the Circulation Desk for varying periods depending on material type and category of borrower. Periodicals are available for loan to faculty and graduate students only. The loan period is for 3 days, with no renewals. Bound volumes are should be checked-out at the Circulation Desk. Unbound periodicals will need to receive an override slip and should be checked out at the Reference Desk on the second floor north. Check out of unbound periodicals is limited to no more than two issues per title, with the maximum of three issues at a time, and must be returned to the Reference Desk. Marx Library materials from the general collection may be returned to the Circulation Desk or to one of the library's bookdrops. Instructional Media materials and Reserve items that are loaned by the hour should NOT be returned to the bookdrops. They should be returned to the Circulation Desk.
Bookdrops are located in the North Parking Lot and by the West entrance these may be used at any time. Items retrieved from bookdrops when the library opens are considered to have been returned as of the most recent date that the library was open.
Confidentiality
All patron circulation and registration records are confidential. (Code of Alabama, Section 41-8-10) See also section five of the USA Libraries Circulation Policy.
Intellectual Freedom Statement
The University of South Alabama Libraries underwrite the educational and research endeavors of the University of South Alabama. Teaching, learning, and research require free and unrestricted access to information which embraces a wide spectrum of viewpoints and theories.
Therefore, the staff and administration of the University of South Alabama Libraries support the principles of intellectual freedom. The Libraries endorse unrestricted First Amendment freedoms for all patrons. The Libraries impose no restrictions on patron access to constitutionally protected information. University students, faculty, and staff are guaranteed open access to information with full assurance of privacy of inquiry and without fear of censure or scrutiny by others.
In addition, the University of South Alabama Libraries uphold the principles of intellectual freedom and resist all efforts to censor library resources. We respect, within the limits of the law, each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality with regard to information sought or received and resources consulted, acquired, or transmitted.
The University of South Alabama Libraries endorses the policy statements on intellectual freedom, privacy of inquiry, and confidentiality of library records as promulgated by the American Library Association and set forth in the following documents:
The ALA Library Bill of Rights
The ACRL’s Intellectual Freedom Principles for Academic Libraries
The ALA Freedom to Read Statement
The ALA Freedom to View Statement
The ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom
Reserve Materials
Reserve items may be either Library Reserve or Course Reserve. Library Reserve items include such materials as the Alabama/Gulf Coast Collections (circulating and non-circulating.) Course Reserves are those items (books, journal articles, tests, etc.) placed at the Circulation Desk by an instructor. Many Course Reserve items can be accessed online through SOUTHcat. Please consult the Course Reserves page for additional information about accessing course reserves and placing items on reserve.
When requesting a Reserve item, to help Circulation staff serve you better and faster, first find the item's call number in SOUTHcat.
Please note that Reserve differs from Reference. Most Reference materials are on self-service (open) shelves in the Reference Department. Reference materials do not circulate.
Holds/Recalls
If you need an item that SOUTHcat indicates is currently checked out, you may request that a Hold or Recall be placed on it. The current borrower will not be allowed to renew the book and you will be notified when it is available (if others have already requested the item, your name is added to the list.)
Holds and Recalls may be placed by telephone, but the requestor must give precise information about the requested item(s). Holds and Recalls may also be placed online through the SOUTHcat Catalog by choosing Hold/Recall. Be sure to specify at which library location you wish to pick up the item(s).
The Library may recall an item at any time regardless of its "normal" loan period or when it originally may have been due. Recalls may also be placed (on materials that are already checked out) online through the SOUTHcat Catalog by choosing Hold/Recall.
Renewals
Books and media may be renewed unless Holds or Recalls have been placed on them. The number of times an item may be renewed depends on the type of material and the borrower's patron group category. Fine rates are doubled for recalled books not returned when due. If there are no overdues, holds, or recalls, most patrons may renew items online through the SOUTHcat Catalog by choosing My Account, entering the borrower's card barcode and last name, checking the boxes next to the items to be renewed and then clicking Renew Items.
Notices
Library notices are a courtesy. Failure to receive an overdue notice does not constitute a basis for avoiding an overdue fine.
Fines
Fine rates range from 25¢ per day for books from the Main Circulating Collection (open stacks) to 5¢ per minute for some reserve items. Fine rates are doubled for recalled items.
Fine rates for media materials range from 25¢ per day to 50¢ per day depending on the material type.
Fine rates for periodicals is $1.00 per day per item.
Outstanding fines or payments due for lost materials can cause a Registrar's Hold to be placed on your University record. This will prevent transcripts from being issued. Disregard for library policies by Courtesy Card holders may result in their borrowing privileges being terminated.
Forms of Payment: Payments may be made by cash, check, money order, Visa or MasterCard. To obtain immediate clearance of a hold so that a transcript may be issued, payment should be made by cash, money order or credit card. A two-week delay is required when payment is made by personal check. A fee will be assessed for a returned check.
The University prohibits check cashing, and change cannot be given on checks made out for an amount greater than what is to be paid. Cash advances on credit cards are also prohibited by the University.
Photocopying and Printing
The Marx Library photocopiers and printers use TRACcards and do not accept cash. Black and white copies and prints are 10¢ per page. Color printing is available for 50¢ per page.
Three photocopy machines are available for public use – two on the ground floor and one in the Reference area on the second floor. Two black and white printers are available for printing from the Library’s public PCs – located across from the Circulation desk on the ground floor and in the computer lab on the third floor south. The color printer is located across from the Circulation desk.
TRACcards may be purchased at the Circulation/Reserve Desk. There is a non-refundable 50¢ charge to cover the cost of the card. These cards are renewable. Additional value can to added to the cards at the Circulation/Reserve Desk.
Persons with Disabilities
The University Library is committed to providing the best access it can to all members of the University community. Magnifying machines are available for the visually impaired. Help is available at the Circulation Desk and the Reference Desk for retrieving items from hard-to-reach locations. Ask if you need assistance.
Group Study Rooms and Laptop Connections
Group study rooms for two or more are available throughout the building on a first-come, first served basis. Wireless laptop service is available on all floors of the library and in all group study rooms.
Lost and Found
Items found and turned in at the Circulation Desk are kept there approximately until the end of each academic term. USA Picture IDs are ultimately forwarded to USA Student Services, Room 110 in the Student Center. When identification permits, we try to contact owners concerning recovered items.
Rush Processing
If you need an item that the catalog indicates is "In Process," you may request that processing be expedited. Ask the Circulation Staff for a Rush Request Form and have the exact information from the SOUTHcat screen available to transcribe onto the form. Please be aware, however, that items listed as "In Process" are not always available. Materials listed as "On Order" or "In Pre-Order Process" have not yet been received.
Searches for Missing Books
If you are unable to find materials that SOUTHcat indicates should be available, ask the Circulation Staff to search for them. Searches will be performed as soon as possible, and you will be notified when and if the material is found.
Repair
If you find a book that needs repair, please take it to the Circulation Desk. If it is a Reference book, journal, or magazine, take it to the Reference Desk.
Supplies
Some desk supplies are available for patron use. Tape, a hole punch, staplers, and scissors are kept on the lower section of the Circulation counter. All of these items should be used where they are and should not be moved to other areas of the floor or building. Reasonable numbers of paper clips and quick "touch up" quantities of correction fluid can also be provided.