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Privileges | Responsibilities | Number of Items | Renewals | Proxy Cards | Holds and Recalls | Fines | Lost Items | Blocking Privileges
The policies regarding circulation of library materials to faculty were approved by the Senate Library Committee, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and the provost.
A valid SMU ID card (or a SMU-issued library card with a barcode attached) must be presented by the person named on the card to borrow library materials.
Who is eligible?
Faculty members may borrow most items for the year with all materials due for return at the end of each spring semester. Books in Fondren Library's Browsing Collection (new and high-demand books) may be borrowed for 3 weeks only and cannot be renewed.
Items needed for reserve are subject to immediate recall. As a courtesy to other borrowers, we request that faculty return items before the due date whenever possible. Items checked out to faculty should remain in the possession of the borrower. Library materials should be returned or renewed before leaving campus for extended periods.
As a library user, you are responsible for:
Faculty may check out unlimited items from any campus library.
If materials are in a category which allows renewal, borrowers may renew items if there are no holds or recalls on the items.
At the end of the spring semester, annual renewals must be conducted in person by returning the items to the library from which they were originally checked out. Courtesy notices listing all year loans (including Proxies) will be sent.
A faculty member may authorize up to five assistants to transact library business in his/her name. A proxy card request form is available in the Fondren Library Center. The faculty member is responsible for all materials checked out with the proxy cards. Proxy borrowers cannot check out materials to due dates past the expiration of the proxy card.
A hold may be placed by a member of the SMU community on any item checked out for 3 weeks or longer. The hold will instruct library staff to set aside the item when it is returned and notify user that it is available. A notice is sent when the item is returned. The library will hold items for a borrower for 7 days only. Because the library respects the borrower's right of privacy, staff will not release the name of the borrower who has the item.
Holds/recalls may be self-initiated by accessing "My Account" in the SMU PONI system, or may be requested at the Circulation desk. (See the Hold/Recall help page or pick up instructions at the Circulation desk.)
If an item is checked out on annual loan and is needed by another SMU borrower, a recall may be placed. The faculty due date will be shortened and a notice will be printed to alert the faculty of the recall. In an effort to provide maximum availability of limited library resources to the greatest number of SMU users, a fine of $1.00 per day per item will be in effect after the recall due date.
All borrowers are responsible for knowing when each item is due and for returning or renewing items on or before the date due. Faculty members are not charged overdue fines on standard circulating items. Fines will accrue at the rate of $1 per day per item on Browsing books, ILL books and recalls. Fines may be paid at the Fondren Library Center--Circulation desk via check, cash, or Pony Express.
If an item is not returned or renewed within one month after the due date, the item will be considered lost and the borrower will be billed for the material(s). Charges include the $50.00 replacement cost of each item, and a $25.00 processing fee. If the overdue item is returned after a bill for the non-returned item is sent to the cashier's office, the replacement cost of the item will be refunded, but the processing fee will not.
A block in the computer results in suspension of library circulation privileges until the borrower clears his/her record. An automatic block occurs for any of the following reasons:
