1. Introduction
2. Conditions of Borrowing
3. Borrower Categories
   3.1 ACU Borrowers
   3.2 NonACU Borrowers
4. Categories of Material
   4.1 Material for Loan
   4.2 Material Not for Loan
5. Borrowing table
6. Recalls
7. Restricted Loans
8. Requests
   8.1 Requests for Journal Articles, Chapters or Extracts
   8.2 Requests for non-ACU library items (Interlibrary Loans)
9. Timeframes for emailing overdue Notices
10. Fines
11. Appeals
12. Suspension of Borrowers
13. Services to Off-Campus Students
    13.1 Off-Campus Students in Australia
    13.2 Off-Campus Students Overseas

1. Introduction

These procedures form the basis for the lending services operation of Australian Catholic University Library. The ACU Library operates as ‘one library’ across multiple campus and satellite locations. Changes to procedures should be referred to the Chair of the Collection Services Committee. Significant changes will be referred to the Client Services Management Committee and then to the Director, Libraries for endorsement.

These guidelines are governed by the Library Services and Facilities Policy

2. Conditions of Borrowing

• Registration as a borrower constitutes acceptance of the terms of these conditions
• It is the responsibility of the borrower to return items borrowed in good condition and on time
• Loans are not transferable
• Loans may not be borrowed by third parties except in unusual circumstances, by prior arrangement and with appropriate identification of the third party
• Late return of items incurs penalties including fines
• Only one card may be used at any time. If you are primarily a staff member who is also a student then use your staff card. Students who are employed on a part-time or casual basis should use their student card
• Where students and staff have multiple student cards, only one card may be used for their library account
• Library debts are treated as a University debt. Sanctions pertaining to Non-payment of University debts are outlined in ACU Academic Regulations
• The Library sends notices to borrowers as a courtesy. Non-receipt of a notice by a borrower does not constitute grounds for an appeal

3. Borrower Categories

3.1 ACU Borrowers

3.2 NonACU Borrowers

Processing new registrations of NonACU borrowers may take up to one business day. Borrowing privileges will commence on completion of registration.

NonACU borrower membership does not include the following:

• access to password protected electronic databases with some exceptions for Alumni borrowers
• eligibility to borrow 2 hour and 3 day loans
• eligibility to borrow items from special collections determined by each Campus library
• eligibility to place Requests on any items (from ACU Campus libraries or nonACU libraries)

4. Categories of Material

4.1 Material for Loan

• Main Collection
• High Demand Collection
• Curriculum Collection
• Early Childhood Collection
• Equipment Collection
• Other Collections determined by each Campus Library locally

4.2 Material Not for Loan

• Print Journals and newspapers
• Reference collection
• Special collections as determined
• Individual items as determined

5. Borrowing table

*Off-campus students can borrow 2 hour and 3 day loans only in person. They will not be loaned out via postal service.

**Renewal limits set the maximum loan period. Borrowers can keep renewing until the maximum loan period is reached OR a request is placed.

Some categories of materials have special loan conditions that apply to all those eligible to borrow them.

The Equipment collection may be loaned with the loan period determined locally or in conjunction with ACU IT and/or ACU Equity and Disability Unit.

There is provision for short term bulk loans for specific purposes, e.g. for a class presentation. This is determined locally on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the Library Technician. Laptop and iPad loans count towards the total borrowing limit.

ACU staff and students are entitled to borrow from any ACU library in person with their staff or student card or through online requests.

6. Recalls

Items out on loan may be recalled if there are requests on the item or it is needed for the High Demand Collection. This shortens the loan period already given but borrowers are guaranteed a minimum 7 day loan period.

Recall notices will be sent to the borrower’s recorded email address. Fines will apply to overdue recalled items at the standard rate.

Standard loans are automatically shortened to a 7 day loan when there are requests placed against that item until all requests are satisfied.

7. Restricted Loans

Restricted Loans are short term loans. These are items identified by Library or academic staff as being critically important. Short term loans facilitate equitable access to resources by keeping them in fast circulation.

Restricted loans can be assigned the following loan periods:

• 2 hour loan (held in the High Demand Collection)
• 3 day loan

Overnight loans from the High Demand Collection are allowed from two hours before closing time at the discretion of individual libraries. Items must be returned within one hour of the library opening on the following business day.

8. Requests

ACU students and staff may place requests for items from any Campus library.

The following exceptions apply to requests:

• Requests on 3 day loans are accepted only on items from the borrower’s registered home library
• Requests on 2 hour loans are not accepted
• Requests will not be accepted if the borrower has an overdue item, or has outstanding fines of $10.00 or more
• ACU library reserves the right not to supply material from special collections or items they deem to be unsuitable to post e.g. oversize, fragile, rare or valuable items

Borrowers are informed via email when a request is available for collection.

Standard loans are held for collection for 5 working days and 3 day loans are held for 1 working day at the Information Desk of the home Campus library.

If requests are not collected within the allocated time then the items are returned to the shelf and the request is cancelled.

8.1 Requests for Journal Articles, Chapters or Extracts

ACU students and staff may request copies of articles from hard copy journals and book chapters from any Campus library other than your home Campus library. Digitised copies from items held in another ACU Campus library will be sent to the borrower’s recorded email address.

8.2 Requests for non-ACU library items (Interlibrary Loans)

Please refer to the separate Interlibrary Loans and Document Delivery Policy

9. Timeframes for emailing overdue Notices

10. Fines

All borrowers are subject to fines with the exception of ACU staff. All borrowers (including staff) are subject to a Bill for Replacement if any item is lost, damaged, or overdue. Notification will be sent via email. An additional processing fee of $20.00 is added to the replacement cost for lost or damaged items. Replacement cost is determined by the recorded purchase price or the current market value of the item.

Once library fines and replacement costs reach $45, they are treated as a University debt. University sanctions may apply to the non-payment of debts are outlined in ACU Academic Regulations.

Students with a debt to the University may be unable to:

• Enrol or re-enrol in any program or unit
• Receive a result in any program or unit completed or
• Graduate from any program or receive an award from any University program.

Fines are generated as follows:

11. Appeals

Borrowers who have incurred penalties due to extenuating circumstances (such as illness) should appeal to the Library Technician at their Campus library in the first instance. Appeals will require documentation such as a medical certificate to support your claims.

Where borrowers believe an item has been returned but not recorded on their account, Claims Returned forms are available in all libraries.

12. Suspension of Borrowers

Borrowing privileges will be suspended if a borrower has any item overdue (including Restricted Loans, Intercampus Loans and Interlibrary Loans), or has outstanding fines of $10.00 or more. All borrowers (including ACU staff) will have their borrowing privileges suspended when ACU Library is advised that a borrower has breached the lending conditions of any reciprocal borrowing scheme.

13. Services to Off-Campus Students

13.1 Off-Campus Students in Australia

Off-campus students are eligible for postal service. Requests for physical library items such as books or DVDs may be posted to the off-campus borrower’s recorded postal address or picked up at their home library. Return postage of items is the responsibility of the borrower.

Off-Campus students may also request digitised copies of journal articles, chapters or extracts from items held in any ACU Library. These are sent to the borrower’s recorded email address.

13.2 Off-Campus Students Overseas

Requests for physical library items such as books or DVDs are posted to overseas students via AIRMAIL. The student is responsible for return of the loan (including costs), via AIRMAIL, to the Campus library from which it was sent.

Digitised copies of journal articles, chapters or extracts from items held in any ACU Campus library will be sent to the borrower’s recorded email address.

Where the overseas student does not have access to a secure postal system the Library Manager may limit the posting of items. The Library Manager may also restrict loans from special collections, or items that are fragile, rare or oversized. Because of the possible high cost to the student of return postage the number of items posted at any one time is limited to a manageable number, at the discretion of the Library Manager.

Marianne Gration
Updated February 2019