General Circulation Policies
Library materials that circulate outside the building must be checked out using your Pioneer One Card (or, for local residents, Drake Community Library card). You must present your card to library staff to check out library materials, including reserve readings. You are responsible for all materials checked out on your card, so it’s not a good idea to check things out for other people or to lend what you have borrowed to others. The library will notify you by e-mail when books have been recalled, when interlibrary loan materials are ready for pickup, when items you have are overdue, and for other library-related matters. Be sure to check your e-mail every day. You may view your record online from any computer with internet access; this will display all library items checked out, with their due dates. You may renew most items online. Grinnell College users log in with their network user name and password, and community members with their name and Grinnell College Libraries barcode.
Do not take material out of the library without checking it out. Not only does this inconvenience other students and faculty by depriving them of its use, but also it is an act of theft under the Code of Iowa, chapters 714.5 and 808.12. Taking non-checked-out material through the library security gate constitutes theft and the College reserves the right to prosecute offenders under the terms of this law, as well as to deal with violations through the college judicial system.
Access, use, and reproduction of the electronic journals, databases, and other resources made available through the Grinnell College Libraries are governed by contracts or license agreements between the College and publishers or third parties. In many cases, license agreements impose greater restrictions on use than does copyright law, and these terms may limit uses of non-copyrighted material. Members of the Grinnell College community are expected to make reasonable and good faith efforts to comply with the terms of these agreements. For further information, please see License Agreements and Academic Computer Usage Policies.
Circulation Policies for Students
Be sure to have your Pioneer One-Card with you to check out all materials. All checked-out materials are subject to immediate recall if needed for Course Reserves. See below for Bills, Fines, and Blocks.
Recalling an Item
To recall an item that is currently checked out, sign in to your library account, click on the “Request” button under the Find in Library section. Choose your “Not needed after” date and Send Request. The item will be recalled, and you will be contacted (through email) when it arrives — this may be up to three weeks.
Books
Books are due at the end of the semester unless recalled by another patron. If recalled, books are due three weeks after the recall has been placed. If a book is recalled you will receive an email notice with a new due date. You may check out up to 75 items at one time.
Video and Audio Recordings (DVD, CD, etc.)
Most recordings circulate to students for 21 days. There are some items in the collection that are non-circulating (LPs, reel-to-reel tapes, and other materials); if you need them for a class please consult with staff.
Students may have up to six recordings checked out at a time. Recordings may be renewed once online.
Most recordings may be checked out for classroom or private use only. They may not be used or shown as part of a public program, whether or not admission is charged, without the approval of the copyright owner. A limited number of videos were obtained with public performing rights, which allow for campus-sponsored showings as long as no admission is charged. These titles may be found by keyword searching the library catalog for "public performance rights."
Periodicals (Magazines and Journals)
Periodicals located on the fourth floor are Library Use Only and circulate for four hours. Recent issues of magazines and journals located in the current periodicals area on the 1st floor do not circulate. Locations for journals will be indicated in the online catalog record. Please check with a research librarian, a circulation desk supervisor, or student assistant for help in tracking down the volume or issue that you are looking for. Science journals are located in the Kistle Science Library. Some journal volumes are kept in our off-site storage facility. You may request them through the online catalog and they will be brought to campus for your use within 24 hours, Monday–Friday. The library also subscribes to many full-text electronic journals.
Course Reserves
Normally, course reserves circulate for two hours, four hours (recordings), one day, or three days. The loan period for reserve items is determined by the professor who puts the item on reserve. The due date and time of your reserve item is printed on your receipt. Return reserve items promptly because overdue fines can add up quickly for these items. See below for Bills, Fines, and Blocks.
Permanent Reserve
These books, kept behind the circulation desk, normally circulate for two hours. Permanent reserve items include foreign language dictionaries, style guides, and other reference books that are in high demand.
Reference
This collection is non-circulating. If you need material for a class presentation or another special purpose, please check with library staff.
Special Collections
Special Collections includes the Iowa Room (a collection of faculty, staff, and alumni publications), Rare Books (also called Vault books), and the College Archives. These are non-circulating collections. Please visit the Special Collections Reading Room for assistance in using this collection.
Maps and Atlases/Microfilm/Newspapers
These are non-circulating collections. If you need material for a class presentation or another special purpose, please check with library staff.
Bills, Fines, and Blocks
Books checked out from the library are generally due at the end of the current semester. All books checked out will be subject to recall; that is, the loan period of the item will be shortened and the book will be due and subject to late fees based on an earlier date. Keeping materials past the due date is inconsiderate and inconveniences other people. The table below shows the fines you will accumulate if you don’t return materials on time. Please remember the collection belongs to the college community and needs to be accessible to everyone.
- All reserve materials: $1.00/hour with a maximum fine $100
- Interlibrary Loan materials: $1.00/day overdue; $5.00/day for overdue recalled books
- Recalled materials: $1.00/hour with a maximum fine $100
Should library materials become lost, please let us know as soon as you discover that an item is missing. You keep looking for it and we will too. If it doesn’t show up by the end of the semester, you will need to pay a replacement cost of $90. The sooner we know the material is missing the better the chance of finding it and avoiding the replacement cost. Unreturned materials will incur replacement, processing, and billing costs. If the materials billed are returned in good condition within the semester, the charges will be reduced to $5 per item. Students may have their circulation privileges blocked if materials are not returned promptly after overdue notices have been sent. They will remain blocked until all overdue items are returned to the library. If necessary, a student who refuses to comply with library policy may incur additional sanctions, including but not limited to restrictions on the use of library services and/or referral for judicial action. If there is an unusual circumstance, talk with the library staff. Contact the Circulation Desk Supervisor at 641-269-3350 and explain what’s going on. But do it before the fines start accumulating!