Frequently Asked Questions for Faculty


Circulation

Can I renew books or VHS/DVDs that are checked out?
Yes, you may renew all of these items once. As long as you do not have any overdue items, you may renew all checked-out items (with the execption of interlibrary loan materials) by viewing your account in the library online catalog and following the instructions on the Patron Record page.

How soon can I renew items that I have checked out?
You can renew books from the regular stacks online beginning one week before the due date. You can renew items from the browsing collection online beginning seven days before the due date.

How do I renew books if I have overdue items? Will I be charged fines?
You must bring any overdue items into the library in order to renew them. Faculty are generally not charged fines except in three instances:

1. Overdue interlibrary loan materials are fined at $5 per day.
2. Items recalled for use by course reserves or another patron are fined at $1 per day.
3. Items lost or damaged must be repaired or replaced at cost.
   

The recall fine does not start until four days after the recall notice has been e-mailed to a faculty member.

What items can be recalled and when?
The library generally only recalls regularly circulating materials from faculty members, which are the books from the second and third floor stacks that circulate for 180 days. These items are eligible for recall after five days for course reserves and after 21 days for use by another patron. In instances where a faculty member has some other type of material checked out that is overdue and has been requested by another patron, a recall may be placed on that material.

Can I place videos/DVDs on reserve for my class?
No. In the case of students, these are library-use-only materials so there is no need to place them on reserve. Also, placing them on reserve means that no other faculty can check them out for use in their classes. If your students are required to watch a certain video within a specific time frame (i.e. the next 48 hours), let the circulation desk know, and they will do their best to make it available to the students during that time.


Thesis

I have a student who has left town without getting signatures for his or her thesis or putting in a correct title page. Will the library accept the thesis or track down the student to have corrections made?
No. The library does not accept theses that do not meet the criteria of the office of graduate studies. If such a thesis is turned in, the library will return the thesis, accompanied by a checklist of necessary corrections, to the thesis committee chairperson.

How do I know if a student has been cleared for graduation?
Contact the office of graduates studies. The library does not clear students for graduation; it simply notifies the office that a thesis has been sent for binding.


Acquisitions

I have a new class next quarter (only two weeks away), and the library does not have the books or audiovisual materials that I need. What do I need to do?
Send a prioritized list to the acquisitions assistant of materials that you need, including when you need them.

Will the library get everything I request?
Probably not, hence the request for a prioritized list. It is very helpful to involve the library in the planning stages for new courses. The library staff will be glad to assist in reviewing materials already in the collection and acquiring additional resources that might be needed. However, the library does have to work within a budget, so last-minute requests and expensive items may not be available. Faculty requests are kept on file and, as funds become available, staff members try to acquire as many as possible.

What are the priorities for acquiring library materials?
The library has two priorities in acquisitions:

1. Collecting newly published materials that support the curriculum.
2. Acquiring materials that support new courses of study and/or new classes.

Miscellaneous

How do I know whom I need to contact in the library?
If you are not sure whom you need to talk to about a topic, call Earlene Green at 912.525.4700 to be forwarded to the correct person or send e-mail. Either way, the staff will make sure that your questions are answered.

Can I reserve classroom space or meeting space in the library?
Space in the library can only be reserved for individual class sessions or meetings and is very limited. Room 108 is only available for bibliographic instruction sessions, which can be scheduled through Jenna Rinalducci. Room 109 must be scheduled through the office of information management and technology. Earlene Green at 912.525.4700 can schedule meetings in Room 118 or in one of the two available group study rooms on the second floor.