Borrowing:
Borrowing Privileges: Students, Faculty, and Staff

Borrower Registration Identification Borrower Responsibilities Loan Periods Recalls Returns Renewals Notices & Replacement Charges Change of Address

Missing Items Non-Circulating Items Reserves Rutgers Delivery Service Interlibrary Loan PINs Hours Questions

Rutgers University students, faculty, and staff may borrow books from any of the Rutgers University Libraries. Visiting scholars receive faculty borrowing privileges upon presentation of an Visiting Scholars connection guest card with expiration date.

Guest borrowing privileges are extended to Rutgers alumni, individuals with community borrower cards, and faculty from other higher education institutions where there are reciprocal borrowing agreements in place. See the Alumni and Community Borrowing Privileges webpage for details.

Borrower Registration

To register with the Libraries fill out the online "Registering with the Rutgers Libraries" form or visit or phone the circulation desk of any Rutgers Library..

If you visit a library's circulation desk, present a valid RUconnection card or proof of current registration or employment. If you phone or register online, you must provide your university ID number for verification purposes and your barcode if you have one. Your barcode is the 14-digit number beginning '29030' on the back of your RUconnection card. Newark Law patrons may supply barcodes beginning '25145.'

If you do not yet have a barcode, you will be assigned one and/or issued a borrower's card with barcode. You will also be given a library PIN, a randomly generated 4-digit personal identification number. Please note this is NOT the PIN that students use for registration or checking grades.

For security reasons, the Libraries urge you to change your PIN. You can do so through IRIS as soon as you're issued a barcode and PIN. On the Libraries website choose IRIS, select "MY ACCOUNT" and then the "Change PIN" option, log on with your barcode and PIN, and follow directions on the screen.

Once you have registered with the Libraries, your RUconnection card or borrowers card with barcode is your library card and is to be used for all borrowing transactions at any Rutgers University library. You will need your barcode and PIN to renew your books online, check the status of your requests, and use other online features in IRIS.

Identification

You must present a valid borrower card with barcode when charging out books. No other identification is acceptable. Borrower cards are nontransferable and should not be loaned to other people. If your borrower card is lost or stolen, immediately report it to staff at the circulation desk of any Rutgers library.

Borrower Responsibilities

As a registered borrower with the Rutgers University Libraries you are required to:

• Account for all items checked out on your card. Borrower cards are nontransferable and should not be loaned to others. Report lost or stolen cards at the circulation desk of any Rutgers library. Your barcode is linked to the unique barcodes of library materials that you check out. You are responsible for all items checked out on your card.

• Know due dates and return or renew materials on time. Due dates may change based on recalls and renewals. Check your my ACCOUNT record in IRIS for a list of your checkouts and their due dates.

• Read your email messages and library notices. Whenever you travel or are away from campus, arrange to have your email notices read or forwarded. Or, alternatively, return all library materials before extended absences from campus. Library fines will not be waived if you fail to read email and respond to recall and overdue notices.

• Pick up materials you requested when they arrive at your pickup library. You will be notified by email when materials from other Rutgers libraries, E-ZBorrow books, and interlibrary loan materials are available. Materials are held for limited times. If your need for requested materials changes, please cancel your request.

• Care for library materials. Return books and other library materials unmarked and in good condition. Borrowers will be held responsible for materials returned damaged. If the book you wish to charge out is already damaged, bring it to the attention of circulation desk staff, who will make note of the damage so that you will not be held responsible.

• Maintain a current address and email address with the university. It is important that you regularly maintain your directory information online in the Rutgers Online Directory, which is the source of address information in your library record. Instructions on how to do this may be found online at SEARCH RUTGERS Requesting Changes

Loan Periods

Faculty, staff, and graduate students may borrow books for a full semester. Undergraduates and all other borrowers may borrow books for 28 days. If you borrow a book that is in demand and has been requested or recalled by another borrower, you may check it out for 14 days. All books, regardless of loan period, are subject to recall and will be assigned a new due date. The loan period for EZ-Borrow and interlibrary loan materials is generally 28 days.

VIDEOS and DVDs circulate to faculty, staff, and graduate students for 3 days; no renewals. All libraries circulate media types such as A-VKIT, C-DISC, CASET, DISC, F-LOOP, FSTRIP, SLIDE, and TAPE to faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students for 14 days, except MEDIA and MUSIC libraries which do not circulate to undergraduates; no renewals.

Recalls

Whenever all Rutgers copies of a book are checked out, search the PALCI catalog and if the item is available, place an EZ-Borrow request for quick delivery from another academic library. You may also recall an item checked out to another borrower using the "Book Delivery/Recall" button in IRIS. The person who currently has the item will be notified to bring it back within 14 days. When the item is available, you will be notified by email and in your MY ACCOUNT file in IRIS.

Returns

Return borrowed books on or before their due date to a book drop or circulation desk, or by USPS or a commercial delivery service, to any Rutgers library. Return recalled books on or before their new due date indicated on the recall notice.

Renewals

You may renew most items directly in IRIS using the MY ACCOUNT "Renew Checkouts" feature. Materials that cannot be renewed in IRIS include items that have been recalled by another borrower, reserve materials, and items for which the renewal limit has been reached.

EZ-Borrow and interlibrary loan materials that are designated "no renewal," that have been recalled by the lending institution, for which the renewal limit has been reached, or that are not renewed within seven (7) days from the initial due date cannot be renewed in IRIS.

Notices and Replacement Charges

Rutgers students, faculty, and staff will automatically receive all library notices as an email message at the email address on file in their university address record, the Rutgers Online Directory. Library notices are sent during the academic year and during the summer to the email address currently on file with the university.

An overdue notice is sent when Rutgers items are seven days overdue. At twenty-one days overdue, a final notice stating the average replacement and processing cost of $102 per item is sent. Contact the circulation department of any Rutgers library for the actual replacement cost of lost items. Borrowing privileges will be suspended and a hold may be placed on your library record.

When items are six months overdue, a Bill for Replacement is sent to the borrower. The university reserves the right to hold transcripts and diplomas as a result of nonpayment of obligations and to forward all delinquent accounts to collection agencies and to levy a collection fee.

Change of Address

It is the responsibility of Rutgers students, faculty, and staff to keep the university informed of any address changes. Students, faculty, and staff receive library notices during the academic year and during the summer at their email address currently on file with the university in the Rutgers Online Directory, which is the source of address information in library records. The Libraries get email addresses for teaching, graduate, and research assistants from their student records only. Users who do not have an email address on file with the university or libraries will receive paper notices at their campus mail address during the academic year and their home mail address during the summer.

To change your email address, go to the Rutgers Online Directory, available on the Rutgers main web page under "SEARCH RUTGERS for people, buildings & more." Select the radio button next to "People." Enter and search for your name; verify your email address on your "Person Display Screen." To make changes, click on "Changes and Corrections" on the opening search screen and select the appropriate student or employee online form. Enter your NetID, the username and password associated with your Rutgers email account. If you need assistance, contact Computing Services HELP on your campus. on your campus. Please enter the entire e-mail address that you wish to be on record, including the host name (e.g. andromeda.rutgers.edu, rci.rutgers.edu, aol.com). E-mail addresses from commercial providers are acceptable. Updates to the Rutgers Online Directory are usually posted to library records within two weeks. Faculty and staff may also obtain paper Address Directory Record (ADR) forms through their department.

Missing Items

If you cannot find an item on the shelf please report it missing at the circulation desk. Library staff will change its status to MISSING, and you may then request it from another Rutgers library in IRIS, from a PALCI library using E-ZBorrow, or on interlibrary loan.

Non-Circulating Items

Certain materials are considered crucial to academic research and for that reason they must always be available in the libraries. Items such as current and bound periodicals, certain government documents, and materials in the reference collection, will be shared among the libraries on the major geographical campuses (Newark, New Brunswick/Piscataway, and Camden) for 5 days of in-library use, but are not eligible to check out.

Reserves

Materials requested by instructors for use by an entire class are placed "on reserve" with short loan periods. Books on reserve may be signed out for use in the library where they are located by presenting a valid borrower card. Failure to return reserve items within established time frames will result in a $1 per hour fine for each hour overdue up to $25. Electronic reserve documents are available via RESERVES in IRIS.

Rutgers Delivery Service

The Rutgers Delivery Service insures that Rutgers resources needed by students, faculty, and staff that are not at the local library or are checked out, may be requested. See the the Rutgers Delivery Service web page for additional information.

Interlibrary Loan

Materials not owned by any Rutgers library may be borrowed from other institutions for students, faculty and staff. Interlibrary Loan request forms are available by logging on to the Interlibrary Loan and Article Delivery web page. See the Interlibrary Loan Service: Borrowing web page for additional information.

PINs

PINs are 4-digit library personal identification numbers. See the Registering with the Rutgers Libraries page for instructions on how to obtain your PIN.

Hours

While classes are in session, the larger Rutgers libraries are open Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to at least 11 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday hours vary by library. Circulation desk hours may vary from library building hours.

Library hours change during semester breaks, intersessions, exam periods, and university holidays. Check the Rutgers University Libraries web site hours or hours posted in the libraries for exceptions and changes.

Questions

If you have questions regarding borrowing privileges, telephone or visit the circulation department of any Rutgers library, or use the online Ask a Librarian service.