Circulation Policy

Library Card

Your College identification card also serves as your library card. New students can use their current registration form to borrow materials until they receive their College identification card. Returning students must have their identification cards validated at any campus circulation desk every semester in order to borrow materials.

Circulating Materials

Students can borrow up to ten items for four weeks. Books may be renewed for an additional 28 days. Requests for materials from other campuses are made at the circulation desk. Please allow at least two days for delivery. If an item is out on loan, you can request that it be held for you when is returned. The library will notify you when the item is available.

Fines

A fine of twenty cents per day is charged for overdue materials. Fines are assessed each day the library is open. If a book is lost patrons must pay a fifty dollar replacement charge. All financial obligations must be paid in order to register for the next semester or to receive transcripts.

Lost or Damaged Material

All patrons (students, faculty, staff) are responsible for library materials loaned to or used by them. Persons accountable for lost or damaged items will incur a replacement fee of $50.00.

Borrowers may have the option of replacing lost material after consultation with the UCC Libraries' Assistant Director or his/her designee. A $20.00 processing fee will be assessed if this replacement type is granted, along with the standard $5.00 maximum late fee.

Librarians may deem damaged materials repairable. Repairable materials are those that can be restored by library staff and returned to the collection. A $20.00 processing fee will be imposed on such items. Damaged items that are not repairable will incur the standard replacement fee of $50.00.

Any damaged but usable material held in the collection will be designated as such in the library catalog record to ensure that no patron is charged costs for damages incurred by another.

Reserve Materials

Two hour reserve readings are available at the circulation desk. Reserve readings must be used in the library, except when specified by faculty.

Periodicals

Periodicals and newspapers must be used in the library. Magazine articles from other campuses can be requested at the circulation desk. Please allow at least two days for delivery.

Laptop Borrowing Policies

Students may borrow laptop computers for in-house library use in Cranford. A permanent student ID is required. To borrow a laptop, the student must sign the following agreement:

• I have checked to be sure that I have received all equipment.
• I am responsible for reporting any wear & tear on the laptop or peripherals.
• I may borrow the laptop for up to two hours.
• I will keep the laptop in the library (first two floors of the building).
• I will keep the laptop with me at all times and will not lend it to anyone.
• I will be charged a $10 late fee for each hour (or part of an hour) that the laptop is overdue.
• I will be charged for loss, theft or damages, up to a maximum of $1,500.
• I will not reconfigure, modify, or download software to the laptop.
• I understand that I cannot print from the laptop.
• I understand that the UCC College Network (M Drive) is not available on the laptop.
• I understand that if I want to save information, I must use my own flash drive or CD. No information can be saved to the  hard drive.
• I understand that the laptop should not be used for taking online tests.

Consortium cards

Current UCC students can borrow materials from Kean College Nancy Thompson Library and Seton Hall University Libraries by obtaining a consortium card from a librarian.

Study Room Policies and Procedures

1. Reservations for study rooms may be made in person at the Circulation Desk or by phone to 908-709-7623 when the library is open.
2. A minimum of two (2) persons is required to use a study room.
3. Reservations begin and end on the hour.
4. There is a two (2) hour limit for each group per day unless no other groups are scheduled. If no other groups are scheduled the room may be renewed hourly at the Circulation Desk.
5. Rooms not used within 10 minutes of the scheduled reservation start time are considered vacant and will be available to others on a first-come, first-served basis.
6. Rooms that have not been reserved are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Policies and Rules for Study Rooms

1. Only Union County College students holding a valid UCC identification card may use the group study rooms. The card must be presented to reserve and check-out a room.
2. Study rooms are for academic use only and are subject to the library’s user conduct and security guidelines.
3. Study rooms must be used by two or more individuals, not to exceed the total number of chairs in the room.
4. An individual adult may not occupy group study rooms with small children for the sole reason of keeping the children under control.
5. No defacing of college property. The individual signing for the room will be responsible for all damage to college property and is subject to the cost of cleaning and repair, and disciplinary action. The responsible individual should inspect the room and report any pre-existing damage to the circulation desk staff immediately. Any unreported damage found would be your responsibility.
6. No food or beverages allowed.
7. No smoking
8. No inappropriate behavior.
9. Disregard of study room rules will result in revocation of study room privileges.
10. Do not leave the room unattended. Remember -- you are the responsible party.
11. Do not leave belongings unattended. The College is not responsible for lost or stolen personal belongings.
12. Furniture may not be rearranged, nor chairs brought into or removed from study rooms.
13. This policy is subject to change.

Use of Library by the General Public

The Union County College library, its contents, equipment and facilities ("The Facilities") are the principal purpose of providing educational resources for the faculty, students and staff of The College ("The Principal Users"). Other persons may use The Facilities for research purposes subject to the following rules:

• No one is to use The Facilities in a manner which interferes with or impedes the use by The Principal Users.
• Person who are not The Principal Users are limited to the use of The Facilitiesfor one half (1/2) hour each day.
• Persons who are not The Principal Users must use The Facilities only in designated areas.
• Any person creating or maintaining a disturbance or nuisance must leave The Facilities upon request.
• Loitering on the premises or use of The Facilities for other than educational purposes is prohibited.
• Any person who shall enter upon The Facilities for any purpose other than an educational purpose without prior authorization, or any person who fails or refuses to leave The Facilities when requested to do so, will be deemed a trespasser.

User Conduct and Security

The UCC Libraries are committed to providing a quiet, welcoming, respectful atmosphere conducive to private study and research in an environment that is comfortable, clean, and safe for both library users and personnel.  Any behavior that interferes with this operation of the UCC Libraries may be considered disruptive.

The conduct of any individual using the UCC Libraries is governed by all College policies, UCC Libraries' policies, the UCC Student Regulations as stated in the Student Handbook, and the College's Academic Computing Policies and Procedures.

Users who do not adhere to conduct guidelines outlined in the aforementioned policies may be asked to leave, and may be subject toCollege disciplinary action.

Please note:

• Mobile phones and pagers:  the UCC Libraries require library users to set mobile phones, pagers, and cell phones on non-audible/vibrating signals.  Any communications must be conducted outside the library.  Use of these devices disturbs those engaged in reading, study, and other educational activities. 
• Food and drink:  Food and drink are damaging to library collections and equipment, and diminish the longevity and comfort of library furnishings.  Food and drink are not allowed in the Libraries.
• Noise and Other Disruptive Behavior:  Library users expect the Libraries to be a quiet place for study and research.  All library users are requested to be considerate and to refrain from talking loudly, making noise, using audio or electronic equipment at a volume that interferes with others, or engaging in otherwise disruptive behavior.
• Photographs, recordings, videos, etc.: Library users may not take photographs, recordings, videos, etc. within the Library without prior permission from the Assistant Director.

Access for Patrons with Disabilities

All three campus libraries provide wheelchair access to the computer catalog and study carrels. Please contact the library staff for other available services or assistance.

Children in the Libraries

Under the guidelines set forth in the UCC student handbook, children under 12 are not permitted on campus except under the immediate supervision of a parent or guardian. This guideline extends to the UCC Libraries.

In addition, children under 18 shall not use library computers unless actively enrolled as UCC students in the Magnet school or "for credit" courses, or as part of supervised library visits by Continuing Education classes.

Collection Development Policy

Introduction

The mission of the UCC Libraries is to support the goals and objectives of the college through providing resources and instruction in those resources to the students, faculty, and staff of the college. The mission of the college is to serve the higher educational needs of Union County residents.

Through collection development the library provides organized collections of print and non-print resources to meet the needs of the college community. The college community is composed of the students, faculty, staff, and administration of the college. As the curricula changes and the research needs of the college community change then the collection development policy will change also.

The Union County College libraries are composed of three branches: Kenneth Campbell MacKay Library at Cranford, Elizabeth I. Kellogg Library at Elizabeth, and the Plainfield Campus Library.

The Union County College Libraries provide services and facilities to satisfy the varied information needs of the UCC community. The library works with faculty to develop in students the skills of independent lifelong learners.

In order to meet the continuing information needs of the UCC community, the libraries select, acquire, organize, and provide access to print and non-print materials which support the curricula of the college and the research and interests of the UCC staff, administration, and faculty.

Objectives

To provide resources and access to resources that support the curriculum and programs of the college and the research interests of the faculty, staff, and administration. This is achieved through a planned, systematic acquisition program of both print and non-print resources.

In developing and maintaining the library's collections, the libraries will keep in mind the diversity of the college community and the college's goals of multiculturalism.

The libraries are committed to equality of access for users across all of our campuses.

The libraries recognize that remote users must be served, as are those on campus users.

To this end the libraries are devoted to pursuing a collection that can be shared across campuses either through routing of print resources or sharing of electronic databases, be they CD-ROM, internet or other new technologies.

Primary Clientele

The libraries first clientele are the students, faculty, administration, and staff of the college. The main library is on the Cranford campus, the MacKay library. The college also supports branch libraries at the Elizabeth and Plainfield campuses. We do not try to duplicate all resources across all three campuses but rather maintain some core resources at each campus and then have each campus library collect materials to support the unique programs and students at their campus.

Kinds of Materials Acquired/Scope of the Collection

The UCC libraries collect materials in a variety of formats and look to provide the best access to information to our students and faculty/staff.

These formats include books, periodicals, audio-visual, multi-media, CD-ROM, and Internet databases. The library is open to acquiring new formats to best serve the needs of our constituents and to provide the broadest possible access to our resources across the campuses and to remote users.

Responsibility for Collection Development

The ultimate responsibility for the collection management and development rests with the Director of Libraries. The director may designate responsibility to the professional library staff for each departmental area of the college. These liaisons work closely with their affiliated academic departments to select materials appropriate for our students. The library seeks recommendations from faculty, staff, administration, and students and will honor these requests when they support our collection development criteria.

General Policies for Materials Selection

Many criteria are involved in selecting materials. The most important criteria is the relevance of the material to the educational program of the college. Additional criteria to be considered during materials selection are as follows:

• Accuracy and objectivity of information
• Strength of present holdings in the subject area
• Authority of the author or issuing authority
• Timeliness of the material
• Coverage in indexes (this applies particularly to periodicals)
• Cost
• Physical quality of the publication (hardcover book, paperback book, electronic format, etc.)
• Suitability of the specific media to the content and teaching purposes
• Reputation of the publisher
• Replacement copies

Lost or damaged copies will not automatically be replaced. The same selection criteria used for new materials will be used, in addition to other considerations such as the availability of the item and past demand for the item.

Multiple copies

The library does not routinely support the purchase of multiple copies of print materials. Multiple copies may be purchased if there is heavy continuous demand for the item or if there is a perceived need to have them available on all campuses. All multiple copies must be approved by the Director of libraries.

Resource Sharing/Interlibrary Loan

It is not possible for any library to purchase and maintain every resource needed for the research needs of a college community. Therefore, the libraries support an interlibrary loan program for books and journal articles to supplement the resources in our collection. In this era of increased costs the libraries are actively looking to combine resources with other academic libraries or library consortia whenever possible.

Intellectual Freedom/Library Bill of Rights

The libraries endorse the Library Bill of Rights and Intellectual Freedom statement adopted by the American Library Association.

See copies attached in the appendix to this policy.

The libraries support the freedom to access a broad range of materials. The libraries recognize that freedom of choice in materials selection is critical to effective library service.

Reconsideration of Library Materials

If library materials are challenged then these concerns, be they in person or in writing, should be directed to the Director of Libraries. The concerned party should describe why he/she believes the material should be removed and those concerns will be addressed. The final determination of the retention of challenged materials rests with the Director of Libraries.

De-selection/Collection Maintenance

The Director of Libraries along with his/her designated professional library staff will be responsible for review and weeding of the collection. De-selection of materials is critical to maintain a collection viable to our students and college community. Following are the criteria considered when evaluating materials for withdrawal from the collection:

• Superceded editions
• Obsolescence
• Damaged, lost or long-overdue materials
• Past use-quantity and recency
• Number of copies in the collection
• Availability of indexes (especially for periodicals)
• Changes in curriculum

Review of the Collection Development Policy Statement

The Collection Development Policy Statement will be reviewed periodically and revised as necessary.

Interlibrary Loan Policy and Procedures

Members of the Union County College community are eligible to submit an Interlibrary loan request for materials not owned by the Union County College Libraries. Interlibrary loan forms can be obtained from the Reference desk at any campus library or the library's web site.

Journals and magazines generally do not circulate. Usually articles are photocopied. Incomplete or illegible forms may cause a delay in the processing of requests. Requests may take up to 21 days. If there is a lending fee for the material, the library will cover the entire cost for faculty; non-faculty requests will be subsidized up to a maximum of $10.00. Books are generally loaned for at least a three-week period. Microfilm and entire journal issues can be borrowed for in-house use only. The loan period for such items is usually two weeks. The borrower can keep photocopies of articles. Procuring materials from participating lending libraries, reference centers or other outside agencies may be limited by time constraints and staffing. Generally students are not eligible for more than three interlibrary loans per semester.

Gift Policy

UCC Libraries acquire materials that support the curriculum and programs of the college and the research interests of the faculty and administration. The Libraries will accept gifts that are appropriate to the collection.

Gifts should be brought to the Cranford campus library if possible. For larger gifts (10 or more items,) donors should submit a list of the items for consideration before bringing any items to the campus.

The Libraries cannot accept gifts of:

• Textbooks
• Magazines
• Encyclopedias
• Items in poor condition

Gifts must be cleared with the Assistant Director of Libraries. The same criteria used for the selection of all other materials will be used in evaluating gift materials. If there is any question about accepting a gift, the final determination rests with the Director of Libraries.

Materials are accepted without commitments as to final disposition and with the understanding that they will not necessarily be added to the collection. All gifts are final, and by act of donation, the donor relinquishes all rights to ownership and dispensation. Donors should understand this policy prior to donating gifts.

The library does not appraise gifts. On request, the library will provide documentation to the donor that gifts were received. It is the responsibility of the donor to obtain appraisals if needed.

Donors are encouraged to leave their name, address, and relationship to the college (student, alumni, staff, faculty, faculty emeritus, etc.) so that acknowledgment can be sent to them.

Gifts of money are handled by the UCC Foundation. The phone number is 908-709-7505. Possible gifts-in-kind may be discussed with the Assistant Director of Libraries at 908-709-7019.

Faculty Reciprocal Borrowing Privileges

Union County College full-time faculty and staff may apply for direct borrowing privileges at participating libraries by requesting a VALE Faculty Reciprocal Borrowing Application form from a reference librarian at any campus library. After the Union County College Library director signs the form, you should present the application along with a photo ID at the participating library's circulation desk. You will be issued borrowing privileges and/or a guest borrower card. Privileges are for one academic year and expire June 30th of each year. Over forty college and university libraries throughout New Jersey are part of the VALE Faculty Reciprocal Borrowing program.

Click the List of participating libraries to view the institutions involved.

All loan items are subject to the policies of the lending library. For more information visit the VALE faculty reciprocal borrowing page.

Borrowers from participating VALE libraries please note the following:

Eligibility is limited to faculty and staff members at participating VALE institutions. A completed VALE Faculty Reciprocal borrowing application form must be signed by the library director from the staff or faculty members own institution.

VALE Reciprocal borrower privileges are valid for one full academic Year (July 1st-June 30th). A new form is required after June 30th each year regardless of when they were first completed. Thus, mid-term, Spring Semester borrowers will be required to submit a new form July 1st.

Only three books can be borrowed from Union County College at one time. The loan period is 28 days. If there are no holds on the book, it may be renewed for an additional 28 days provided that the reciprocal agreement has not expired. Materials other than books do not circulate.

Borrowing privileges will be suspended if items are overdue. All items must be returned to Union County College Libraries. A lost book charge of $50 will be charged to the faculty member for any book not returned.