Borrowing Privileges
To borrow books, periodicals, audiovisual materials, or course reserve materials from the UNM University Libraries, you must have either a valid Lobo Card or
a UNM University Libraries "Community Borrower" card (CBC).
All borrowers must also present a Photo ID. Lobo Cards are issued to faculty, staff, retirees, and students from all UNM campuses enrolled in credit classes. Free borrowing privileges are also extended to:
Community Borrowers
Community Borrower Cards are available to individuals who do not fit the categories listed above. These cards, good for one year, may be purchased at the Circulation Desk of any of the UNM University Libraries branch locations for $35.00. Alumni with proper authorization from the UNM Alumni Office can receive a $10.00 discount on the price of a Community Borrower's Card. The cards enable the holder to borrow materials from the UNM University Libraries ,and the UNM Law Library. Please inquire about the use of materials at the UNM Health Science and Informatics Center Library by calling 277-5450. Community Borrower's Privileges do not include borrowing through Interlibrary Loan or remote (off campus) access to our electronic resources.
Loan Periods and Fines
| Undergraduates and Special Borrowers | Graduate Students, Faculty, and Staff | Community Borrowers | Fine if Overdue | |
| Books and Government Publications | 60 days (2 renewals) | 1 semester (2 renewals) | 14 days (2 renewals) | None |
| Periodicals | Non-Circulating | Non-Circulating | Non-Circulating | Not Applicable |
| Sound Recordings** | 1 week ( 1 renewal) | 14 days (2 renewals) | one week (1 renewal) | None |
DVD and Video Recordings** |
5 days (2 renewals) | 5 days (2 renewals) | 5 days (2 renewals) | None |
| Recalled Items | return within 5 days of notice | return within 5 days of notice | return within 5 days of notice | 25.00 max. |
| Interlibrary Loan Items | 2 - 3 weeks | 2 - 3 weeks | not available | see ILL page |
| 2 Hour Reserve Items | 2 hours | 2 hours | 2 hours | 1.00/hour 15.00 max. |
| 1 or 3 day Reserve Items | 1 or 3 days | 1 or 3 days | 1 or 3 days | 1.00/day 15.00 max. |
** Most of University Libraries Sound Recordings, Videos and DVDs are housed at the Fine Arts and Design Library. These items circulate as specified above. Similar items held at other locations may have different loan periods.
Billing
An item is considered lost if not returned or renewed within 42 days after the due date or within 12 days of being recalled. Charges include the average price for a replacement copy or for a comparable item, and any applicable fines (a $25.00 fine is added to lost items that have been recalled). Once these charges have been billed to a patron account, all library privileges will be suspended. If the item is returned, library privileges will be reinstated and the replacement cost will be removed from the patron's account. Any fines for a billed recall must be paid. If the item is not returned, but the charges are paid in full, library privileges will be reinstated. If an item is returned after a statement has been paid, the replacement cost of the item will be refunded to the patron's account at University Cashiers.
All charges are payable to the University Cashiers or through your on-line student account at myUNM. Unpaid charges may result in the university withholding student's grades and transcripts or the faculty and staff member's final paycheck.
Recalls
Patrons may request the recall of books that are currently checked-out. Patrons may also utilize Library Express to acquire a copy of books that are currently checked out from University Libraries. All patrons have an assured minimum loan period of two weeks (1 month for faculty), unless the book is being recalled for Course Reserves. UL library patrons can place online recalls using the LIBROS Catalog. The new recall due date supersedes the original due date. Patrons who have requested a recall will be notified when the book has been returned.
Item Limits
You are permitted to have up to two hundred items checked out at any given time from the UNM University Libraries. We do also ask that patrons check out no more than 3 reserve items at any given time or 3 videos or DVDs from the Fine Arts and Design Library at any given time. In addition , we ask undergraduate students to stay within a limit of 10 sound recording at any given time. These limits may be exceeded for a short time upon approval from the University Libraries Access Services Coordinator or a Circulation Supervisor at any UL library.
Returning Items
The prompt return of library materials is in the best interest of all UNM library users. Borrowed materials may be returned at the Circulation Desks where patrons may request a receipt for the items that are being returned, or at outside book depositories located near the main entrance of each of the campus libraries. Materials borrowed from any of the main campus libraries may be returned at any of those facilities. Patrons are encouraged to return materials that have been borrowed from the Law or Health Science Center Libraries to those same libraries. Material borrowed from the main UNM campus may not be returned to branch campuses.
Reminder Notices
Reminder notices for overdue and recalled library materials are sent via e-mail as a courtesy. University Libraries sends notices to University patrons' UNM e-mail address by preference or to a street address if no UNM e-mail address is available. We encourage patrons who do not regularly monitor their UNM e-mail account to arrange to forward mail from this account to their preferred account. Community Borrowers may choose to receive courtesy notices at any e-mail account or to a street address.
Suspension of Borrowing Privileges
Borrowing privileges will be suspended when a patron fails to comply with the loan policies of the UNM University Libraries. The library will make all reasonable efforts to notify the borrower in person, by mail, or by e-mail that the borrowers privileges are in jeopardy because of overdue materials or unpaid bills. All patrons have the opportunity to appeal a library bill by contacting the University Libraries Access Services Coordinator. Borrowing privileges can be suspended for failure to:
Proxy Authorization
Faculty members may authorize a teaching or research assistant to check out items on their behalf. A "Proxy Authorization Form" must be obtained at the circulation desk and completed by the faculty member. The faculty member need not be present when the completed form is returned to the circulation desk if he/she is registered in the library computer. However, the form is not valid unless presented with the faculty member's valid Lobo Card. The teaching or research assistant is then issued a library card with the faculty member's library account number on the back. The proxy authorization is valid only until the end of the current semester and must be renewed for each semester the privileges are desired. The faculty member assumes responsibility for all materials borrowed by the proxy when using the proxy authorization library card