Services and Assistance > Circulation Policies, Loan Periods, and Fines
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 students enrolled in credit classes, faculty, and permanent staff. 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, not the Law or Health Sciences Libraries. They do not include Interlibrary Loan borrowing privileges nor do they allow the card holder remote (off campus) access to our electronic resources. Information on in-house use of materials at the Law Library may be obtained by calling 277-6236, and the Health Sciences Center Library at 277-5450.
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) |
.25/day 10.00 max. |
Periodicals* |
1 week (no renewals) |
1 week (no renewals) |
1 week (no renewals) |
.25/day 10.00 max. |
Sound Recordings** |
1 week (no renewals) |
14 days (2 renewals) |
one week (no renewals) |
.25/day 10.00 max. |
| Video Recordings** | 5 days | 5 days | 5 days | .25/day 10.00 max. |
| Recalled Items | return within 5 days of notice | return within 5 days of notice | return within 5 days of notice | 1.00/day 15.00 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. |
*Periodicals published within the last 3 years do not circulate. The periodical collection at CSEL (Centennial Science and Engineering Library) is non-circulating, however under special circumstances loans for journals older than three years will be permitted.
**Access to audio cassettes, audio tapes, video tapes, DVD cassettes, and slide collections can be obtained by acquiring the call number in the LIBROS Online Catalog, and requesting the item at the Circulation Desk at the Fine Arts Library.
An item is considered lost if not returned or renewed within 42 days after the due date or within 12 days of being recalled. Periodicals are considered lost if not returned within 12 days after the due date. Charges include the average price for a replacement copy or for a comparable item, a $10.00 processing fee, 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 and processing fee will be removed from the patron's account, however the remaining processing fees and overdue fines must still 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, only the replacement cost of the item will be refunded. A borrower may avoid overdue fines by reporting lost items immediately.
All charges are payable to the University Cashiers Office at the Student Services Center. 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. 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 not permitted to check out more than two hundred items at any given time from the UNM University Libraries. No more than fifty of those items may be checked out from Centennial Science and Engineering Library. No more than 3 reserve items may be checked out at any given time. These limits may be exceeded for a short time upon approval from the Dean or Associate Dean of the UNM University Libraries or from the appropriate Library Director, or Branch Head of Circulation.
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 Library Dean. 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.