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About Cushing Library

Procedures, policies, and commonly-asked questions

Borrowing Policy

Current HNU students, faculty and staff have borrowing privileges at Cushing Library with their current HNU ID card. The Library also grants borrowing privileges to persons with a NCCPL ID card, HNU Alums, and Faculty Emeritus. 

  • Reserve items are course textbooks or articles that an instructor has placed on reserves in the Library. Reserve items are typically loaned out for 3 hours unless there's a 1-day or 3-day sticker indicated on the spine. Instructors can also indicate if they want the items to be Library Use Only, which will also be indicated with a sticker. 
  • Renewals can be requested over the phone, email, in-person, or online. Interlibrary loan items may be renewed pending the approval of the lending library. 
  • All items can be returned to the Access Services desk during open hours. Education Tests, laptops, and equipment must be returned to the Access Services desk in person a half hour before the library closes. These items cannot be returned in the book drop. 
  • There is a 30 minute turnaround time between equipment checkouts. For example, if an equipment item is checked out, renewed, and checked in, there is a 30 minute wait before the same item can be checked out again by the same person. This allows staff to verify that all returned equipment is in working order as well as provides access to equipment to all patrons.

Circulation Loan Periods

Please note the changes for our Spring 2022 semester loan periods.

Item Type Loan Period Limit Renewals Fines/Fees
General Stacks 6 weeks 15 4 $0.00
Reserves - 3 hours Varies 3 1 $1.00/hr
Reserves - 1 day, 3 day, 7 day Varies 3 1 $5.00/day
Equipment (chargers, adapters, etc) 1 week 5 1 $1.00/day
4 Hour Loan Laptop 1 week 1 1 $5.00/day
1 Day Loan Laptop 1 week 1 1 $5.00/day
Games 4 weeks 10 2 $0.00/day
Education Assessment Tests 1 week 1 1 $5.00/day
DVDs 6 weeks 10 1 $0.00/day
iPads 3 weeks 1 1 $1.00/day

 

Item Type Loan Period Limit Renewals Fines/Fees
General Stacks 1 semester 15 1 N/A
4 hour laptop 4 hours 1 1 N/A
Equipment 4 days 5 1 N/A
iPads 3 weeks 1 1 N/A
Games 1 week 10 2 N/A

 

Item Type Loan Period Limits Renewals Fines/Fees
Generals Stacks 3 weeks 5 4 $0.25/day
DVDs 3 weeks 5 1 $0.25/day

 

Overdue Fines/Lost Materials

Overdue materials will accrue fines if they are returned past the due date. Overdue fines can be paid at the circulation desk with either cash or check. 

  • $0.25 per day for books in our General Stacks, YA, Popular Reading, and Writing Studio collection
  • $1.00 per hour for Course Reserves, 4 Hour Loan Laptops, and 4 Day Loan Equipment items
  • $5.00 per day for Educational Assessment Tests and 1 Day Loan Laptops

Borrowing privileges, including Camino and interlibrary loan items, can be suspended due to unpaid fines due to the library. Unpaid bill totals of $20.00 or more will result in blocked borrowing privileges. 

Unpaid lost item fees that have transferred to the Student Accounts Office may prevent users from registering for classes or withholding transcripts. Users with assumed lost items could result in blocked borrowing privileges until items are returned or the assumed lost fees have been paid. 

Students will receive an automated email reminder notice 3-days prior to the due date for books, DVDs and other standard items. Once the item is past the due date, the Library will send a total of 5 overdue notices from the time the item is 3 days past the due date through the 27th day past the due date. After the last notice has been sent and the book or item is one month overdue, it will be declared assumed lost. 

Bill notices will also be sent by email for any bills owed to the Library due to overdue fines. 

List of library notices: 

  • Due date reminder - sent 3 days before the due date
  • Due date reminder for 4 day equipment items - sent 1 day before the due date
  • Due date reminder for ILL items - sent 3 days before the due date
  • Hold pickup notices - sent once the item you requested becomes available to checkout
  • Overdue notices - sent 3 days after the due date
  • Assumed Lost notice - sent 1 month after the item is long overdue
  • Overdue Bill notice - sent once a user has accrued overdue fines due to the library

Books and other items are declared lost if they have not been returned a month after the due date. Users will be charged a replacement cost of $55.00 per book plus $20.00 processing fee.  Replacement cost for equipment are outlined in our Equipment Lending Agreement page plus a $20.00 processing fee. Once the item has been processed as Lost, the bills will be transferred to Student Accounts for payment.  If it is returned later but within the school semester, the patron will be charged the fine accumulated from the date the book was due to the date it was returned, to a maximum fine of $20.00. 

Damaged books will be charged to the patron at the cost of the replacement. The library staff will determine the cost for the replacement item and bill the patron. Damaged interlibrary loan books will be determined by the lending library and will be billed towards the patron for the replacement fees.