Loan Periods

Materials are due on days when the library is open.

The LRC carries very few textbooks; students will need to purchase their own textbooks. Some textbooks may be held on reserve behind the OneDesk for in-library use only. Your professor will let you know if important materials are held on reserve in the library.

Renewing Library Materials

Call 410-827-5860, email lrcdesk@chesapeake.edu, chat,  or renew in person at the OneDesk on the first floor of the Learning Resource Center.

We have a renewal limit to encourage users to return items they are no longer actively using. This makes more books immediately available for browsing and research by other library users.

Overdue Materials

The Library is not responsible for notifying borrowers that materials are overdue. Reminders and overdue notices are mailed as a courtesy. Failure to receive reminders or overdue notices does not excuse borrowers from the responsibility of returning or renewing items on time to avoid penalties.

Notices from the library

The library uses the most current email address on file to contact you about due dates, fines, and other notices, and library users are responsible for keeping their contact information up to date. You can manage your contact information by visiting the OneDesk on the first floor of the Learning Resource Center.

Schedule of overdue notices:

Lost Items

If an overdue item is not renewed or returned to the Library within 34 days of the original due date, it is declared “Lost” and replacement costs are billed to the patron’s account.

Penalties

The Library will put a hold on the account of any student with unpaid Lost Materials charges at the end of an academic term. This will prevent the borrower from registering for classes, accessing his/her grades, requesting transcripts, or graduating until the charges are paid.

Replacement Costs

The replacement cost of a lost or damaged item will be determined  based on the following criteria:

• The replacement cost of new or recent items (i.e.  the newest edition of a text) will be the actual cost of replacing that item brand new according to the Library’s default vendor for such items (i.e. Amazon.com,  Baker & Taylor, etc).

• The replacement cost of older, used items will be derived from the going rate of other used copies of that exact item according to an online seller such as Amazon.com. This includes items such as treatment tables, bone models, etc.

• If no used copies are available to purchase, the Librarian will assess the item based on its age, circulation history, and number of copies held to determine whether the library will realistically replace the item.

• If the Librarian determines that a replacement copy is needed for an older, used item for which used copies are unavailable to buy, the replacement cost will be the actual cost of replacing the item brand new according to the library’s default vendor for such items (i.e. Amazon.com, Baker & Taylor, etc). A newer edition of the item will be purchased if no identical editions are available.

Borrowers may not receive a refund of the replacement cost if they later find the lost item for which they were charged. They do not, however, have to return the item to the library if they have already paid to replace it.

Paying library obligations

Fees may be paid by cash, check, money order, or credit card at the Business Office in the Dorchester Building. Checks should be made out to “Chesapeake College“ with “Library” in the memo.

To pay by mail, send payment to:

Business Office
Chesapeake College
PO Box 23
Wye Mills, MD 21679

Claiming Items Returned

If you believe you’ve already returned the lost book to the library, you can request at the OneDesk that a search be initiated for the book. The library staff will search for the book for 4 weeks.

• If the book is found in those 4 weeks, all fees associated with the lost item will be removed from your account.

• If the book is not found after 4 weeks of searching, you will be responsible for all fines associated with the lost item.

Faculty/Staff

Faculty/Staff may borrow library items for 90 days. Faculty/Staff are allowed three renewals and at the end of the last renewal, all item(s) must be returned to the library. If items are not returned within the return period indicated below, a fine and replacement costs will be charged.  If not paid, borrowing privileges will be suspended.

In order to provide students with access to the resources in the library, Faculty, in lieu of extensive loan periods from the library, are directed to request the purchase of materials for their courses through their department or Dean.