Borrowers' Policy

Policy Objectives

To provide guidelines regarding the responsibilities of both the Healthcare Library and its members with respect to borrowing material.

HSC users availing of services offered by The McClay Library are also subject to this policy.

QUB staff and students using library services offered by The Healthcare Library branches are subject to the QUB Library Borrowers’ Policy.

HSC Students are subject to this policy.

Borrowing

If you borrow an item from the Healthcare Library you are responsible for its return.  You can check items you have on loan using My Account on the Healthcare Library homepage.

The number of items you can borrow and the loan period depends on your membership category.

All loans should be returned before your library membership expires or before you leave employment/placement within the HSC.

Renewals and Recalls

Standard Loan material will be automatically renewed a maximum of three times unless an item is in demand, your membership is about to expire or, you have an outstanding charge pending.

All Standard Loan items are subject to recall if required by another reader. Thus, whenever a book is in demand the loan period is immediately reduced to one week. If a recalled item becomes overdue, you will be unable to borrow or request after this date.

Overdues and Invoices

You will be considered to be in default of the Healthcare Library if you fail to return an item without any explanation.

After the first overdue reminder your Healthcare Library Account will be suspended thereby preventing you from borrowing or requesting further material.

Fines

Libraries normally charge fines to encourage people to return books on time, so the books are widely available for other users to borrow and benefit from them.

For this system to continue to work without fines we need our users to play their part.

Please continue to return your books on time, particularly recalled items that may be in high demand by other Healthcare Library users.

The Library’s Responsibilities

The Library has a responsibility to keep stock in circulation and to make items available to its members. When an item is overdue it impacts negatively on other users who wish to use the material.

To help you keep track of your loans and return them in a timely manner, the Library will communicate with you regularly as follows:-

• Renewal Update Notices

Provides regular updates on the items that you have on loan- which items have been automatically renewed and which items could not be renewed for whatever reason. See ‘Returns and Renewals’ and ‘Requests and Recalls’ for more information.

• In Demand Notices

Asks you to return a book because another person wants it. You will be given an amended ‘due back’ date.

• Overdue Notices

Informs you when an item is overdue and asks you to return it as soon as possible.

The first overdue notice will prevent you from borrowing or requesting material from the Healthcare Library or the McClay Library.

• Invoices

A ‘considered lost’ invoice is to cover the replacement cost of an unreturned item, both printed and non-book materials.

If a user declares an item lost, we will raise an invoice for the replacement cost.

Your Responsibilities

You are responsible for any use made of your library card or credentials so keep them safe and do not share them with anyone else.

Books and other loanable items must be issued to your library record before being removed from the Library. However there are some loanable items, such as headphones, laptops and chargers that should not be taken out of the building.

The Library’s Resources are a shared facility, so please help keep material in circulation and readily available to other users by returning borrowed items promptly.