Circulation Policies for Gallaudet Faculty, Staff, and Students

Requirements for borrowing

Gallaudet ID card with a barcode, provided by Library staff
1. Must be your own ID!
2. Students must be currently registered.
3. Faculty may allow graduate students to borrow on their behalf, with a letter of permission and the faculty member's ID.
ID card from WRLC member university
1. Georgetown University
2. George Mason University
3. George Washington University
4. Marymount University
5. University of DC
6. Catholic University of America
7. American University

Information from the University's student and personnel administration systems is entered into the Library's user database to provide library records for each borrower. Student library records normally expire at the end of each semester. Records for faculty and staff remain active for as long as the person is employed at Gallaudet.

Students wishing to use Library resources for Gallaudet research purposes during breaks between semesters or during the summer sessions may ask for their library privileges to be extended. Send an email to library.circdesk@gallaudet.edu to request an extension of your privileges. Please include a brief explanation of your need for extended privileges.

Viewing your Library account

You may view and monitor the transactions on your library account using the myALADIN feature in ALADIN.

Blocks to your Library account

If you have six or more overdue books or $25 or more in fines owed to Gallaudet or any WRLC library, your library record will be blocked from further activity. You will not be able to borrow additional books or renew existing books online.

Students who have one overdue book or $50 or more in fines/fees will also have a block placed on their University record, affecting registration, dropping/adding courses, and requests for transcripts.

Loan periods

You will receive a receipt with the name of the book and its due date printed on it.

Gallaudet undergraduate students - 4 weeks
Gallaudet graduate students - 6 weeks
Gallaudet staff - 4 weeks
Gallaudet faculty
1. Deaf stacks materials - 4 weeks
2. General stacks materials - 1 semester (due dates: January 31, May 31, September 30)
3. Please note: after four weeks, a book with a semester-long due date is subject to recall if another patron needs the book.

All patrons are guaranteed a four week time period to use Library books. After four weeks, books are subject to recall if another patron needs them. An exception to this policy is if a book is needed for course reserves in which case it may be recalled immediately.

Borrowing limits

Books: There is no limit on the number of books you may borrow at one time.

Videos: You may have a total of three videos checked out at the same time.

Renewing books

Gallaudet Library books and other circulating materials may be renewed as long as there are no holds placed on the item by another library user.

There is a limit of three renewals. If you renew books online, after three renewals you must bring the books back to the Library. If you still need them, the books can be discharged and borrowed again.

Renew Books Yourself Using myALADIN: This can be done from home, office, dorm, or in the Library. Click here for instructions.
In-Person Renewals: You may renew books at the Gallaudet University Library Service Desk. To renew books at the Desk you must have the books with you.
Phone Renewals: Because of potential problems with accuracy and patron privacy, Gallaudet University Library does not accept phone renewals.
Using myALADIN to Renew Books: Note: If you have six or more overdue books or $25 or more in overdue fines, you will not be able to renew books online. If you renew overdue books online, the library system calculates overdue fines. If you reach $25 in fines while you are renewing, you will be blocked from renewing any more books.
1. Go to the Gallaudet University Library home page (library.gallaudet.edu).
2. Look at the upper-left-hand box named "Shortcuts to ALADIN." You will see a link to "myALADIN."
3. Enter your last name and library barcode number (22884...) or your Gallaudet student ID number at the prompts.
4. Institution -- select Gallaudet.
5. Click GO.
6. On the left side of the screen look for the Library Items section.
7. Under the AU, CU, DC, GA, GW, & MU and the GM - George Mason headings, you will see what items you have checked out.
8. Click on Renew.
9. Mark those items you wish to renew and click on Renew Items.
10. For Georgetown:
  1. Next to the Georgetown heading click on View.
  2. Login to GEORGE (Georgetown's Millennium circulation system).
  3. Click on [x] items currently checked out.
  4. Mark those items you wish to renew and click on Renew Selected Items.
11. Be sure to note new due dates or system messages about problems with renewing. If the book was not renewed, return it to any WRLC circulation desk as soon as possible to reduce or avoid overdue charges.
12. Click on the ALADIN icon at the top right to return to the ALADIN system, or close all browser windows to exit.
13. Contact Gallaudet Library access services staff (library.circdesk@gallaudet.edu) if you encounter any technical problems with online renewals.

Library notices

Notices are sent as a courtesy. Failure to receive a notice does not excuse you from paying overdue fines or replacement costs for lost books.

The Library sends you three types of notices related to your borrowed materials:

Reminder notices: if your Library record has an email address, you will receive an email reminder notice approximately one week before your books are overdue. For videos, the email reminder will arrive approximately 24 hours before the due date.
Overdue notices: overdue notices are generated one day after a book becomes overdue. They are sent through email or mail.
Fine/fee statements: Fine/fee statements are generated when you accrue overdue fines or lost item charges. They are sent through email or mail.

Overdue fines

Books: Twenty-five cents ($.25) per day per book for books that are not returned by the due date
Maximum overdue fine: $10.00 per item

Reserve Materials: One cent ($.01) per minute per reserve item for items that are not returned by the time they are due
Maximum overdue fine: $10.00 per item

Videos: Three dollars ($1.00) per day per video
Maximum overdue fine: $15.00 per item.

Lost item charges

$57 per item replacement charge
$30 lost item processing fee

If an item is not returned within 40 days of the due date (7 days for videos), the Library's automated circulation system will automatically flag the item as lost and add lost item charges to your record. You will then receive a bill with $87 worth of lost item charges plus a maximum $10 overdue fine listed for each item not returned.

When "lost" items are returned, the lost item charges are forgiven, but the overdue fine of $10 per item must be paid.

Book return

Return materials inside the Library at either the east or west side book drops at the Library Service Desk. Return materials outside the Library at the book drop on the east side of the building (Student Academic Center side).

All book drops are cleared just before closing time. Books found in the outside book drop when the Library opens are considered returned on that day.

Holds and recalls

HOLDS: If you need a book that is checked out to another person, Library staff can place a hold on the book for you. This means the book cannot be renewed by the patron who has it and you will be the next person to get the book when it is returned.

RECALLS: If the patron who has the book has had it for longer than four weeks, we will recall the book which means we will ask the person to return the book to the Library within ten days.

We will notify you through email when the book you asked for is ready.

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Prepared by Susan Davis
Coordinator of Access Services
October, 1998

Revised by Sarah Hamrick
Director of Library Public Services
May, 2007

Revised by James McCarthy
Instruction & Reference Librarian
April, 2009