Library Policies

CIRCULATION POLICY  

Borrower Type

The following types of patrons may borrow certain circulating materials with a valid AUN ID card: 

 Loan Period

•  The length of time patrons may check out items varies and depends upon patron status and material type

•  Books/items must be returned on or before the date due.

•  Patrons who persistently keep books beyond the dates they are due may, in addition to paying fine, lose their borrower's privileges.

•  The duration of loan and number of items to be borrowed is subject to periodic review.

•  Career Development materials may be borrowed for 4 days .

Circulating Books

•  Circulating items at the Main Stacks may be checked out and renewed once if there are no holds pending.

•  To borrow, a patron must present the items pulled out from the stacks and give his ID to the Library staff at the Circulation Desk to record.

•  Non- circulating items such as journals, reference books, must be used in the Library.

•  Eligible patrons may borrow up to 3 books during long vacation with permission from the Library Director or Coordinator of Access Services .

•  All books/items borrowed must be returned before the last day of finals .

•  Borrowing of items must be completed 30minutes before closing hours.

Renewals

•  Book loans are renewable once in order to enable other patrons to have access to all available items.

•  A title may not be renewed if another person has a hold on it.

•  Faculty DVDs and indoor games are not renewable.

•  Renewals may be done on or before the due date, in person at the Circulation Desk,  phone: 080-5440-0135 and Intercom 1151 during the Library's normal hours of operation. 

Recall of Books

•  A book or item may be recalled before the due date. A new date is created for the item and the current user must return the item by this date.

•  Information on recall of an item will be electronically communicated to the patron.

•  An item needed for Course Reserve can be recalled immediately without consideration of the patron's check out date.

•  Any recalled item not returned by the new date will attract 50NGN per day, per item.

Hold Requests

•  Patrons with valid ID may place holds on any circulating material.

•  To place a hold the patron must come to the Circulation Desk, phone the Desk or use the request function available via the OPAC at http://library.aun.edu.ng/

•  Patrons will be notified electronically when the item on hold is ready for pick up.

•  Items recalled will be held at the Circulation Desk for 3 days beginning from the day the requesting patron was notified. After 3 days the item will be returned to the stacks.

Reservations

•  Materials (books, photocopies and DVDs) recommended by Faculty and those in constant demand are kept in the reserve area.

•  Course Reserve materials may be used for 2 hours while the patron is in the Library.

•  Reserve materials can be renewed once. Subsequent renewals are at the discretion of the Circulation staff.

•   Faculty can recommend placement of items on reserve via Course Reserves .

•  Reserve materials may be taken out from the Library overnight but must be returned within one hour of the Library's next opening time .

•  Faculty member's personal copies of materials may not be borrowed overnight.

•  Faculty members may borrow a non- current issue of a journal upon special request .

•  Students, in groups or individuals, may use Faculty DVDs in the AV Room for the playing time of the DVD when the room is available .

Overdue Fines

•  Books/items borrowed should be returned on or before the due date.

•  Late return of circulating items attracts a fine of 20NGN per day per item and 20NGN for each hour late for reserve materials.

•  Upon failure to return an item on its due date, two overdue notices will be sent electronically.

•  Failure to return a reserve item by the end of the day will result in blocking the patron for 7 days.

•  Overdue fines that are less than 500NGN are to be made to the Library through the use of prepaid cards obtained from Finance.

•  Charges that exceed 500NGN will be automatically deducted from the student account or through use of Library Fines Slip .

•  The borrowing privileges of patrons with prolonged or repeated overdues will be withheld for a certain period of time.

•  Patrons whose fines exceed 500NGN will be stopped from borrowing any item until the payment is made.

Replacement Charges

•  Patrons are responsible for all items checked out from the Library.

•  In the event of loss or damage, the patron will be charged a replacement fee which will include the current cost of the material plus 30% of the value of the item as shipment and processing fee.

•  Patrons will only be charged the cost of repairs for items that are repairable.

•  Full replacement charge is to be made for lost parts of DVD, and CD sets.

•  Fines for overdue materials cease from the time an item is reported as missing and the fine may be waived if the replacement cost exceeds the fines.

•  An item that is overdue for 30 days is considered as 'lost' and therefore attracts a replacement charge.

•  Replacement charges for patron barcode, book covers and photocopies of articles will be determined on a case- to- case basis.

•  The Library does not accept charges paid in cash, by check or credit card.

•  Payments for losses and damages are to be made to Finance through filling of Library Fines Slip.

Security

•  Patrons are to show their ID to the Security at the entrance before coming into the Library and to show Library books for crosschecking when leaving .

•  The stipulated procedures for borrowing have to be followed before any Library material is taken out of the Library.

•  The Library maintains the confidentiality of borrowers' records.

Circulation Services

A number of routine services are carried out by Circulation Staff. The Staff facilitate and monitor the circulation of materials from the Main Reading Room or Open Stacks as well as control the use of Course Reserves for limited periods. Some of the operations carried out at the Circulation Desk include: 

•  Issuance of Library Registration Slips to patrons to fill.

•  Registration through recording and updating Patron Record.

•  Attachment of unique patron barcodes to patron IDs

•  Checking in and checking out of circulating books/items.

•  Placing items on hold for requesting patrons to pick up

•  Circulating and placing items for students on reserve.

•  Processing and receipt of overdue fines and replacement charges.

•  Assisting patrons to search materials via the OPAC and in the stacks.

•  Shelving and shelf reading.

•  Directing patrons to Reference Desk for Research Request Forms and assisting them to fill them in before leaving them at the reference Desk.

•  Temporary custody of items lost and found in the Library until their retrieval.

•  Patrons can make suggestions on how to improve our services via the OPAC.

•  Patrons are advised to always contact any Library staff whenever assistance is needed.