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Policies

The NJIT Library circulates materials from the Van Houten and Littman Libraries' collections to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and guest borrowers.

Who may borrow library materials?

  • Currently enrolled NJIT students 

  • NJIT faculty and staff

  • Faculty and staff emeriti

  • NJII staff members

  • NJIT alumni with a valid Alumni ID card

  • VentureLink staff members

  • Visiting scholars with a letter from their host department

  • Faculty and students from VALE reciprocal borrowing institutions (must present their institution ID card and a "VALE Reciprocal Borrowing Application Form")

  • Students, faculty, and staff from the NJ5 Consortium (Stockton University, Rowan University, The College of New Jersey, and William Paterson University)

  • Guest patrons (students from Rutgers University-Newark not  currently enrolled in NJIT courses and students from Essex Community College)

 

What materials may be borrowed?

  • Books, DVDs, and CD-ROMs in the Circulating Collection
  • Books and other course materials in the Reserve Collection
  • Calculators, Chargers, Whiteboard Kits, and other equipment located at library service desks

 

What materials may not be borrowed?

  • Reference books
  • Periodicals / serials / journals / magazines

 

How long can I keep the materials I borrowed? 

Type of Materials

NJIT Undergraduate Students

NJIT Faculty, Staff, Emeritus, and Graduate Students All Other borrowers
Circulating Collection Items 90 days* 180 days* 28 days*
2-hours reserve items 2 hours 2 hours 2 hours
1-day reserve items 24 hours 24 hours 24 hours
7-day reserve items 7 days 7 days 7 days

*Due dates for graduating students and those not enrolled for the subsequent semester will be shortened to the end of the current semester.

 

Is there a limit on how many items I can borrow simultaneously?

  • NJIT Undergraduate Students
50 items
  • NJIT Faculty
  • NJIT Staff
  • Emeritus
  • NJIT Graduate Students
100 items
  • NJII Staff
  • NJ5 members
25 items
  • NJIT Alumni
  • VentureLink
  • VALE Members
  • Guest Patrons
10 items

 

What is the check-out procedure for circulating materials?

Students, faculty, and staff must present their current, valid institutional ID card. Only the owner of a library-registered ID, or their designated proxy, is authorized to borrow materials on their card. The library is not responsible for the unauthorized use of borrowing privileges. 
Guest borrowers should present their institutional ID and proof of enrollment to obtain borrowing privileges.

 

What is the check-out procedure for "In-Library Use Only" materials?

Students, faculty, and staff must present a current, valid NJIT ID card which will be held at the Circulation Desk while the material is being used in the library. Items marked as “In-Library Use Only” must be used in the library and cannot be removed from the library building. 

 

What is the procedure for renewals?

Materials on loan to students may be renewed twice providing no one has recalled them. NJIT faculty and staff and NJII staff may renew items three times. Renewals may be done in the following ways:

  • Online through your library account if the item(s) are not already overdue.
  • By presenting the item(s) in person to the respective library Service Desk staff
  • Via telephone 973-596-6371 (current NJIT faculty, staff, and students only)

Borrowers should wait 24 hours before borrowing a book they have just returned.

 

What are the fines for returning borrowed items late?

Type of materials NJIT Undergraduate Students NJIT Faculty, Staff, Emeritus, and Graduate Students All Other Borrowers
Circulating Collection Items No fines** No fines** No fines**
2-hours reserve items $5 per hour/per item* No fines** $5 per hour/per item*
1 day reserve items $5 per day/per item* No fines** $5 per day/per item*
7 day reserve items $5 per day/per item* No fines** $5 per day/per item*

*Fines are not a mechanism to "rent" a book. They are set to ensure the book is returned so that as many people can use it as possible. If a borrower habitually accrues fines and pays them to keep books past their due dates, they may be subject to loss of access to and use of library resources and disciplinary action by the university.
 

** An absence of fines does not mean borrowers may be free from penalties. Borrowers with items long overdue, or those with habitually overdue items, may be subject to loss of access to and use of library resources and disciplinary action by the university.
 

How do I place a hold on (recall) a borrowed item?

Holds may be placed on materials that are currently checked out by placing a request for the item using the library website.

 

Is there a recall fine for borrowed materials not returned by the recall due date?

Recall fine is $5.00 per day, per item for materials not returned after 7 days of notice.

 

What are the procedures for lost or damaged materials?

Patrons are fully responsible for all library materials charged to them. In the event that an item is lost, the library will charge the cost of the item plus a $50.00 processing fee per item. If a lost item is found and returned within 90 days, the cost of the item will be refunded, but the processing fee is not refundable. 

 

Does the library send overdue notices for materials that I borrowed?

Overdue notices are sent 7, 21, and 90 days after an item is due. After 90 days, an item is considered ‘lost’. The Lost Item Processing Fee must be paid even if the book is returned after this point. Notices are emailed to the borrower's official NJIT email addresses. Borrowers are responsible for checking their NJIT email account for notices.

 

Approved at the CITLAR meeting, Sep 26, 2024
Approved at the Librarian’s Team Meeting, Aug 21, 2024
Approved at the CITLAR meeting, Sep 11, 2014
Approved at the Faculty Library Committee meeting, Dec 16, 2004
Approved at the Faculty Library Committee meeting, Oct 21, 2004
Approved at the Faculty Library Committee meeting, Nov 20, 2003
Approved at the Librarians Team Meeting, Sep 5, 2003
Approved at the Librarian’s Team Meeting, Aug 18, 1999
 

New Jersey Institute of Technology
University Heights, Newark, New Jersey 07102-1982
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