Borrowing & Lending Policies

These policies cover use of our collections.

Borrowing Privileges

  • All currently enrolled University of Scranton students and employees have borrowing privileges. A person's Royal ID is used to charge out books, borrow technology, and use reserve items.
  • University of Scranton Alumni have book borrowing privileges. Alumni should register at the Library Services Desk to obtain a Library card. When registering, alumni must provide a photo ID. Alumni may access databases at guest computers (1st floor) while in the library. Remote access and Interlibrary Loan privileges are limited to currently enrolled students and University employees.
  • Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library have borrowing privileges for books during their annual membership period. Friends are mailed paper membership cards. Friends may access databases at guest computers (1st floor) while in the library. Remote access and Interlibrary Loan privileges are limited to currently enrolled students and University employees.
  • The Library offers reciprocal borrowing of books to students and employees of the following schools:  Keystone College, King’s College, Luzerne County Community College, Marywood University, and Scranton Prep. Borrowers from any of these institutions must register at the Library Services Desk to obtain a Library card. When registering, borrowers must provide ID from their home institution, and if the ID does not include a photo, must also provide a photo ID. Reciprocal borrowing is allowed on the same day as registering for privileges. Reciprocal borrowers may access databases at guest computers (1st floor) while in the library building.
  • Persons with Lackawanna County Library System cards may apply for borrowing privileges. When applying, borrowers must provide their LCLS card, and must also provide a photo ID. After we verify that the applicant is in good standing with the Lackawanna County Library System, a user card will be mailed to the applicant’s home address. Borrowing is not allowed on the same day as applying for privileges. LCLS borrowers are limited to five (5) books at a time on their account. LCLS borrowers may access databases at guest computers (1st floor) while in the library building.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality of library circulation and use records:

PENNSYLVANIA STATUTES TITLE 24. EDUCATION CHAPTER 16. LIBRARIES ARTICLE IV

[P.S.] § 4428. Library circulation records

Records related to the circulation of library materials which contain the names or other personally identifying details regarding the users of the State Library or any local library which is established or maintained under any law of the Commonwealth or the library of any university, college or educational institution chartered by the Commonwealth or the library of any public school or branch reading room, deposit station or agency operated in connection therewith, shall be confidential and shall not be made available to anyone except by a court order in a criminal proceeding.

Click the following link to access a PowerPoint presentation about the Patriot Act.

Holds

If a book you need is checked out in the library's catalog (shows a due date), you can request a copy of the book by using EZBorrow or ILLiad.

If a book you need is marked "available", you may place a hold on it to have library staff pull the book from the stacks for you. You will receive an e-mail when the book is ready for you to pick up at the Library Services Desk. You can also retrieve the book from the stacks yourself if you need it right away. Ask for assistance at the Library Services Desk for help finding books and resources.

Interlibrary Loans

After checking the Weinberg Memorial Library's catalog and finding that the Library does not own desired materials, or finding that the copy we own is checked out, University faculty, students, and staff may borrow these materials from another library. Students enrolled in Online Programs should contact the ILL office at interlibrary-loan@scranton.edu before making any requests.

Books may be borrowed through PALCI EZBorrow, where direct borrowing from over 50 regional academic libraries is available from a single search. Books usually arrive in 3-5 business days, and you receive an e-mail when your book is ready for pick up at the Library Services Desk. Materials are loaned for 16 weeks, with no renewal. If books are not available through PALCI EZBorrow, they may be requested through ILLiad.

The first time you use ILLiad, you will be asked to register as a new user. Once registered you will be prompted to login with your Royal ID and password. In the left-hand menu under “new request”, choose the type of material you need (article request, book, etc.), and fill in as much information as possible on the form to facilitate processing. Reference Librarians can assist users in locating all necessary information for completing the form. If you have already found an article in a library database and click on the “request through Interlibrary Loan” link, the request form will be filled in for you automatically.

Articles are often available within 24 hours, and you are notified by e-mail when the article is delivered to your ILLiad account. Articles remain available in your ILLiad account for 14 days. Most book requests are filled within 1-2 weeks, depending on the availability of the material. You receive an e-mail when your book is ready for pick up at the Library Services Desk. ILL books are loaned for 30 days and may be renewed at the discretion of the loaning library.

There are no charges for borrowing books or for article delivery through ILLiad, but borrowers are financially responsible for items that are lost or damaged while checked out on their account.

Laptops and Lendable Technology

University of Scranton students with full borrowing privileges may borrow a laptop computer or tablet at the Library Services Desk. Users with delinquent accounts are not permitted to borrow laptops or tablets. Borrowing is limited to one item per borrower at a time and items are available on a first-come basis. They may not be reserved or recalled from another borrower. A “Tablet & Laptop Loan Agreement and Use Policy” must be read and signed each academic year. Tablets and laptops may not be borrowed over semester/holiday breaks.

Other technology may be borrowed from the Library Services Desk by University of Scranton students and employees for use in the building.

Loan Periods

Books: The standard loan period for undergraduate students, graduate students, adjunct faculty and staff is the semester term. The loan period for Faculty is the full academic year. Unless a hold is pending, any borrower may renew books in person at the Library Services Desk, by telephone (570-941-7524), or via My Account in the Library Catalog or on the My.Scranton Library tab.

Tablets and laptops only circulate to students. The standard loan period for tablets and laptops is five days. Tablets and laptops may be renewed in person at the Library Services Desk, by telephone (570-941-7524), or via My Account in the Library Catalog or on the My.Scranton Library tab. Tablets and laptops have limited renewals. Renewals are not permitted if another borrower is waiting.

Other Technology:

  • Laptops and iPads circulate for 5 days.
  • External DVD Drives circulate for 2 days.
  • HDMI Adapters, the Podcasting Microphone, and the One-Touch Video Recording Studio circulate for 3 hours and may not be taken out of the building.

Reference books and periodicals do not circulate outside the Library. These "In-Library use only" materials must be returned to the Library Services Desk before the Library closes.

Media & EdLab Resources

All currently enrolled University of Scranton students and employees have borrowing privileges for Media/EdLab Resources ("MRC"). Persons without a Royal Card may use Media/EdLab resources in the MRC but may not borrow them.

Faculty and Staff may borrow Audio Books, DVDs, Music CDs, and VHS tapes for seven (7) days. EdLab materials may be borrowed for the full semester.

Students may borrow Audio Books and Music CDs for five (5) days, and DVDs and VHS tapes for two (2) days. EdLab materials may be borrowed for five (5) days.

Online Program Services

Eligibility

As a student you are eligible for services when:

  • You are currently enrolled in courses for-credit at The University of Scranton which are being delivered either off-campus OR via the Internet OR you are completing an independent study or internship off-campus, AND
  • you currently reside off-campus.

As a faculty member you are eligible for services when:

  • You are teaching all of your University of Scranton for-credit course(s) from off-campus, AND
  • you do not have office hours on-campus.

Services

The following services are available ONLY to currently enrolled students and faculty. Please contact the ILL office at interlibrary-loan@scranton.edu before making any requests.

  • Delivery of articles from journals owned by the Weinberg Memorial Library – Most articles are available electronically. Articles from newspapers, magazines, or journals that are unavailable from the Weinberg Memorial Library's electronic collections can be scanned and emailed to you.
  • Delivery of books from the Weinberg Memorial Library – Books will be shipped to you by UPS. You are responsible for returning all books to the Weinberg Memorial Library at your own expense, using UPS Ground (contact us first if you must use other shipping options).
  • Delivery of materials not owned by Weinberg Memorial Library – materials will be borrowed from other libraries and delivered to you as outlined above.
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