Library Policies
Loan Periods
| Faculty* | Staff* | Students | |
| Books | 365 days | 84 days | 14 days with 2 renewals possible |
| Periodicals | Due by closing the next day | Due by closing the next day | Due by closing the next day |
| Video Recordings | 4 weeks | 3 days. DVD-Series: 2 weeks | 3 days. DVD-Series: 2 weeks |
| Music CDs and LPs | 28 days | 28 days | For in-library use only |
| Scores | 365 days | 84 days | 2 weeks |
| Reserves | Determined by the faculty member placing materials on reserve. | Determined by the faculty member placing materials on reserve. | Determined by the faculty member placing materials on reserve. |
| Leisure Reading Items | 4 weeks | 4 weeks | 4 weeks |
- *Note: if a student needs any item on loan to a faculty or staff member, the library will recall the item, requesting its immediate return. If the faculty or staff member wishes to check the item out again, the library can have the item held after the student returns it.
Library Cards
Your Houghton College identification card (ID) is your library card.
Courtesy cards will be issued free of charge to Alumni, Retirees, Pastors, Missionaries, and immediate family members (12 years or older) of faculty or staff.
Community members not affiliated with the College may request a library card for an annual fee of five (5) dollars.
Fine Policies (Students and Courtesy Card Holders)
- Overdue 2-week loans: $0.10 per day.
- Overdue periodicals: $1.00 per day.
- Overdue reserve materials: $1.00 per hour.
- Overdue videos: $1.00 per day.
- Overdue Interlibrary Loan Materials: $0.10 per day
Photocopier
A copy machine is available for patron use at $0.10 per page.
Privacy Issues
To protect the patron's right of privacy, library staff may not legally disclose who checked an item out. Please do not ask for this information. Any patron needing a book already checked out should have circulation personnel place a "HOLD" on the item and notify him/her when it is returned. If library material is checked out to a person who has circulation privileges for more than 14 days (i.e. administrators, staff and faculty), the library will "RECALL" the item for the patron.
Long-term Loans
Students doing independent studies, honor projects or senior seminar work may acquire an extended loan period for their library materials. Request forms requiring an appropriate faculty member's signature are available at the Circulation Desk.
Reserve Materials
The library circulation staff organizes and maintains the reserve collection. The intent is to make the often limited number of needed materials available to an entire class. These items are placed on reserved by written request of faculty only. (Forms are available at the circulation desk.) The faculty member designates the circulation period (1 hour, 2 hours, 3 day, etc.) for each item.
