For Samford Faculty

Checking out books and other materials

To check out library materials you will need to present your Samford I.D., or state or show your SSN at any Library circulation desk.

Due dates

Loan periods vary by the type of item that you check out. Use the table below to determine the loan period for your items:

Loan Periods for Faculty
Regular Circulating Books and Printed Scores	1 semester, due dates in May & Dec 2 renewals
CIBs	2 weeks No renewals
Government Documents	1 semester 1 renewal
Multimedia: CDs, Records, Videos	7 days 2 renewals
Reference, Periodicals	Special permission required
Reserves: In-Library Use	Varies: 1, 2 or 3 hours Note: Renewals must be requested in-person
Reserves: In-Library Use	Varies: 1, 3 or 7 Days Note: Renewals must be requested in-person

Maps, CD-ROMS, and certain other materials in some libraries may have other loan periods.

Materials in some collections, such as Reference and Special Collections, do not normally circulate.

Top

Renewing materials

The libraries allows two renewals of most materials unless the item has been requested by someone else. After two renewals, books must be returned in order to be renewed. Periodicals, reserves, and other special materials may not be renewed. Renewal requests may be made in person, or by contacting the Circulation Coordinator by email or at 726-2699. Interlibrary loan renewal requests must be made through Interlibrary Loan, 726-2983.

Top

Overdues and fines

Faculty are charged fines for CIB books only. CIB fines are $.25 per day per item, with a limit of $12.50 per item. All other library materials carry no fines for faculty.

Top

Replacing lost or damaged materials

When materials are not returned and become long overdue the user is billed for replacement cost. If there is no response, the department or school dean will be notified, and the department or school will be charged.

Replacement costs are as follows:

Replacement Costs
In-print materials	Replacement cost as listed in BIP, Ulrich's, Whitaker's, etc. plus processing fee.
Out of print books	Price listed by out-of-print book dealer, or average cost of Samford Library titles purchased in the subject area plus procession fee.
Periodicals	Replacement cost or pro-rated current subscription cost.
Interlibrary Loan	Replacement charges are set by the lending institution.
Other materials	Original cost or actual cost of comparable item plus processing fee.

Top

Placing Reserves

The Reserve Desk serves the University by providing a small, separate collection of books and materials for supplementary educational usage. Library-owned materials, in addition to personal copies of materials, may be placed "on reserve." Each professor determines the loan period for his/her items. A professor may place an item on Room Reserve (1, 2 or 3 hour limits), or the professor may choose to allow the item out of the library for 1-, 3-, or 7-day checkouts. Room reserve, without a set hour limit, indicates that the item may be checked out until the library closes but must not be taken out of the building.

Current faculty and staff may request that materials be placed on reserve for class use. Requests can be made in person or by using the reserve form. The online form should be used only for items the library already owns. Personal materials should be brought to the library. Reserve requests will be processed as quickly as possible in the order received. Although the staff takes all reasonable precautions, the library is not responsible for any damage or loss of personal materials placed on reserve.

All photocopies should be supplied by the professor (maximum of 5 copies per article). Non-circulating materials, including all reference and periodical materials, will not be placed on reserve. If there is need, professors may photocopy these materials and place the photocopies on reserve.

Instructors are responsible for complying with copyright laws.

At the end of each semester, all materials will be taken off Reserve. Any personal materials that have not been picked up will be returned to the professor.

Top

Borrowing materials from other libraries

With their Samford faculty ID, Samford faculty may borrow materials from the other Birmingham-area libraries with whom Samford University Library has a cooperative borrowing agreement. These libraries are:

• Bessemer State Tech
• Birmingham Southern College
• Covenant Theological Seminary
• Faulkner University
• Jefferson State
• Judson College
• Lawson State Jr. College
• Miles College
• New Orleans Seminary Extension Center
• Samford Extension Division Tuscaloosa
• Southeastern Bible College
• Spring Hill College (Birmingham Extension Center)
• University of Alabama in Birmingham
• University of Montevallo

Top

Interlibrary Loan

Materials not available in our collection may also be borrowed from other libraries via the Interlibrary Loan service. Please fill out an online request form for the materials you need. Books and articles from journals, either obtained via ILL or located in our library, can be delivered to the departmental office of faculty/staff via the Resource Retrieval Service. The Resource Retrieval Service is available only to faculty and staff of Samford University.

For more information, please email or call 726-2983.

Top

Contact the circulation department

Telephone: 205 726-2748

E-mail: library@samford.edu

Top