LIBRARY GOALS
- To build a qualified, full-time library staff.
- To provide a complete, integrated, up-to-date Online Public Access Catalog.
- To refurbish and re-organize the library to promote student and classroom use by students and faculty.
- To provide a friendly, studious environment with full reference and support services to students and faculty.
- To provide a computer study area with internet access, online database access, and
software for students to use in the preparation of class work.
- To maintain an up-to-date reference collection.
- To build an adequate and balanced collection to support the research and continuing
education needs of students and faculty.
- To provide instructional and awareness programs to teach library and study skills and to increase student consciousness of the beauty and needs of the world around them and the differences they can make upon it.
- To seek and build financial support to provide adequate materials and services.
CIRCULATION POLICY
The WMCGW Library provides service to students, faculty, and staff with full access to all materials. As the direct circulation agent for library materials, the professional library staff maintains the management responsibility for the entire collection to ensure the availability of information and materials to fill the needs of individual patrons and protect the collection and its integrity for the use of future patrons. As a means of fulfilling this mission, these policies will be followed.
LIBRARY USE
The WMCGW Library is open to the public for the use of the collection within the physical premises. While the general reference and stacks are completely open, not all items can be checked out. Items marked as Reference and items in other special non-circulating collections may be used within the library but cannot be checked out. Items of rare or historical value that cannot be readily replaced or those on reserve for class assignments will be held on a restricted shelf requiring the patron to sign them out for use within the library. Those items will not be allowed to leave the library.
BORROWING PRIVILEGES
Borrowing privileges will be extended to current students, faculty, and staff only upon registration with the library and issuance of a valid Library Card. To obtain a library card, a patron must present proof of current enrollment or employment with WMCGW, most commonly in the form of a school-issued photo ID. A patron must present their library card each time they check out any library materials. If a patron is without their library card, a driver’s license or school-issued photo ID can be used to pull up the patron’s account. Each term, a student must renew his card by showing proof of enrollment for the new term. Faculty members will be automatically renewed if currently on the teaching schedule. No person with an outstanding balance for lost or damaged items will be allowed to renew his card until the balance has been paid.
BORROWER CONFIDENTIALITY
As required by Virginia law, the WMCGW Library protects the confidentiality of each
patron. Therefore, the library staff will not disclose information concerning any patron’s
borrowing record unless required by law to do so or unless it is necessary to recover the item borrowed. If the item is urgently needed, the staff will attempt to contact the patron about returning the item.
NON-CIRCULATING MATERIALS
Reference books, periodicals, and some other Special Collections are not circulated by the WMCGW Library. Faculty members only may arrange for short loans of reference books and periodicals for classroom use. Items in the non-circulating Special Collection areas may be used In-Library only.
Materials must be returned to the Circulation Desk during library hours. Patrons are responsible for ensuring that all materials are returned in the same condition in which they were checked out, and that all supplementary parts and pieces are present.
While overdue notices will be sent to the address on record, these notices are a courtesy only as delivery cannot be guaranteed. Failure to receive a notice does not constitute a basis for altering or negating a fine.
RENEWALS
Patrons may renew any materials borrowed from the library provided that no other person has made a request for the item, but in no instance should the renewal last beyond the last day of the term. Books and audiovisual materials may be renewed up to 3 times. Games may be renewed only once.
HOLDS
A patron may request that a hold be placed on any item checked out to another person by either logging in to the library’s online catalog and placing a hold from there, or by making a request directly to library staff, either in person or by phone or email. When the item is returned, two attempts will be made to notify the patron that the book is available. If the item is not called for within three days one week, it will be returned to the shelf for others to use.
RESERVES
WMCGW faculty members may place materials needed for course assignments on reserve by making a request to the librarian. The materials will be pulled and placed behind the desk. Students may request these at the Circulation Desk for use only within the library unless otherwise directed by the faculty member as requested otherwise.
LOST AND DAMAGED BOOK CHARGES
Patrons are responsible for returning library materials on time and in the same condition in which they were checked out. Any items checked out are automatically marked as Lost once they have been overdue for 90 days. When an item is marked as Lost, a replacement fee is automatically assessed to the patron’s account equaling the current retail cost of the item, or $40 if the current retail cost of the item is unknown and cannot reasonably be assessed. A replacement fee is also charged if an item is returned with damage sufficient to render it unsuitable for further circulation, at the discretion of the librarian. Library items that are returned with parts missing (e.g., a disc missing from an audiobook or pieces missing from a game) will remain checked out until the missing parts are returned. Efforts will be made by the library staff to contact the patron who checked out the item and inform them of the missing parts. If the missing parts are not returned in a timely manner, a replacement fee will be charged to the patron’s account.
Patrons with fees or overdue items on their account cannot check any more items out until their record is cleared. Any fees must be paid directly to the business office for crediting to the library account, and the receipt returned to the library to clear the library record. An unpaid replacement fee for a missing item may be waived if the item is returned before the fee is paid. If a patron has paid a replacement fee, that fee cannot be refunded, even if the item is returned later.