Library Services

I. Eligible Borrowers

McCain Library provides circulation services to current students, faculty, staff, and administration of Erskine College and Theological Seminary. Circulation privileges are also extended to Special Patrons of McCain Library and to students and faculty of other institutions with which Erskine has a reciprocal borrowing agreement (see Section X: Reciprocal Borrowing Agreements). [In these policies, “non-Erskine” refers to Special Patrons and patrons from other institutions.]

All patrons may borrow materials by presenting either a valid school ID card or a McCain Library Borrowers Card at the circulation desk.

Special Patrons:
“Special Patrons” shall be those individuals who are not Erskine College or Theological Seminary administrators, faculty, faculty emeriti, students, or staff, but who express a need to utilize the McCain Library. This definition includes, but is not limited to, spouses and children of administrators, faculty, staff, and students; alumni of the College and Seminary; clergy; area business or professional people; and other members of the local community at large.

Anyone may use the library for research and reading. However, a valid library card is required to check out materials. Qualified individuals may apply for a Special Patron card at the circulation desk. Special Patron status grants the cardholder both circulation and interlibrary loan privileges.

Applicants are required to:

Children under 18 years of age must have a parent’s or guardian’s signature indicating responsibility for items checked out by his/her child. Special Patron status must be approved by a full-time library staff member.

Replacement cards: All McCain Library Borrowers Cards have a $2.00 replacement fee. Lost Erskine ID cards are handled by Student Services and also have a replacement fee.

II. Circulation Periods

III. Renewals

Books and government documents may be renewed two (2) times consecutively if no other patron has requested the use of the item. For undergraduate and masters-level students, staff, administration, and non-Erskine patrons, each renewal is for a period of thirty (30) days. For faculty members and D.Min. and Th.M. students, each renewal is for a period of sixty (60) days. There are no renewals for DVDs, videos, CDs, books-on-tape, and audiocassettes. Every effort should be made to present materials at the Circulation Desk for renewal whenever possible. McCain Library reserves the right to recall any item if needed by another patron.

IV. Non-Circulating Materials

Materials from the following collections do not circulate:

The Library Director may grant faculty, staff, and administration the privilege of checking out a reference item for a special three (3) day period upon reasonable request.

V. Lending Limit

Students, staff, and administration are limited to fifty (50) items checked out at any given time. Faculties and D.Min. and Th.M. students are limited to one hundred (100) items checked out at any given time. Non-Erskine patrons (including Special Patrons and students and faculty from other institutions) are limited to five (5) items checked out at any given time.

VI. Recalls

McCain Library reserves the right to recall at any time an item that is checked out to a patron of McCain Library. At such time, the patron will be notified of the recall and will be expected to return the item immediately to McCain Library.

VII. Reserves

Reserve materials circulate to students for one of two periods, depending on the wishes of the professor placing them on reserve:

VIII. Overdue Items and Fees

Circulating Books and Government Documents:
Overdue fines for books from the regular circulating collection, the Popular Fiction/Non-fiction Collection, the SCA Collection, the OAU Collection, and government documents will be assessed at a rate of $0.10 per day per item. A three (3) day grace period will be observed. McCain Library sends overdue notices as a courtesy to patrons; however, it is the responsibility of the patrons to know the due date for checked out items and return items on time or pay overdue fines.

Audiovisual Items:
A fine of $0.50 per day per item will be assessed for overdue audiovisual items (i.e. videos, CDs, audiocassettes). A three (3) day grace period will be observed.

Interlibrary Loan Items:
A fine of $1.00 per day per item will be assessed for overdue interlibrary loan items. A three (3) day grace period will be observed.

Reserves:
A fine of $0.50 per day per item will be assessed for overdue reserve items. A one (1) day grace period will be observed. This policy applies to both “In Library Only” and “One-week check-out” reserve items.

Recalled Items:
A fine of $0.50 per day per item will be assessed for overdue recalled items. A three (3) day grace period will be observed.

Maximum Overdue Fines:
The maximum fine assessed for any overdue books will be $6.00. For all other overdue items, the maximum fine will be $15.00.

Suspension of Circulation Privileges:
Circulation privileges will be suspended for patrons with a total of ten (10) outstanding overdue items or $50.00 or more in outstanding fines and fees. (For Special Patrons, circulation privileges are suspended when the total number of outstanding overdue items reaches five (5) or the total amount of outstanding fines and fees reaches $25.00.) Once the items are returned and fines and fees are paid, circulation privileges will be restored. Students failing to return items and pay fines or charges incurred may be barred from checking out additional items, registering for classes, and receiving grades.

Exemptions:
All overdue fines (except for overdue interlibrary loan items) will be waived for faculty, staff, and administration. Fines and fees assessed for lost items (item replacement cost plus $10.00 processing fee) remain in effect.

IX. Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Items

Any item that becomes lost ‡, stolen, or damaged while checked out to a patron is the responsibility of that patron. In such cases, the patron to whom the item is checked out will be responsible for the following:

‡ Items sixty (60) days or more overdue will be considered “lost”.

If a lost item is found after payment has been received, McCain Library will refund fifty percent (50%) of the total payment received provided that:

Otherwise, no refund will be granted.

X. Reciprocal Borrowing Agreements

McCain Library maintains agreements for reciprocal borrowing privileges with PASCAL participating libraries (all public college and university libraries in South Carolina and all private college and university libraries affiliated with the South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities), Abbeville Greenwood Regional Library, Greenwood Genetic Center, Upper Savannah AHEC Library (Self Memorial Hospital), and member libraries of the Carolina Theological Consortium and Carolinas Theological Library Consortium. McCain Library circulation privileges for these non-Erskine patrons will be governed by the policies set forth in formal agreements established with the other libraries and the circulation polices of each library.

Please Note: Library policies are subject to change and may not be reflected here immediately. Official copies of policies are available in the library office.