Qualified Borrowers
Students, faculty, staff, and alumni who hold a valid or current ID from Cornerstone University, Kuyper College or Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary are eligible for reciprocal borrowing privileges at other CULN libraries. Guest patrons of one participating CULN library do not have reciprocal borrowing privileges with the other CULN libraries.
Loan Periods
The standard loan period for circulating materials for students is four weeks (28 days). Faculty and staff loan period is one semester. DVDs and videos have a 7-day loan period for all patron types. If a hold is placed on an item, the borrowing period is reduced to 7 days regardless of the patron type.
Renewals
Students are allowed 3 renewals on most items while faculty and staff are allowed 1 renewal. DVDs and videos are allowed 1 renewal regardless of the patron type. Renewals should be made only at the lending library, or by signing into My Library Account at http://eaglelink.cornerstone.edu/patroninfo.
Overdue books can be renewed during the 13-day grace period, but cannot be renewed once an item has been billed on the 14th day after the due date. Overdue DVDs and videos can be renewed during their 3-day grace period.
Email Notices and Overdue Materials
All communication with patrons regarding overdues and fines is done through email. Therefore, it is vital to always have current email addresses in patron records.
After a patron checks out material they will receive the following notices:
1. A courtesy notice reminding the patron when an item is due will be sent 3 days prior to the due date and advises them to either renew or return the item.
2. Three days after an item is due the patron will receive another email notice, notifying them the item is now overdue, and advises them to renew or return the item to avoid a $75 per item replacement fee.
3. Eleven days later (14 days after due date) a replacement bill of $75 will be issued ($40.00 default cost to replace item, $30.00 replacement processing fee, and $5 for replacement bill service charge).
If the item is returned during the grace period (first 13 days) all fees are waived. If the item is returned after grace period (on the 14th day), $5 service charge is still charged. The grace period for DVDs and videos is three days and items returned after three days will be billed a $5 service charge.
Fines
Fines will be charged for overdue reserve material in the amount of $1 per hour for hourly reserves, and $1 per day for daily reserves (including 1 week). Fines may also be incurred when items that have been recalled (because of a hold) are overdue. There is a $5 maximum cap on reserve and hold fines.
All fines must be paid to the library that owns the overdue material.
Holds for Requested Material
A hold enables a borrower to reserve the next use of an item that is currently in circulation. Several patrons may place a hold on the same item. A queue, by request date, will be used to distribute the item fairly. The process works as follows:
When a hold is placed, a recall email notice is issued to the current borrower requesting return of the material within a week. Failure to return the item on time will result in a fine of $1.00 per day. (If material is returned after a replacement bill has been issued, the charge will be adjusted to reflect only the $5.00 billing fee.)
When the material is returned to the library, a data page is printed and placed inside the book and placed on the hold shelf. The waiting patron is also notified by email that the book is ready for pickup.
If an item is not picked up within a week, it is loaned to the next person with a hold or it is returned to the stacks and a cancellation notice is sent to the patron.
Note: All holds must be picked up and dropped off at the library that owns the held item.
Holds can be placed by clicking on the request button in the catalog record of the online catalog or by contacting the circulation desk.
Check-ins
All returning Items should be returned to the lending library for check-in.
Library Representative Retrieval, Checkout, and Return Service
Each CULN member library may choose to send a representative to another CULN library to retrieve and check out material for a student/faculty/staff of their institution. Each member library will contact the circulation area of the other CULN member libraries with name(s) of the representative(s) who have permission to retrieve and check out material for student/faculty/staff of their institution. It will be the responsibility of the representative to retrieve the needed material from the shelf and to have it checked out under the name of the requesting student/faculty/staff of their institution.
Items being returned by representative(s) should be dropped off in either a library drop box or given to a staff person at the circulation desk of the lending library.
Loss of Privileges
Circulation privileges at other CULN member institutions will be blocked for any patron owing $75.00 or more in unreturned items or fines at their home library.
Other Resources
CULN Libraries do not share electronic resources such as databases or ebooks, due to licensing restrictions. Periodicals (magazines, newspapers, journals) may not be checked out, but must be used at each specific library.