Whether you are a Worcester State University student, faculty (full-time or adjunct), administrator, or staff member, you may check out library materials with a valid Worcester State OneCard. You must present your OneCard to check out any item.
If you are a student, you may borrow material only during the semester you are registered in courses. You can check out books for 28 days; one renewal for 28 days is available.
If you are a faculty member, you can check out books for the entire semester. No renewals are available.
Do not loan your OneCard to someone else to check out a book. You are responsible for all materials that are charged on your OneCard. If you lose it, notify the OneCard/Student Accounts Office to avoid unauthorized use of your card.
The Library’s Circulation Desk is part of Access Services.
Replacement Fee
A replacement fee of $45 or the list price of the item is charged when it is 28 days overdue. Patrons are liable for the replacement cost for lost materials. If the material is returned within 6 months of the payment, a refund for the replacement cost can be made.
Note. Students who have overdue materials or replacement fees will have their borrowing privileges suspended 28 days after the overdue notice. It is Worcester State University policy that students (including former students) owing money to the Library will not be permitted to register for classes or to be issued a transcript. Accounts must be paid in full before we can clear you with the Registrar’s Office.
Holds & reservations
*Non-print materials
Non-print items, such as videos/DVDs and audio compact discs, are housed in the Instructional Media Services in room L-207 down the corridor from the Circulation Desk. Length of circulation periods varies depending on format. For regulations, fines, and non-print reserves, consult with the staff in the IMS. A copy of the IMS policy is also available online.
Important information
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In-person renewals
Most library material circulates for 28 days. Items must be renewed on or before the due date. Fines must be paid before items can be renewed. There is a one-time renewal of 28 days from the original due date, and you can make the renewal in person with the items or online at the HELM online catalog.
Online renewals
Directions for renewing materials using the HELM online catalog:
- Login into your account on the right-hand side of the HELM Catalog page.
- Displayed under the heading “Checked Out Items,” will be a list of all material that you have checked out along with the due dates. Material must be renewed on or before the due date. If the material is already overdue, the system will not permit a renewal.
- A small box under the heading “Renew?” appears to the left of each title. Click inside the box next to each title you wish to renew. (If you make a mistake, just click again, and the check mark will disappear.)
- After checking the titles, click on the box that reads “Renew Items” following the list of charged items.
- When you have finished with your personal information screen, click the “Logoff” button in the top row of small buttons. This will clear your personal information from your web browser as well as the screen.
If you see “Not Renewed?” next to the item you have checked out, it may mean the following:
- A hold may be placed by someone else on items you have checked out.
- You have already renewed; there is a limit of only one renewal.
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There are 2 categories for special borrowers due to our participation in 2 consortia:
- WILL is a walk-in interlibrary loan arrangement with other Massachusetts state academic libraries, such as UMass Medical, Fitchburg State University, Quinsigamond Community College. Students need to have a valid OneCard.
- ARC, the Academic Research Collaborative, is administered by the Central Massachusetts Regional Library System.
Borrowers in the above categories are expected to comply with all regulations of the participating libraries.
If you are a special borrower, the cards you are issued are not transferable and do not include borrowing privileges for non-print materials or the use of interlibrary loan services.
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The Circulation Department of the Worcester State University Library recognizes and respects the privacy of its patrons, whether students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni or other borrowers. In a library setting, a user’s right to privacy includes the freedom to inquire about any information without having their records open to others. Records are maintained solely for the purpose of protecting the material in the Library’s collections. Unless fines or other exceptions occur, when a borrowed item is returned to us, all records are cleared and no history is maintained, either by item or by borrower.
Furthermore, it is Library policy that we do not give out any information about patrons or the materials they have checked out or materials consulted. Law prohibits the staff from giving out any information regarding a person’s library account to ANY other person regardless of their status or identity, without a subpoena, search warrant, or court order.
The Library at Worcester State University supports and adheres to the American Library Association’s “Policy on the Confidentiality of Library Records,” adopted January 20, 1971 and revised July 4, 1975, and July 2, 1986.