• Who Can Borrow?
• What is the Loan Period?
• Renewals
• Fines and Fees for Overdue Items
• Replacements for Lost Books
  

• Laptop Policy
• Holds on Circulating Books
• Missing Book Searches
• Book Drop
• Confidentiality of Patron Records

Who Can Borrow?

Students, faculty, and staff of Ramapo College have full borrowing privileges. A valid, barcoded Ramapo ID must be presented when checking out materials. Library barcodes may be obtained at the Circulation desk.

In addition, affiliated borrowers and VALE faculty may borrow books. A valid ID card from the appropriate institution is required.

Ramapo alumni, as well as other community borrowers, are also eligible to borrow books. Application forms for community borrowers cards are available at the Circulation desk. A valid form of identification is required before applications can be processed.

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What is the Loan Period?

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Renewals

General circulating books may be renewed up to two times unless another patron has requested them. Please note that course reserve items may not be renewed.

Renewals may be done in person or through the telephone (201-684-7575) before the due date. Please have your Ramapo ID number ready if you are renewing by phone.

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Fines and Fees for Overdue Items

Patrons are responsible for returning library materials on time. Notices for overdue materials are sent as a courtesy and failure to get one does not relieve a borrower from the responsibility of returning the overdue materials.

A fine of $75.00 (includes $50 replacement fee and $25 processing fee) will be charged for items that are not returned 28 days after the due date. A bill will be generated on the Student Information System (SIS) and collected by the Bursar’s Office. Borrowing privileges will be suspended for outstanding charges of $75 or more. Transcripts and diplomas may also be held until the charges are resolved.

To avoid fines please return all materials promptly.

If you have not any questions about your Bursar's accounts please contact Kevin Prendergast, Technical Assistant, at ext. 7579 or email at kprender@ramapo.edu.

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Replacements for Lost Books

The default price for replacing lost books is $75.00 ($50 replacement fee and $25 processing fee). A patron may replace the lost book with one that he or she has bought providing it has the same International Standard Book Number (ISBN) as the lost book. Please check with the Circulation staff prior to purchasing a replacement copy. The patron will still be billed for $25.00 processing fee, to be collected by the Bursar's office.

Holds

If an item you need is out you may place a hold on the item by speaking to a Circulation staff. You will be notified when the book has been returned and it will be kept on the “hold” shelf for you at the circulation desk. You will have up to seven days to pick it up.

Holds apply only to general circulating books and not to course reserve items, video cassettes and DVDs.

The library will not place "holds" or "recalls" for affiliated borrowers on materials loaned to Ramapo students, faculty, or staff.

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Laptops & Borrowing Policy

1. The library has five Dell Inspiron 700 wireless laptop computers which are capable of connecting to the Internet from anywhere in the library. They are equipped with a floppy disk drive, a DVD/CD-RW drive, a carrying case, a battery, and a power cable.
2. Laptops are available to Ramapo students only. A valid Ramapo photo ID must be presented to the Circulation staff in order to check them out. Borrowers will be required to sign the laptop user agreement.  Students who have outstanding library fines will not be permitted to borrow laptops.Laptops are checked out on a first-come, first-served basis. They cannot be reserved in advance.
3. In the presence of the patron laptops will be checked by the circulation staff before and after each loan to ensure they are operational, that there is no damage, and that all parts (battery, etc.) are returned. The library will charge $250.00 for lost battery and $100.00 for lost portable floppy drive.
4. Laptops are for library use only and may not be taken out of the building.
5. Laptops may be checked out for 2 hours. They may be renewed once for another 2 hours depending on availability. To renew, please bring the laptop to the circulation desk.
6. Overdue laptops will be charged at the rate of $10/hour.
7.  The laptops will be plugged in when in storage to keep the battery charged. If the A/C power cord is provided with a loan it will be recorded in the loan record.
8. Patrons are responsible for loss and damage to the laptops. Do not leave the laptops unattended at any time. Please report loss or damage immediately to the Circulation staff. There will be a replacement cost of $2,500 for lost laptops. Repair cost will depend on the damage to the laptop, not to exceed replacement cost, as determined by CCIS.
9. Laptops are not connected to printers. If you want to print your work save it on a flash drive, CD-ROM, or email it to yourself and print from the computer lab on the 3rd floor or other labs on campus.
10. To ensure user privacy and for maintenance purposes, all user files will be removed from the laptop after each use. The library is not responsible for loss of unsaved files in the hard disk.
11. All laptops must be returned one hour before the library closes. They may not be charged out one hour prior to library closing.

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Missing Book Searches

If you cannot find a book that you need on the shelf please ask the Circulation staff for assistance.

In cases of a missing book, or if a book you think you already returned is still being charged to you, please fill out a Missing/Lost Item Search Form, available from the Circulation desk. Our staff will conduct a series of thorough searches for thebook and they will notify you of the outcome.

If the missing book is still not found after extensive searches the form will be passed on to our Collection Development Librarian, who will evaluate and decide whether the book should be reordered or not.

If, after searching, we are unable to the locate books that patrons say have been returned, they need to speak to our Access Services Librarian, Irene Kuchta at ext. 7577 or email her at ikuchta@ramapo.edu.

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Book Drop

Patrons may return books in the book drop when the library is closed. The book drop is located outside the main entrance of the library building.

In order to avoid damage to video cassettess and DVDs, these should be returned in person at the circulation desk during regular hours.

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Confidentiality of Patron Records

The library supports the confidentiality of its patron records. Our policy is consistent with the guidelines set forth by the American Library Association (ALA) and New Jersey Library Association (NJLA) and conforms to the New Jersey Confidentiality of Library Records Law (NJSA 18A:73-43.1).