Campus Policy

Purpose: To outline the circulating parameters of the library materials and equipment in Blake Library.   

Overview                         

I.   Introduction   

Any student, faculty, or staff at UMFK or community patrons with library cards may borrow books and other items from the circulating collections as defined below. The Library reserves the right to recall any materials.                         

II. Standard Circulating Collection   

The standard circulating collection consists of the general collection, also known as “Stacks”, oversize, young adult collection, and Maine government documents.                         

A. Faculty and Staff:                         
    1. May borrow up to 50 items.                        
    2. Have a loan period of one semester with no renewal.                                                 

B. Students:                         
    1. May borrow up to 50 items.                        
    2. Have a loan period of four weeks with a two week renewal.                                                 

C. Community Patrons:                        
    1. Adults may borrow up to 10 items.               
    2. K-12 borrowers may borrow up to 5 items.     
    3. Have a loan period of four weeks with a two week renewal.                                                 

Note: All materials in this category may be loaned to other libraries.                             

III.   Reference Collection                          

A. All patrons use reference materials in-house only.                          

B. Special requests to remove an item from the library from the Reference Collection are considered on a case by case basis.                          

IV. Special Collections                          

A. All patrons use Special Collections materials in-house only.                          

B. Special requests to remove an item from the library from Special Collections are considered on a case by case basis.                          

V.  Juvenile Collection                          

A. Community Borrowers and Students: have a loan period of two weeks with a one week renewal.                          

B. Faculty and Staff: have a loan period of one semester with no renewals.                          

C. No materials in this category may be requested online through URSUS. Other libraries may request these materials through interlibrary loan.                          

VI. Curriculum Collection                          

A. Community Borrowers and Students: have a loan period of one week with a one week renewal.                          

B. Faculty and Staff: have a loan period of one semester with no renewals.                          

C. No materials in this category may be requested online through URSUS. Other libraries may request these materials through interlibrary loan.                          

VII. Reserves                          

A. Hard Copy Reserves: materials are kept at the main desk of the library. These materials are loaned on a restricted basis depending on the loan period determined by the course instructor. Loan periods range from 2 hours in library use to one week checkout.                          

B. Electronic Reserves: articles, book chapters, and other course related documents are placed on electronic reserve . Items may be password protected due to copyright rules.                         

C. Equipment:                          

1. Loan periods range from two hours in library use to three days.                          

2. Special requests to remove an item on equipment reserve from the library are considered on a case by case basis.                           

3. Community patrons only have access to non-electronic items on reserve in this area.                          

VIII.  Periodicals                          

A. Community Patrons and Students: non circulating                        

B. Students, Faculty and Staff have a loan period of one week.                           

IX.   Audio-Visual Materials                          

A. DVD’s, VHS, phonographs, and CD’s: have a three day loan period and no renewal for all patrons. Faculty may ask for extended time for teaching or reviewing purposes.                          

B. Audio Books: have a loan period of one week with a one week renewal for all patrons.                            

C. Students, faculty and staff may check out 10 A/V materials at a time. Community patrons may check out 3 items at a time.                        

D. Media materials may be loaned to other libraries at the discretion of the library staff.                          

X. Requested materials from other libraries                          

A. Blake Library staff follow the policies created by the UMS library consortium as well as the Maine Info Net system. Generally these include:                           

     1. UMS                        
        a) requested materials have a loan period of four weeks with a two week renewal.         

     2. Maine Info Net                        
        a) Loan period may vary but will not exceed four weeks with a two week renewal. 
        b) All patrons are responsible for knowing the due date.

        c) Patron’s home library does not have the authority to waive charges.                 

        d) All fines and overdue charges incurred are the responsibility of the patron.         

XI. Fines and Fees                          

A. Fines are not applied to overdue items.  

B. Overdue and Billed items:                       
    1. The replacement charge for library materials is based on the cost of the items at the time the library receives them (older items will still have $35 as the replacement charge.)                        
    2. A $5 processing fee and a $5 billing fee is added to the replacement charge.                                                  

C. Students only:                         
        a) If items are not returned and/or replacement charges are not paid within a reasonable amount of time staff will place a hold on the student’s account.                 
        b) Once either the item is returned and/or fines/fees are paid, the Library staff will remove the hold from the student’s account.

Purpose: To outline the scope of the creation of library accounts at Blake Library  

Overview                         

I.   Introduction   Blake Library’s primary goal is to support the UMFK mission and in so doing provides access to its materials through library accounts. In addition, staff offers its library services to the Saint John Valley community.

Accounts are given freely to the Saint John Valley communities which include both sides of the United States and Canadian border.                         

II. Campus Patrons                          

A. Library accounts are downloaded automatically from the registrar’s system.                          

B. Blake Library staff works with Student Services to ensure campus patron barcodes are entered into the library system.                            

C. Student, faculty, and staff identification cards are used as library cards.  

D. Library account also allow faculty, staff, and student’s access to university databases from off campus and the ability to request materials online.                          

III.   Community Patrons                          

A. The community includes the Saint John Valley on both sides of the U.S. and Canadian border.                           

B. Library accounts and cards are manually created at the library.                           

C. Library accounts give patrons the ability to check materials out and to request materials online.                          

D. Community patrons do not have access to the university databases from home.                            

E. Children ages 0-13 need the signature of a parent or guardian to have a library card.      

F. Identification and/or proof of residence is required.                      

IV.   Short-term Community Patrons                          

A. People who are visiting in the Fort Kent area may apply for a free short-term library account and card.                          

B. Identification and contact information are required.                          

C. The account will expire during the last week of patron’s visit.                            

D. Materials checked out will not be available beyond the expiration date of the account.    

Purpose: To outline the scope of the Blake Library staff’s ability to make change.   

Overview                         

Patrons can get change for small bills in the Blake Library office. Patrons must go to the business office to exchange Canadian money and to get change for large bills. Change is available only during library hours when library staff is on duty.   

Purpose: To outline the goals, objectives, and scope of the Young Adult and Juvenile Collection.   

Overview                         

I. Introduction   

The Blake Library Collection Development Policy provides guidelines for acquiring materials collection-wide. The collection, as a whole, is primarily intended to support the curricula of UMFK programs. The Young Adult and Juvenile Collection addresses the needs of young adult and juvenile readers, and those students and faculty who endeavor to serve the young adult and juvenile population.             

II. UMFK Community                          

A. Faculty: the Young Adult and Juvenile Collection provides secondary and elementary education faculty with resources for class preparation.             

B. Students: education students use Young Adult and Juvenile materials to complete course work, as well as in preparation for student teaching.                          

C. St. John Valley Community: young adult and juvenile readers, parents, and educators benefit from the availability of these collections.                           
III.  Priorities and Limitations     

A. Duplication: the Library endeavors to avoid duplication of materials, except in cases of high demand.                          

B. Donations and Gifts: donations and gifts are always welcome by the Library staff, and will be accepted into the Young Adult and Juvenile Collection insofar as they are within its scope.                           

C. Controversial Material: the library adheres to the principles set forth in the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights, particularly as they apply to censorship (Appendix I). Materials will not be refused on the basis of controversial content, but instead will be selected within the context of patrons’ needs and the collection’s parameters. The Library does not endorse the views of the material it holds, but allows patrons to determine the worthiness of those materials for their own particular usage.                          

IV.   The Collection                          

A. Scope of the Collection                         

1. Subject Matter: Blake Library will actively collect Young Adult and Juvenile fiction and non-fiction materials on the basis of curriculum, awards, diversity, and recommendations from faculty, staff, and library literature.                        
2. Language: The Library will primarily collect English language materials, with some emphasis placed on French with regard to the Franco-American, Acadian and Canadian culture and in support of the French Education Program. Other languages may be considered for bilingual or diversity reasons.         
3. Age Levels:                        
    a) The Young Adult Collection will include materials suitable for ages 12 to 18 (grades 6 to 12) reading audience.  Materials which deal with adolescent themes are well suited for this collection.                        
    b) The Juvenile Collection will include materials suitable for ages 3 to 12 (grades PreK to 6).                          
    c) Occasionally a book written for the upper level sixth grader may be placed in the Young Adult collection. Placement is at the discretion of the library staff.                        
4. Format: this collection will include book materials exclusively.                                                 

B. Administration: The Library is responsible for managing and collecting for the Young Adult and Juvenille collections with active participation from appropriate faculty members.                          

C. Budget: the Library does not have a separate budget for the Young Adult and Juvenile Collection. All purchases are made from the Library’s materials budget.  See Addendum.                          

D. Circulation:                         

1. Juvenile Collection                        
    a) Community Borrowers and Students: have a loan period of two weeks with a one week renewal.                        
    b) Faculty and Staff: have a loan period of one semester with no renewals.                        
2. Young Adult Collection                        
    a) Community Borrowers and Students: have a loan period of four weeks with a two week renewal.                        
    b) Faculty and Staff: have a loan period of one semester with no renewals.    

No materials in these categories may be requested online through URSUS. Other libraries may request these materials through interlibrary loan.