Circulation Policies

Circulating Items

• The loan periods and number of renewals for stack books and bound periodicals varies by patron type:
  • Hampshire and Five College faculty and staff may borrow stack items for one year with unlimited renewals.
  • Hampshire and Five College undergraduates may borrow for 3 months with 3 renewals.
  • Five College graduate students may borrow for 6 months with 3 renewals.
  • Resident borrowers and alums may borrow up to 25 items for 4 weeks, with 5 renewals.
• CDs, DVDs, VHS cassettes, and items in the Spoken Word collection circulate for 4 weeks with 5 renewals.
• Video games circulate for 4 weeks and may be renewed once.
• Board games circulate for 2 weeks and may be renewed once.  Board games must be checked out and returned at the Harold F. Johnson Library.
• Flash drives, white noise machines, laptop chargers, and phone chargers circulate at the InfoBar and may be borrowed for 4 hours and may not be renewed.
• Reserve items circulate for 4 hours and may not be renewed.
• Film and video equipment circulates for 1 week to eligible borrowers.  See the Media Services Loan Policy page for more information.
• Seeds do not have to be checked out.  Patrons are asked to take only 3 seed packets per semester.

Non-Circulating Items

The following items may not leave the library:

• Reference books
• Poetry pamphlets
• Unbound periodicals
• Div III projects
• Zines
• Microfilm

Renewals

Currently valid borrowers may renew any item provided that:

1. It has not been recalled.
2. It is not a reserve item in demand.
3. It has not reached the renewal limit.

Patrons may renew items online as long as they are not overdue. Billed items cannot be renewed. 

Holds and Recalls

• Stack items may be recalled for reserve or for another patron.
• Recalled items and/or items placed on hold may not be renewed.
• Reserve items may not be recalled or placed on hold.

Overdue Notices and Bills

• Overdue notices are a courtesy; their receipt cannot be guaranteed, and they should not be considered a prerequisite to a fine or a bill. There are no daily overdue fines for stack books.
• While overdue fines are not charged, replacement fees are assessed when items are not returned when they are due.
• The replacement bill for most materials is $85 per item, but equipment is charged at the item’s actual replacement cost.
• Replacement costs will be canceled and your account will be refunded when billed materials are returned.
• The library does not accept payments for replacement fees.  Replacement fees are posted to student accounts.
• Bills may be issued for the repair or replacement of damaged materials.

Visitor Policy

Area residents may apply for a visitor card at the InfoBar during daytime weekday hours. We advise you to call ahead to ensure a staff member will be present; student employees do not have the ability to register patrons. This card entitles the visitor to borrowing privileges only for the physical collections at the Hampshire library, including books, bound journals, CDs, DVDs, and board and video games. Visitors may also use Hampshire's research databases at workstations in the library, but do not have access to them from off-campus.

Alumni Access

Alumni may apply for a visitor card at the InfoBar, which will provide access to physical collections in the library, including books, bound journals, CDs, DVDs, and board and video games. Alumni with a HampNet ID may access specific online resources, including Project MUSE, Sage, and Springer databases and Compass Digital Collections. To activate or request a HampNet ID and email address, contact the IT Help Desk.