Borrowing

A valid Allison Library card must be presented in order to borrow library materials. Borrowers are responsible for all materials borrowed on their card and for any charges on items that are overdue, lost, or damaged. Fines and charges must be paid in full before library privileges will be renewed. The patron also agrees to the applicable loan policies and library privileges as described in the left tabs "Loans & Renewals" and "Recalls." There is a $5 replacement charge for misplaced cards.

Your online account allows you to view a list of the items you have on loan, items on request / hold, to renew your materials, and to check your fines.

From any catalogue page choose the Sign In button in the top right-hand corner of the screen. For Regent students, staff, faculty, and graduates, please enter your Regent login credentials. For community members (including students and faculty of neighbouring schools), please use your email address as your login and enter your password. 

Once signed in, click on your name to see a drop down menu and choose My Account.

Please note that Regent student and staff accounts expire annually on September 30 and external faculty accounts and Regent faculty accounts expire annually on April 30. Please come into the Library before these dates to renew your account.

Borrowers are responsible for returning all items on time and in good condition. When you check out items from the library, an email will be sent to you providing the due date for all items borrowed. Please note the time and date that this material is due. Renewal reminders and overdue notices are sent as a courtesy from an automatic sending system, and failure to receive notification does not relieve the borrower of the obligation to return materials when they are due. Loan periods vary according to the type of material borrowed and the borrower's status (see table below). 

Three days before an item is due, an automatic reminder notice will be sent by email; a further reminder notice is sent on the due date. If the item is not returned then, late fees begin to accrue. If the item is not returned or renewed within 14 days of its due date, it is assumed lost and replacement charges plus a $10 processing fee are assessed.

Please note that items may be recalled before the due date if they are needed as a reserve item or by another borrower. Recall notices are sent by email and may include a revised due date, by which the item must be returned. We advise that borrowed items not be taken with you on extended holiday because you are responsible to return the recalled item by revised due dates.

Loan Periods

Borrowers can request that an item be recalled if it is currently on loan. Recalled items are then held for one week, from date of check in, at the circulation desk. Recalling an item prevents the borrower who has the item from renewing it and may reduce the time remaining on their loan. Borrowers who plan on travelling should be cognisant that they will incur fines if their checked-out books are recalled while they are away; it is recommended that these borrowers either return their books before leaving for their travels or arrange to have someone available who can return their books if they are recalled. Please note: course reserve items may not be recalled.

Fines are charged automatically as soon as items are overdue. Borrowing privileges are suspended when (1) unpaid fees and fines are $10 and over or (2) there are unpaid fees or fines of any amount from a previous academic year. Unpaid fees and fines over $10 will suspend online renewals. Regent students who are graduating and have unpaid fees and fines of $10 or over will have a hold placed on their student account that withholds academic transcripts and prevents registration. 

Please note: If an item has not been checked in correctly it will remain on your account. If you notice that an item you returned to the library remains on your account, please notify the Circulation Desk.

Late fees

Books and videos incur late fees of $.50/day up to a maximum of $7 per item, at which point they are considered lost and replacement fees are assessed.

2 hr reserve items incur late fees of $1 per portion of the hour overdue.

Recalled items incur late fees of $1/day up to a maximum of $7 per item, at which point they are considered lost and replacement fees are assessed.

Lost or Damaged Items

If an item has not been returned or renewed within 14 days, it is assumed lost and in most cases a standard replacement cost of $75 plus a $10 processing fee are assessed. A bill is generated and emailed to you at this time. If the item is returned before a replacement copy is purchased, the replacement cost and processing fee are cancelled; however, the overdue fine remains.

Lost charges are assessed up to the full replacement value of an item. The standard $75 fee serves as a placeholder and is often not the final amount assessed. In many cases, the item’s replacement value is less than the standard charge (though in some cases it is more). Please do not purchase a replacement copy when you receive a bill for a lost item. Instead contact a library staff member; the Library Director will assess the replacement value of an item and will notify you of final charges. 

Items that are returned damaged will also incur fines up to the full replacement value of the item. Damage requiring replacement of an item includes broken materials, highlighting, writing in, or otherwise defacing books, and water damage. 

Payment of fines and charges

Fines can be paid in person at the Circulation Desk with cash, cheque, credit, or debit card. Please check the library website for current hours of operation.

To discuss a fine or other charge, contact the Circulation Coordinator at [email protected]. Please note that lack of knowledge of loan regulations, failure to note due dates, failure to renew on time, failure to receive overdue reminder notices, and an individual's personal traveling schedule are not acceptable reasons for cancellation of charges.

Finally, it is your responsibility to ensure that the library has your current email address on file.

Books listed on the required reading section of your syllabus are kept on reserve at the library Circulation Desk where they can be checked out by current students for 2 hours at a time. Students should request the item by call number at the Circulation Desk. Other required readings (book chapters and journal articles) will be made available by the course TA on a Moodle course page or handed out in class, but are not made available in the library. All required readings that are too long to be uploaded to Moodle, based on copyright laws, will be kept on reserve at the Circulation Desk.

All course reserves are listed here: Course Reserves.

Please note that the library does not keep items from the class recommended reading list on course reserve.

As a patron of the Allison Library, we would like to ensure that you are aware of Canadian copyright law and how it limits what you are permitted to copy. You can copy up to 10% of a published work or the following, whichever is greater:

1. One book chapter, provided it is no more than 20% of the book;
2. One journal article per journal issue;
3. One entry from an encyclopedia, dictionary, annotated bibliography, or similar reference work;
4. One short story, play, poem, or musical score from a book containing other works;
5. One reproduction of an artistic work (including drawing, sculpture, or painting) from a book containing other works.

If you have any questions about copyright, please email [email protected].