Guide to Library Policies

General Information | Access Services | Archives | Information Literacy and Instruction Program | Information Resources and Services

General Information

After-Hours Book Return

A drop box is located at the North entrance to the library. The box is emptied every morning that the library is open.

Beverages/Food/Smoking

Beverages: Only non-alcoholic beverages in containers with secure lids are permitted in the library.
Tobacco: The use of all tobacco products (cigarettes, e-cig, vape, pipe, etc.) is prohibited throughout campus.

Children

Children who have not completed eighth grade may not be left in the library without adult supervision. Parents are responsible for the conduct of their children in the library.

Computers

There are 40 Windows PCs in room 100 on the main level of the Library. These computers are open for student use when classes are not being held in that room.
There are 14 Mac computers in the lobby on the main level of the Library. These computers are open for student use during the Library's open hours.
Find where to access software by computer lab location though Information Technology Services.

Printing

All student use computers are connected to Follow-Me-Printing.
Students may also print from personal devices via Web Printing.

Room Scheduling

There are 10 study rooms and 2 sound dampening pods that are priority student use and reservable. This means they are intended for students but are open to anyone.
There are two conference rooms (130 and 244) that seat 8 at a table plus 6 on couches. These conference rooms are reservable by faculty and staff. When these spaces are not reserved, they are available for open use.

Lactation/Mother's Room

Ask at the service desk and library staff will unlock the private room for you.

Hours

See the Library's About page for current hours.
Closing procedures begin 20 minutes before stated closing times. At that time, materials to be checked out are to be brought to the Information Services Desk. Doors are locked promptly at stated closing times.

Lost and Found

Articles found in the library are held at the Information Services Desk until unclaimed articles are taken each week to Campus Safety.

Security

North Central College is a private institution. Oesterle Library is open to the public. In order to maintain an appropriate learning environment, persons engaging in disruptive behavior will be asked to leave the premises immediately. Noncompliance with College policies will result in removal from the premises.
If the alarm detection system sounds as you exit the building, please return to the Information Services Desk immediately. All bags/packages that set off the alarm detection system must be checked by a staff member on duty. Infractions will be referred for judicial or legal action.

Telephones

A campus telephone for use only by North Central College students, faculty, and staff is located on the South wall of the lobby. This telephone can be used for on-campus numbers by entering the last four digits of the number and for "911" calls. Length of calls on the campus telephone is limited to five minutes.

Access Services

Confidentiality

The College's privacy principles and policies follow the Family Educational Right and Privacy Act of 1974 and the Gramm Leach Bliley Act. These policies safeguard personal information about students, employees, and other members of the College community against such risks as theft, unauthorized access, destruction, misuse, modification, unauthorized disclosure, or other compromise of information. Moreover, Oesterle Library observes the American Library Association's guidelines on the "Confidentiality of Library Records." Circulation records and other records identifying the names of library patrons with specific materials are considered confidential and are not available, except pursuant to process, order, or subpoena.

North Central College, Courtesy Borrower, and Other Academic Library Patrons

North Central College Patrons: Members of the campus community may borrow materials from Oesterle Library upon presentation of their North Central College ID card.
Courtesy Borrower Patrons: Trustees, faculty and staff spouses, alumni, and individual public library patrons are eligible for personal Courtesy Borrower Cards. Personal Courtesy Borrower Cards are valid for one year and may be renewed. Applications are available at the Information Services Desk. Patrons must present their personal Courtesy Borrower Card when borrowing materials.
Alumni must be on file with the Alumni Office in order to obtain a personal Courtesy Borrower Card. Public Library patrons must be over 18. hold a valid public library card, and pay an annual fee ($5.00 for Naperville Public Library patrons; $50.00 for patrons of other public libraries). Public library patrons under the age of 18 may apply for a personal Courtesy Borrower Card if they present a letter from their school librarian stating their special need for this service.
Patrons from Other Academic Libraries: North Central College is a member of two groups of academic libraries that extend borrowing privileges to each other's patrons; LIBRAS and I-Share. Patrons from these two library networks must present their own ID to borrow materials and be in the I-Share database.

Item Retrieval/Holds

Due to limited space and staff, items cannot be retrieved from the collection or held for patrons.

Renewals

Patrons may renew most Oesterle Library materials up to a maximum of three renewals. Faculty and Administrative Staff are allowed a maximum of six renewals. Media materials are not eligible for renewal. Patrons are encouraged to renew materials online using the "My Account" feature of CardinalCat. For assistance in renewing Oesterle Library materials, patrons may contact the Information Services Desk at 637-5700.
Renewals of non-I-Share interlibrary loan materials may be requested via the patron's Interlibrary Loan account or by contacting the Access Services Assistant by telephone (637-5705), or in person between the hours of 8:00am - 5:00pm, Monday through Friday.

Recalls

Materials recalled by library staff cannot be renewed. Patrons will be notified if an item needs to be returned before its original due date. Recalled items should be returned promptly to avoid overdue charges.

Receipts

Receipts for returned materials and for the payment of charges are available upon request at the Information Services Desk. Patrons are encouraged to request and to keep receipts to verify the return of materials and payment of charges.

Returns

Patrons may return to Oesterle Library any items borrowed through Oesterle Library, regardless of the owning library. As a courtesy, Oesterle Library will return materials to another Illinois library for patrons who borrowed the materials directly from that library. However, the patron retains all responsibility for all materials until they are received by the lending library.

Reserve Materials

Loan periods for reserve materials vary. Items with a loan period shorter than one day are for in-building use only.

Overdue Notices

Borrowed materials are marked with a due date. Courtesy Notices (alerting patrons to an upcoming due date) and overdue notices are issued as a courtesy. Failure to receive on overdue notice does not release the patrons from returning or renewing materials.

Fines

Fines are not charged for overdue materials, with the exception of:
- Recalled items - $1/day
- Hourly reserve materials - $1/hour
- Daily reserve materials - $3/day
Patrons will be billed for a lost item if it becomes 29 days overdue

Billing

Patrons are responsible for payment of any bills issued by lending libraries for lost or overdue interlibrary loan materials.

Lost or Damaged Materials

If an Oesterle Library item is lost, the patron to whom it is charged will be billed $50 per item or the item's actual replacement cost, whichever is greater. In addition, the patron will be charged a $10 processing fee. If an interlibrary loan material is lost, the patron will be billed by the lending library, according to that library's policies. Patrons should report lost materials immediately so that their library privileges are not suspended.

Refunds

Once the fee has been paid for a lost Oesterle Library item, if the lost item is found and returned to the library, a partial refund may be issued at the discretion of Oesterle Library.

Claimed Returned Materials

Receipts for items returned are available at the Information Services Desk at the time an item is returned. While every attempt is made to ensure that all materials returned to the library are properly cleared from a patron's record, from time to time errors will occur. If you receive an overdue notice for Oesterle Library materials you believe you have returned, please call the Access Services Manager at 637-5711 to report this error. If the material is still charged out to you, the library will search for the item three times in three months. In the event that the item is not located after three searches, a bill will be sent.

Suspension of Library Privileges

Patrons who owe a minimum of $25.00 in fines/fees to Oesterle Library will have their borrowing privileges suspended until such time as these fines/fees have been paid.
Oesterle Library items that are 29 days or more overdue will be declared "lost". At this time, the patron will be billed $50 or the replacement cost, whichever is greater, plus a $10 processing fee. In addition the patron's borrowing privileges will be suspended until such time as the item has been returned or the replacement fees paid.

Academic Hold

At the end of each term, North Central College students who are graduating or who have not registered for the next term will have a hold placed on their academic record for the following reasons:
- Oesterle Library, Reserve, or Interlibrary Loan materials which have not been returned.
- Unpaid fees for lost Oesterle Library, Reserve, or Interlibrary Loan materials totaling $25 or more.
At the end of each term, North Central College students who have registered for the next term will have a hold placed on their academic record for the following reasons:
- Unpaid fees for lost Oesterle Library, Reserve, or Interlibrary Loan materials
- Unpaid Oesterle Library fees totaling $25 or more.
- Unpaid fees from other libraries.
When a hold has been placed on a student's academic record, the student may not register for classes, receive transcripts, or receive their diploma until the above condition is resolved.

Loan Periods

Patron Category	Circulating Collection	Reference Collection	Periodicals	Media Collection	Curriculum Collection	Reserve Materials
NCC Students	4 Weeks	n/a	n/a	2 Weeks	1 Week	2 Hours (May Vary)
NCC Faculty, Emeritus Faculty, NCC Staff, Staff Retirees, NCC Trustees, Faculty Spouses, Staff Spouses	4 Weeks	3 days	3 days	2 Weeks	1 Week	2 Hours (May Vary)
NCC Alumni & Former Students	4 Weeks (limit 3 items at a time)	n/a	n/a	2 Weeks	1 Week	n/a
Naperville & Public Library Patrons	4 Weeks (limit 3 items at a time)	n/a	n/a	2 Weeks (CDs Only)	n/a	n/a
I-Share Patrons	4 Weeks	n/a - 3 days (dependent on patron's status at home institution)	n/a - 3 days (dependent on patron's status at home institution)	2 Weeks	1 Week	n/a

Please note: All items borrowed by students must be returned by the Wednesday of Finals Week each term.
There are no renewals on Media Collection items.

Borrowing Materials from Other Libraries

Direct Loan Libraries

I-Share library members allow North Central College patrons to borrow materials in person may be found here. For further clarification of borrowing privileges, check with the Circulation and Reserves Assistant, 637-5711.

University of Chicago Libraries

Both Reference and Borrowing Cards to the University of Chicago Libraries are available for use by North Central College faculty and students. If you wish to utilize the resources provided there, you must first checkout a card here at Oesterle to take with you.
North Central College Student
- A student must sign in and out for a card from the Oesterle Library staff member on duty at the Information Services Desk.
- Only one student at a time may sign out the card.
- A student must return the card and either copies of the UC charge slips or an NCC borrower's form (giving the call number, titles, and due dates of any materials borrowed) to the Oesterle Library staff member on duty at the Information Services Desk within three days from the date on which the card was signed out. Failure to return the card and the form/slips within that time will result in a fine of $1 per day until the card and the forms/slips are returned. If the card or the forms/slips are not returned, the student will be fined $25
- Materials borrowed from the University of Chicago Libraries must be returned on time. Recalled items must be returned immediately. If the materials are not returned on time, students will be charged $1 per item per day plus the University of Chicago Libraries rate for overdue materials.
- Materials may be returned directly to the University of Chicago Libraries. As a courtesy, Oesterle Library will return materials through interlibrary loan. (Please allow at least 10 working days for receipt of an item). However, students will retain all responsibility for these materials until they are received and discharged by the University of Chicago Libraries, and students are responsible for any fines or charges incurred.
- If a student loses any University of Chicago Libraries material charged to them or fails to return items recalled, then they will be required to pay the replacement costs and their University of Chicago Libraries borrowing privileges will be revoked. NCC grades and transcripts will be held until all University of Chicago Libraries fees are paid.
North Central College Faculty
- Faculty must sign in and out for a card from the Oesterle Library staff member on duty at the Information Services Desk.
- A card may be reserved no more than seven days in advance.
- Faculty must return the card and either copies of the UC charge slips or an NCC borrower's form (giving the call number and titles of any materials borrowed) to the Oesterle Library staff member on duty at the Information Services Desk within five days from the date on which the card was signed out.
- Materials borrowed from the University of Chicago Libraries must be returned on time; recalled items must be returned immediately.
- Materials may be returned directly to the University of Chicago Libraries. As a courtesy, Oesterle Library will return materials through interlibrary loan (please allow at least 10 working days for receipt of an item). However, faculty will retain all responsibility for these materials until they are received and discharged by the University of Chicago Libraries.
- Faculty are responsible for any fines or charges incurred from the University of Chicago Libraries and will be billed accordingly.

Interlibrary Loan

Placing Interlibrary Loan Requests

Interlibrary loan requests for books may be placed online via I-Share. Interlibrary loan requests for books not available in I-Share and for articles may be placed by filling out the appropriate online request forms. Incomplete or inaccurate information on forms delays the processing of requests. Library staff members are available to help patrons in placing requests. Interlibrary loan requests are not accepted over the telephone or by email.

Books

Books may be borrowed from libraries that are members of I-Share by placing a request online. Books can also be borrowed from non-I-Share libraries by filling out the appropriate online request form. For more information, contact a library staff member. While every attempt will be made to obtain materials, each library has the right to deny filling a request. For example, most libraries will not lend rare or valuable items, or materials in high demand at their institution.

Articles

Copies of journal articles not in Oesterle Library's Periodicals Collection, including all print and online resources, may be requested by filling out the appropriate online request form.
Title 17, United States Code limits the annual number of copies or periodical articles that institutions may obtain. These limits apply to copies from recent issues (five years old or newer) of a periodical title which the borrowing library does not own. No more than five articles may be obtained from a single title, and no more than one article from a single issue. If a request puts the library over its legal limit for the title or issue from which material was requested, the Interlibrary Loan Assistant will attempt to obtain a copy of the article via other services which provide for copyright compliance. If staff are not able to obtain a copy that meets these requirements, the patron will be notified that the request cannot be filled.

Fines and Replacement Costs

Patrons borrowing materials from other institutions are responsible for payment of any overdue fines or replacement costs for lost or damaged items. Patrons are reminded that failure to return material on time may jeopardize future borrowing not only for themselves but for Oesterle Library as well.

Delivery Time and Fill Dates

Requests placed online via I-Share will stay in the system for 30 days, if they cannot be immediately filled. If patrons so choose, they can change this default at the time they place the request. Delivery time is dependent on availability of materials and the distance they must travel. Status of a request may be checked online by the patron.
Interlibrary loan requests submitted to the Oesterle Library Interlibrary Loan Assistant are processed on a "first-come, first-served" basis. The library attempts to process all requests within a 24-hour period, Monday through Friday. The library will keep trying to fill a request for 7 days. Because interlibrary loan turnaround time is dependent on the workloads of staff at other libraries, Oesterle Library cannot guarantee that materials will be received by any specific date.

When Materials are Received

Patrons may check on the status of I-Share requests by using the "My Account" feature of CardinalCat. To check status of non-I-Share requests, patrons can access their Interlibrary Loan accounts. Both of which are available on the My Accounts page of the library website.
An email message indicating specific items that have been received will be sent to the patron's NCC email account.
Email regarding requests for articles will contain a link to an electronic copy of the article.
Other materials must be picked up at Oesterle Library.
No materials will be mailed to patrons.
Materials not picked up within two weeks of receipt will be returned to the lending library.

Cancellations

I-Share requests can be canclled online using the "My Account" feature of CardinalCat. If patrons wish to cancel any other interlibrary loan order, they can access their Interlibrary Loan accounts. Both of which are available on the My Accounts page of the library website.

Direct Loans

In addition to requesting materials through interlibrary loan, patrons may also be eligible to borrow materials in person from selected institutions. Patrons are responsible for the return of these items and for all overdue fines or lost book fees as applied by the lending library.

Reserves

General Reserves Policies

Materials placed on reserve are located at the Information Services Desk in Oesterle Library. These materials are for the use of North Central College students, faculty, and staff only. A valid North Central College ID is required to use reserve materials.
Due to limited resources and staffing, the library staff cannot photocopy items for reserve use.
A reserve form (available at the library or online in the Services for Faculty section) must be completed listing all titles, and the number of copies of each, to be placed on reserve for each course. Materials will be processed and on reserve within 3 working days.
For personal materials placed on reserve by Faculty, they will be returned via campus mail no later than two weeks after the end of the term. Faculty who wish to make other arrangements for the return of their materials may contact the Circulation and Reserves Assistant at 630-637-5711.

Policies of Reserve Books

Single or multiple copies from the library's permanent collection
Personal copies (placed at owner's risk; the library suggests that, for security purposes, permission be given to security tape items)
Books may be placed on reserve for more than one term
Reprints and preprints are treated as books
Books that may not be placed on reserve:
- Books obtained through interlibrary loan (prohibited by the Interlibrary Loan Code)
- Books owned by another library

Policies of Reserve Photocopies (Copyright Revision Act of 1976)

Photocopies cannot be used as a substitute for purchase of anthologies, compilations, or collective works

All photocopies placed on reserve must have printed or typed on the first page the title, volume, date, and pages of the journal from which it is copied.
Photocopies that may be placed on reserve:
- One chapter from a book
- One article from a periodical or newspaper (multiple articles from the same issue must have copyright approval before they can be placed on reserve)
- One short essay or short poem per book or per periodical issue
- One chart, graph, diagram, drawing, cartoon, or picture per book or per periodical issue.
Photocopies that may not be placed on reserve:
- Pages from copyrighted works intended to be "consumable" in the course of study or teaching, including workbooks, exercises, standardized tests, test booklets, and answer sheets
- Photocopied anthologies or course packs will not be accepted for reserve unless full copyright clearance has been obtained for each excerpted item by the compiler of the anthology or pack.
Number of copies of a single work that may be placed on reserve:
- Limit of one copy of a work for which copyright permission has not been secured
- Limit of three copies of a work for which copyright permission has been secured
Length of time on reserve:
- Photocopies are limited to one course for a period of one term unless the faculty member secures written permission from the publisher.
- Copies of the permission must be presented to the library before the photocopies can be placed on reserve for subsequent terms.
All photocopies must carry a notice that the material may be protected by copyright law. This stamp will be applied by the library.

Information Literacy and Library Instruction

Find information on Information Literacy and Library Instruction, including contact information for your subject liaison and how to book library instruction sessions.

Information Resources and Services

Overview

The mission of North Central College Library Services is to provide resources and services to meet the College Community's information and instructional media needs and to assist members of that community in developing skills for lifelong learning. To support this mission, the library has a Collection Development Policy that is reviewed no less than every three years.
The information resources selection process is a cooperative endeavor. Responsibility for developing a relevant and balanced collection depends on the efforts of faculty, library liaisons, and students. Each librarian serves as a liaison to a department or division. Library liaisons assist faculty with the following library-related needs:

Collection development - selection and management of library materials in all formats.
Library instruction - subject-specific instruction sessions tailored to the course's needs.
Reference - online searches, specialized reference assistance, noteworthy additions to the collection.

Library liaisons accept book and media orders from the chairperson of each department or division to which they are liaison. Library liaisons also facilitate the selection of gift materials and the annual review of periodicals. For library assistance, faculty are encouraged to contact their library liaison.

Gifts to the Library

The library welcomes gifts of books or other materials that support the curriculum from members of the North Central College community. Please contact the Technical Services Coordinator at 630-637-5702 or email LTS@noctrl.edu regarding any possible donation.

Information Services Desk

Assistance in locating and using library resources or obtaining materials from other libraries is available at the Information Services Desk on the main floor of the library.
The Information Services Desk is staffed every hour that the library is open, and reference services staff are also "on call" for answering more in-depth reference questions.

Reference Questions

"Email a Librarian" is an electronic reference service which makes it possible for the NCC community to ask quick, factual reference questions via the Library website. The library will attempt to answer all questions submitted through "Email a Librarian" within a 24-hour period, Monday-Friday.
Patrons may call the Information Services Desk at 637-5700 for assistance.
Patrons with in-depth research questions are invited to stop by the Information Services Desk on the main level of the Oesterle Library and Learning Commons.

Website

North Central College Library Services website provides access to information resources in a variety of formats.
Most information resources are accessible from the website on and off campus, including CardinalCat, the library's online catalog of books, videos, and other materials; CardinalSearch, the library's one-stop connection to most databases; individual databases providing citations, abstracts, and full-text articles from newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals.
The Library Services website also provides links to the Archives website, which includes information on archival collections, programs, and online exhibits.