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General Information

  • Presentation of a valid UTPB ID card is required for all circulation of materials as well as some other services.

Borrowing Limits

The total number of library materials (books, CDs, government documents, etc.) patrons can have checked out at one time varies depending on the patron's classification with the University. 

Alumni members may check out 100 items at a time.

Loan Periods

Materials lent through the Circulation Desk include books, Bound periodicals, DVDs, CDs, and Laptops

  • Books: Academic year
  • Bound Periodicals: 24 hours
  • DVDs & CDs: 2 weeks
  • Library Laptops: Do not circulate

Renewals of library materials are allowed if there has been no request for that material by any other patron. Materials that are not overdue can be renewed by phone or in-person at the Circulation Desk. Overdue materials will need to be renewed in-person.

Library Fines & Fees

All communication to faculty from the Library is via their UTPB email. Please keep your email address up to date!

The Library sends two (2) overdue notices. The third overdue notice is a bill for the replacement costs of the item. Overdue items cannot be renewed.

Depending on material type, bill-for-replacement charges may consist of up to 2 parts.

  1. A non-refundable processing fee of $10.00
  2. The actual replacement cost of item. For videos and non-print media, replacement charges are always the full price of the materials. Videos have a particularly wide price range.

Faculty incur daily overdue fines on Interlibrary Loan items.

Payments

Payment of fees is made through the Accounting Office. This allows payments to be made at the patron's convenience, and allows fees to be paid in cash, by check, or by credit card; in person, by telephone, or online through the MyUTPB system.

Appeals

Access Services will research library charges at a patron's request. The form is available at the Library Services Desk. The Library Fines Committee will investigate and provide follow-up information.

Examples of reasons that do not constitute a valid basis for changing fines or fees include, such things as:

  • Change of Address. University policy requires that students notify the university ASAP when addresses, phone numbers, etc. are changed.
  • Not know circulation policies
  • Not agree with Library policies
  • Forgetting the due date
  • Loaning the material to a third party
  • Allowing another person to use your ID card
  • Arrangements can be made with the Accounting Office to enable students who owe library fees totaling more than $100, to pay in installments. Enquire at the Accounting Office about this.

Holds

Faculty, staff, and students may request an item available in the Circulating Collection be put on the Hold Shelf to be picked up within 7 days.

Requests to put an item on hold is done by the patron through Falcon Finder on the Library’s Home Page. Type the title of the item, click “Search” under Falcon Finder, then “continue”. Next click on the item's location link. Sign in to make the "request" to place the item on hold. An email notification will be sent when the item is on the hold shelf and is ready for pick up.

 

Course Reserves

Books and articles put on reserve by the faculty for student use are available at the Library Services (Circulation) Desk. Lists of reserve items appear in the OPAC and the Reserve Binder at the Library Services Desk. A student should know the instructor's name, course number and the title of the item to facilitate requests for reserve materials. Most materials are available for two hour in-Library use. Overdue fines are $0.25 per hour.  Some materials are available for longer periods of time and have a $1.00 per day fine.