Library Policies

• Can I borrow a book?
• Where can I get my LaGuardia ID validated?
• Can I renew my book?
• How many books can I borrow (check out)?
• When are my books due back?
• Do I have to pay any fines?
• How much is it for an overdue book?
• Can I take out things like journals and reference books?
• The book I need is checked out! Can I place a hold on it?
• How can I get a book from another CUNY Library?
• What if I accidentally damage a book?
• What if I lose a book?
• What if I’m caught defacing a book (deliberate removal of specific pages, chapters, etc.)?
• I am a College Now student taking classes at LaGuardia. What can I do with the Library?
• I am an affiliated high school student? Can I borrow books from LaGuardia?
• I am taking an Adult and Continuing Education class. Can I borrow books?
• I’m a retired faculty member. Can I still borrow books?

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Can I borrow a book?

Yes!

• Any person with a currently-valid ID card from any unit of the City University of New York or Empire State College
• LaGuardia IDs must have a validation for the current semester (IDs from other CUNY schools must indicate currency in some way)
• All IDs must have a registered library identification number or barcode number
• You are responsible for books borrowed

Where can I get my LaGuardia ID validated?

ID office (C-115)

Can I renew my book?

Yes!

• You can renew through OneSearch; for more information, please visit the My OneSearch Account webpage
• You can also go the Circulation Desk with your book
• You may renew any Regular Loan or Leisure Reading book four times, provided that a hold has not been put on that book by another person and provided that the book is not more than 5 days overdue
• Renewal loan period: same as initial loan period

How many books can I borrow (check out)?

• Maximum of 5 books at a time
• Only one 2-hour (Reserve Loan) book or two 2-hour (Reserve Loan) articles at a time

When are my books due back?

• Regular Loan and Leisure Reading is 8 weeks (4 renewals).
• Reserve Loan:
  • 2-hour Loan: 2 hours, in library use only.
  • Extended Loan: 1 week (1 renewal).
  • Permanent Reserve: 14 days (1 renewal).
  • The late fees will be $15 an hour for these materials.

Please note:

• A book accompanied by a CD has the same loan period as the book without a CD.
• All books are due back at the end of semester.

Do I have to pay any fines?

Yes. Fines are determined by the CUNY Board of Trustees.

• You are subject to fines for damaged, mutilated, or lost media items.
• Processing fee of $25.00 where applicable.

How much is it for an overdue book?

There are currently no fines.

Can I take out things like journals and reference books?

Sorry, but no

• Do not circulate: indexes, pamphlets, periodicals (journals and newspapers), reference books

The book I need is checked out! Can I place a hold on it?

Yes!

• You can put a hold on a circulating book that is currently charged out to another patron
• When the book is returned, you will received an email
• You can retrieve the book at the Circulation Desk for 7 days after the email is sent
• Please note:
  • Holds cannot be placed on Reserve Loan books
  • A book upon which a hold has been placed cannot be renewed by the original patron
  • The Library will not recall any requested book, except an overdue book or a book which has already been renewed by a faculty member

How can I get a book from another CUNY Library?

There are two ways to get a book from another CUNY Library:

1. You can visit the CUNY Library, using your currently-valid LaGuardia ID to check-out the book
2. You can use the CLICS system to request the book using OneSearch. For more information, please visit the Request a Book from Another CUNY Library webpage

What if I accidentally damage a book?

You must pay:

• Accumulated overdue fine, if any, to the date damage was reported
• Cost of the damage not to exceed replacement cost
• Processing fee of $25.00

What if I lose a book?

• You must pay:
  • Accumulated overdue fine, if any, to the date item was reported lost
  • Current list price of the item as given in Books in Print
  • Processing fee of $25.00
• Please note:
  • Default replacement value of out-of-print books is $85.00
  • In the event that books paid for as lost are later found or returned, the Circulation Desk will authorize a refund of the replacement fee and the processing fee, less any overdue fines incurred. Refund will be made by the Business Office upon receipt of Library authorization and sent to the patron by mail. This process usually takes 6-8 weeks.

What if I’m caught defacing a book (deliberate removal of specific pages, chapters, etc.)?

You must pay:

• Replacement cost of the item
• $10 mutilation fee
• Processing fee of $25.00

I am a College Now student taking classes at LaGuardia. What can I do with the Library?

• You can borrow Regular Loan books by registering your currently-valid LaGuardia ID at the Circulation Desk
• Loan period: 4 weeks with one 4-week renewal (guaranteed 3-week loan; if someone else requests a book, it could be due before the 4-week deadline)
• Check your LaGuardia email account to stay aware of when your material is due
• Borrowing privileges end at the end of the semester but are renewable if you take another course
• You also have access to databases off-campus, please visit the Use the Library from Off-Campus webpage

I am an affiliated high school student? Can I borrow books from LaGuardia?

Yes!

• As long as you are from Energy Tech High School, International High School, Middle College High School, or Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Secondary School for Arts and Technology (Wagner High School)
• Register your ACE ID at the Circulation Desk to borrow Regular Loan books
• Loan period: 4 weeks with one 4-week renewal (guaranteed 3-week loan; if someone else requests a book, it could be due before the 4-week deadline)
• Check your LaGuardia email account to stay aware of when your material is due
• Borrowing privileges end with the school year but are renewable each fall
• Your library barcode allows you to access some databases off-campus, please visit the Off-Campus Access for Affiliated High School Students webpage

I am taking an Adult and Continuing Education class. Can I borrow books?

Yes!

• Register your ACE ID at the Circulation Desk
• Borrow Regular Loan books for 4 weeks with one 4-week renewal
• May be due back before due date if someone else requests the book
• Check your LaGuardia student/faculty email for due date
• ID card library barcode allows you to access some off-campus databases, please visit the Off-Campus Access for Adult and Continuing Education Students webpage

I’m a retired faculty member. Can I still borrow books?

Yes!

• You’ll need your LaGuardia ID
• Please contact the Coordinator of Access Services, Chris McHale at cmchale@lagcc.cuny.edu

• What is the Print Reserves collection?
• What is Extended Reserve loan?
• What is a 14-day loan?
• Do I have to pay any fines?
• How much is it for an overdue book?
• How can I place material on Print Reserves?

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What is the Print Reserves collection?

Most textbooks and required reading materials are available in the Library on a first come, first served basis.

To get a book:

• Search for the title book in OneSearch. Don’t know the title? Visit the college bookstore’s website
• Ask for the book at the Circulation Desk or find it in the Extended or Permanent Reserve Textbook Collection
• Only students with a currently-valid CUNY student ID (students from other CUNY schools may borrow material only during intersession at the discretion of Circulation Desk staff). Items are removed from Reserve at the end of each semester (Permanent Reserve Textbook Collection books) unless your professor notifies the Library.

Loan period:

• 2-hour (Reserve Loan) books: 1 book or 2 print articles at a time, for a maximum of 2 hours, for use in the Library only (cannot be renewed)
• Extended Loan books: 1 week (1 renewal)
• Permanent Reserve books: 14 days (1 renewal)
• Overdue fines are calculated by CUNY-wide policy at the rate of $0.10 per minute, 24 hours per day (maximum fine is $100.00)
• Please allow time to return your item. Lines may form during busy times. It is the patron’s responsibility to return materials on time.

Please note: Upon request, you can receive electronic scans of select chapters of textbooks remotely. Follow these directions to make a request.

What is Extended Reserve loan?

Print Reserves material that circulate for 1 week:

• Available at the Circulation Desk on a first come, first served basis
• Only students with a currently-valid CUNY student ID (students from other CUNY schools may borrow material only during intersession at the discretion of Circulation Desk staff
• Loan period: 1 week (1 renewal)
• May be due on weekend days (if not returned, fines will accrue)
• Please note:
• Fines for material are much steeper and accrue more quickly than normal fines. Any items not returned on time will accrue fines at the rate of $6.00/hr., up to $100.00 dollars. Books will be billed for replacement after 7 days overdue, resulting in a suspension of a student’s Library record, and a registration block.
• Cannot be placed on hold
• Cannot be requested through other CUNY libraries

What is a 14-day loan?

Additional copies of textbooks as well as outdated editions of current textbooks:

• Available in the Permanent Reserve Textbook Collection on a first come, first served basis
• Only students with a currently-valid CUNY student ID
• Loan period: 14 days (most can be renewed only once)
• May be due on weekend days (if not returned, fines will accrue)
• Please note:
• Fines for material are much steeper and accrue more quickly than normal fines. Any items not returned on time will accrue fines at the rate of $6.00/hr., up to $100.00 dollars. Books will be billed for replacement after 7 days overdue, resulting in a suspension of a student’s Library record, and a registration block.
• Cannot be placed on hold
• Cannot be requested through other CUNY libraries

Test Preparation Collection:

• Available across from the Permanent Reserve Textbook Collection on a first come, first served basis
• Only students with a currently-valid CUNY student ID
• Loan period: 14 days with 1 renewal
• May be due on weekend days (if not returned, fines will accrue)

Do I have to pay any fines?

Yes. Fines are determined by the CUNY Board of Trustees.

• You are subject to fines for damaged, mutilated, or lost media items.
• Processing fee of $25.00 where applicable.

How much is it for an overdue book?

There are currently no fines.

How can I place material on Print Reserves?

In order for your materials to be processed and made available to your students at the start of the semester, please follow these guidelines:

• Please fill out the Print Reserves Request Form for each item that you would like placed on Print Reserves
• Make your requests as early as possible (availability of items can vary widely)
• Requests will be processed on a first come, first serve basis (material that must be located or recalled will require additional time)
• If you would like the Library to purchase Print Reserves books, you must request that they be placed on order with the college bookstore via your department. Otherwise, we ask that you place a personal copy of the book on reserve.
• Material will remain on reserve for the requested semester only. Unless you request otherwise, all material will be removed at the end of the semester and returned to the circulating collection, and personal material will be returned to faculty.

Material which CAN be placed on Print Reserves:

• Books owned by the Library — to expedite your request please get the book(s) from the Stacks and bring them to the Circulation Desk
• DVDs owned by the Library
• Personally-owned DVDs (not duplicated); the Library is not responsible for loss of or damage to personal copies
• Personal copies of books (the Library is not responsible for loss of or damage to personal copies)
• Photocopies of articles or book chapters you are requesting (the Library does not photocopy)
• Course ephemera: syllabus, assignments, etc.

Material which CANNOT be placed on Print Reserves:

• Library Reference books or Reference videos (refer students to the Reference area or Media Desk where materials can be used)
• Interlibrary Loan books
• Library periodicals
• Electronic Reserves material

Copyright Guidelines:

• The Library will comply with the current copyright guidelines for CUNY libraries. Where materials do not fall within fair use, they may still be placed on Reserves providing permission is being sought from the copyright holder. The Library reserves the right not to accept materials for Print Reserves if it judges that the nature, scope or extent of the material is beyond the reasonable limits of fair use, and will not knowingly accept materials that violate copyright law.
• The following can be used as guidelines for copyright compliance: (C)OPYRIGHT@CUNY

The Media Help Desk is where you go to borrow the following items:

• Audiobooks (PAs)
• Calculators
• Compact Discs (CDs)
• iPads (students only)
• Laptops (students only)
• Long Play Records (LPs)
• Videos (DVDs)

To find an item, search OneSearch and use the Location option on the left to limit your results.

To schedule an appointment to check out or return items, please email media@lagcc.cuny.edu or call 718-482-5431.

Media Acquisitions

Media items are purchased to support curriculum or as a response to a specific need (e.g., the Common Reading program). Media items are also added for the educational and general interest needs of the LaGuardia community.

To suggest a purchase recommendation please email media@lagcc.cuny.edu.

Media Lab

• Located on the second floor of the Library (E-201) for student assignments, media playback, scanning and printing services.
• Workstations and other media services, such as DVD and CD playback, digital audio recording and video editing. The Media Lab also includes a 3D printer service. To reserve the 3D printer, please email media@lagcc.cuny.edu.

Revised March 12, 2022

• What is Electronic Reserves (E-Reserves)?
• E-Reserves Information for Students
• E-Reserves Information for Faculty

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What is Electronic Reserves (E-Reserves)?

• Material on the web available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to the instructor of and students in a given course
• Multiple users can access the same document simultaneously
• To access material, please visit the E-Reserves webpage

E-Reserves Information for Students

• Search E-Reserves by course, instructor’s last name, term, or subject
• To access course material, you will be asked to enter the password given to you by your instructor.
• Read the copyright guidelines that appear on the screen. You must accept these guidelines in order to proceed (if you forget your password contact your instructor; Library staff cannot supply passwords).
• Material can be viewed on the screen, printed, or saved to a flash drive
• In order to view most documents, the computer you are using must have Adobe Acrobat Reader software. In the Library, Adobe Acrobat Reader is already loaded.
• If you need the software for your personal computer, please visit the Adobe webpage and follow the downloading and installation instructions.

E-Reserves Information for Faculty

• Please fill out the E-Reserves Request Form
• Materials may be submitted in paper format, or in an electronic format (Word, Excel, PDF, HTML)
• Lengthy documents will be broken into smaller parts to minimize downloading and printing time.
• The library will NOT scan/place entire books on E-Reserves
• When an article is available in an electronic journal, please indicate the appropriate database in your syllabus instead of placing the article on E-Reserves
• Sorry, staff does not send confirmation regarding the receipt or status of a request. All instructors are encouraged to view the ERes site to check on the availability of the requested material prior to assigning it to their students.
• Passwords will be assigned for every course page. It will be the instructor’s responsibility to disseminate the password to the students. Staff will not distribute passwords to students.
• The Library will comply with the current copyright guidelines for CUNY libraries. Where materials do not fall within fair use, they may still be placed on E-Reserves providing permission is being sought from the copyright holder. The Library reserves the right not to accept materials for E-Reserves if it judges that the nature, scope or extent of the material is beyond the reasonable limits of fair use, and will not knowingly accept materials that violate copyright law. Instructors who manage their own E-Reserves course site must obtain copyright clearance for material they place on their site. Some material is prohibitively expensive to place on reserve electronically; in such cases, the Library will try to purchase a print copy.
• For managing your course site, or for technical concerns, please contact Chris McHale at cmchale@lagcc.cuny.edu

The primary goal of collection development at the LaGuardia Library is to support the College’s immediate academic needs. The Library’s commitment is to support the informational and research needs of the College’s many academic programs as well as specific obligations to support programs subject to accreditation review. The Library also has a commitment to the LaGuardia community at large providing materials of practical and intellectual value to enhance the LaGuardia educational experience overall.

LaGuardia Community College is a two-year school affiliated with the City University of New York and its two and four year and graduate institutions. LaGuardia benefits from participation in consortia programs such as interlibrary loan, the CUNY Libraries Inter-Campus Services (CLICS), document delivery, and other types of resource sharing. These resources greatly enhance the reach of the Library’s collections and have proven invaluable to students and faculty.

• Responsibility for Selection of Library Materials
• Selection Criteria
• Format and Type
• Hardcover/Paperbound Books
• Print Books/Ebooks
• Media
• Multiple Copies
• Physical Bindings
• Textbooks
• Workbooks and Manuals
• Books with Companion CDs or DVDs
• Mending and Binding
• Priorities for Collection Development
• Weeding
• Gifts/Donations

Responsibility for Selection of Library Materials

LaGuardia Collection Development relies upon a variety of sources for selection guidance, all subject to the discretion of the Library:

• Research by and recommendations from the Library faculty;
• Library-Faculty Liaison Program, which welcomes recommendations, solicited and unsolicited, from faculty in their disciplines or areas of specialization as well as subjects of general interest;
• Requests for the Reserve collection Course Proposal Forms for new or revised courses as approved by College and CUNY governance;
• Suggestions from students and staff

Selection Criteria (order of consideration will vary)

• Accreditation requirements
• Appropriateness for the user
• Academic level
• Accessibility
• Ease of use
• Format
• Quality of the material:
• Authoritativeness
• Accuracy
• Reputation of author/publisher
• Timeliness, currency, permanence, as relevant
• Academic apparatus (bibliography, index, etc.)
• Suitability of content relative to format
• Cost in relation to need, cost of other resources, and availability of funding
• Number of students per program
• Demand as indicated by
• requests from all campus constituencies;
• ILL requests; and
• usage statistics for circulating and reference materials, both print and electronic. The Library maintains usage statistics to inform decisions regarding scope, currency, and utility of collections.
• Potential interest/utility for students, staff, and faculty
• Availability of alternative materials, e.g., Open Educational Resources (OER)

Format and Type

• Hardcover/Paperbound Books
  Hardcover editions are preferred
  • if heavy use is anticipated;
  • if the title in question is an enduring classic, not subject to obsolescence; or
  • if size or length of the book warrant the sturdier format.
  Paperbound editions are preferred
  • if there is a significant price difference between hardcover and paperbound editions;
  • if the book will be used infrequently; or
  • if it has short-term value.
• Print books/Ebooks

  Traditional print monographs will remain a feature of the LaGuardia Library for the foreseeable future. However, the demand for ebooks has changed dramatically with the COVID-19 pandemic, the inaccessibility of many print materials, increased need for access from remote locations, the increased availability of Open Educational Resources, changes in pricing of electronic copies, and changes in the popularity of digital access. Therefore, selection criteria for acquisition of electronic materials should now be applied more consistently in the same way that they apply to print materials.

  Reference books do retain priority for purchase in electronic form, but when pricing and availability permit, it is desirable to make monographs available in both print and ebook form for both the Reference collection and the circulating collections.

  Titles that have already been made available as ebooks through purchase by CUNY Central may inform decisions about the necessity for purchasing print titles; however, ebooks purchased by way of consortium will not preclude purchase or incorporation of print monographs in the Library’s collections.

• Media (non-print)

Media Items are purchased to support curriculum or as a response to a specific need (e.g., the Common Reading program). Media items are also added for the general educational and entertainment needs of the LaGuardia community at large.

• Multiple Copies

Multiple copies should be acquired, when possible, of textbooks, monographs, or recent titles that are anticipated to receive extensive use. Purchase of multiple copies is discouraged unless there is the expectation of continuous heavy use. Additional donated copies may be accepted and cataloged, according to their frequency of use.

• Physical Bindings

Items should be purchased with conventional bindings whenever possible. Purchase of loose-leaf, spiral-bound, perforated, or other unconventional bindings should be avoided whenever possible, and reinforcement of such bindings should be attempted when possible. Paperbound books should be purchased with plastic reinforcing covers or have them applied in-house.

• Textbooks

Textbooks are purchased for either the Reserve collection or the regular circulating collection. Reserve textbooks are purchased upon request from faculty teaching courses being run for a specific semester and they are retained on Reserve for courses taught on an ongoing basis. Funds are prioritized for reserve materials.

Used donated textbooks which are complete and in good repair are readily incorporated into one of the Reserve collections (2-hour on-site loan; 3-day loan; or 14-day loan) or the regular circulating collection. If possible, multiple copies are maintained for the edition currently taught and one or two previous editions. Earlier editions can be moved to the Stacks or withdrawn depending on demand and currency.

• Workbooks and Manuals

The Library does not purchase workbooks in print, but single-user electronic versions should be considered. Appropriate donations of print versions may be incorporated into the collections. Manuals may be incorporated, when appropriate, in the Reserve, Reference, and circulating collections, irrespective of binding.

• Books with Companion CDs or DVDs

Books with accompanying digital media are selected using the same criteria as regular monographs. Digital media that accompany Stacks books circulate, and digital media accompanying Reference books may be used in the Library

Mending and Binding

Most book repair is done in-house by Technical Services staff. Books are repaired when feasible. If repair is not possible, the Library will purchase a new copy if the book is still in print if the item is impossible to replace, it may be sent to the CUNY bindery.

Priorities for Collection Development

• At the beginning of each semester, replenishment of the Reserve Collection is the Library’s priority. Books are drawn from the Circulating Collection, purchased from the campus bookstore and other vendors, or acquired through donation or special loan from individual professors. Out-of-date titles and titles not currently in use are removed from the Reserve collections and returned to the regular circulating collection. Damaged and worn items are replaced, if feasible.
• Continuations (continuing or standing orders, recurring orders) are materials that involve an ongoing commitment to maintain a series of volumes issued on a regular or irregular basis. Termination of a given series should be done through a formal consensus arrived at by the professional library staff.
• The Library’s collections must remain current. Programs that require periodic accreditation review are given priority in this regard. Thus, materials for academic programs in Nursing, Paralegal Studies, Veterinary Technician, Radiology, and Physical and Occupational Therapy should be maintained through consultation with department liaisons and librarians assigned to the subject field in question. Research needs of students should be supported and collection strengths should be maintained. Designation of a book as a Reference item or a circulating item is at the discretion of the professional Library staff.
• The Browsing collection has been supported directly through the Brodart-McNaughton book rental program, which allows easy exchange of items that are no longer current or popular for other more current and popular titles. The Browsing collection can also be supplemented with donated books as appropriate.

Weeding

 

The collections should be reviewed periodically to ensure that they continue to meet the criteria applied when their materials were selected. An item that no longer meets those criteria should be removed, provided that it is not the last copy in CUNY. If appropriate and possible, the item should be replaced. Weeding is potentially performed by the following individuals:

• the librarian responsible for each collection;
• the Collection Development librarian;
• the librarian assigned to a subject field as liaison;
• other library faculty;
• invited faculty members in the appropriate subject field.

Final decisions are made at the discretion of the librarian responsible for each collection.

Criteria for removal from the collection:

• items whose physical deterioration precludes binding or mending;
• superseded editions;
• items with outdated or inaccurate information;
• excess duplicate copies;
• items bought for programs that are no longer supported.

Gifts/Donations

Gifts are readily accepted by the LaGuardia Library. Textbooks, leisure reading, academic titles, CD, DVDs, and other media items are all considered for inclusion in LaGuardia collections. Donations play a key role in augmenting and expanding the collections, especially with expensive textbooks thereby made available to students of limited means.

Items that are not needed for the collections are retained for the Library’s occasional book sale, which provides the Library with revenue to purchase other needed titles.

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Revised March 2021
Library Collection Development Committee

Recommendations for Purchase Requests: Library will factor in the following:

1. Budget – balance cost of the item against need
   • Cost in relation to cost of other resources (existing and comparable).
   • Cost Per View (CPV)/student usage (The Library will maintain usage statistics to inform decisions regarding scope, currency, and utility of collections for existing subscriptions.)
2. Relevance of the subject to the curriculum
3. Number of students per program
4. Appropriateness for the user
   • Academic level for community college students
   • Accessibility (meeting ADA guidelines)
   • Format (print, electronic, media)
5. Demand as indicated by
   • requests from all campus constituencies
   • ILL requests
6. Percentage of budget vs percentage of students (if possible)
7. Research alternatives to the requestor for their consideration
   • OER in subject area
   • Seek alternative access and pricing with existing publishers.
8. Kanopy
   • Suspend access during the summer intersession, with access granted before the Fall semester for faculty to review films, if needed, for fall classes.
   • Monitor usage of educational suppliers so that Kanopy is relevant to LaGuardia’s classes and disciplines (to the extent possible) and used as an additional teaching tool rather than for personal viewing.
   • Monitor monthly usage in order to maintain the fiscal budget. If usage begins to exceed projection, work with Kanopy to explore opportunities to lower cost.
   • When requests are made from faculty to add films to the collection, work with the professor(s) to ensure additional cost is not prohibitive to the budget.
   • When requests are made from students to add films to the collection, respond with a request for their professor’s name to ensure that the film requested is required for the class.
   Library Collection Development Committee Members: Francine Egger-Sider, Louise Fluk, Dianne Gordon Conyers (Chair), Anne O’Reilly