Library Policies

Service dogs are permitted in the Library. All other animals are prohibited.

Who Can Borrow

Purchase College students, faculty, and staff who present a valid Purchase College ID card may borrow library materials according to the loan periods specified.  Due to system limitations at this time, the following affiliations will not be able to borrow books and materials:

• Friends of the Library
• Manhattanville College students and faculty
• Students and faculty from SUNY institutions
• Faculty from WALDO (Westchester Academic Library Directors Organization) institutions

Guests and community members not affiliated with the above institutions do not have borrowing privileges but are welcome to visit us and use library materials on location once the library reopens to the general public. 

Direct link to this policy: https://www.purchase.edu/live/blurbs/1104-borrowing-library-materials

Public notices and announcements may be posted on Library bulletin boards.  Postings must be dated and only one copy per event per bulletin board is allowed.  Library staff members have the right to remove out-dated or un-dated postings as well as any they deem inappropriate.  Notices may not be posted on walls, doors, windows, furniture or other non-sanctioned areas in the Library – they will be removed immediately. Handouts, cards, flyers and the like may be stacked neatly in designated areas at the Circulation and Reference Desks but shall not be distributed elsewhere (such as on end tables, chairs, desks, etc). The Library’s policy complies with Purchase College’s policy on posting material on campus.  

Consequences of Violating the Code of Conduct

Failure to comply with these policies may result in removal from the Library, suspension of library privileges, and/or notification to University Police (UPD). If inappropriate conduct occurs after an initial warning, you will be asked to leave the Library.

Library Building & Property 

Vandalism

The Library is obligated to protect the building, its furniture, and all library materials and equipment from purposeful damage or destruction. Please refrain from the following acts of vandalism on library property:

• Removal of pages, pictures, or covers from print materials, CDs, and DVD jackets.
• Writing on, highlighting, or altering books, or equipment. Library materials are inspected to ensure that they are checked out in good condition, please return them that way.
• Damaging or defacing other library property. This would include: equipment, furniture, fixtures, or any of the building’s interior, exterior walls or grounds.

Violators will be referred to University Police and Student Affairs for disciplinary and/or criminal proceedings.

Climbing

For your safety and the safety of others, please use library furniture only as intended. Refrain from:

• standing or lying on chairs, tables, desks, or other furniture.
• climbing or jumping on or off stairs, walls, poles, balconies, ledges, roofs.

Moving furniture

Moving furniture or technology from one area to another is prohibited. If you must move a chair or furniture within classrooms, please return it to its original position. 

Obstructing Windows or Creating Barriers

It is not permitted to cordon off or to obstruct the view into any library space that does not have shades or blinds for this purpose. It is prohibited to:

• Cover the windows or doors of study carrels or group study rooms
• Hang blankets, sheets, etc. from walls or ceilings
• Erect a barrier or move furniture that blocks access to any area of the library

Bicycles/Skateboards/Scooters etc.

The use of bicycles, skateboards, scooters, or other non-essential mobility devices is not permitted within the Library building. Skateboards and small, foldable bikes or scooters can be carried with you into the Library, but please lock larger vehicles that may obstruct others’ use of the building outside on the racks indicated for this purpose. Do not chain bicycles or other vehicles to library railings.

Treatment of Staff/Fellow Library Patrons

Respect staff

Treat all library staff and fellow library users with respect and courtesy. Comply with staff requests and directives. Any actions that are perceived as harassment or threatening will not be tolerated.

Follow staff instructions during emergencies and drills

Failure to evacuate when requested, or to follow other directions from staff during emergencies and/or drills may result in removal from the Library, suspension of library privileges, and/or notification to University Police (UPD).

Personal Comportment & Behavior

Patrons using the Library must adhere to the following policies pertaining to individual comportment and conduct:

Noise

The Library is divided into three, color-coded study zones: Silent, Quiet, and Group Study. The rules of each zone are specified below. Library staff reserve the right to determine what constitutes excessive, inappropriate, or distracting noise. Failure to adhere to the noise policy and/or staff warnings may result in removal from a particular study zone, removal from the Library, and/or suspension of library privileges.

In all library spaces, including Group Study Zones, please:

• Respect others in your immediate surroundings by keeping conversations brief and using low, reasonable, “indoor” voices.
• Set cell phones on silent or vibrate.
• Keep cell phone conversations brief and at low volume.
• Always use headphones when watching films or listening to music.

The rules for each study zone are as follows:

Silent Study Zone (blue)

• No talking (You may whisper only when necessary)
• No cell phone conversations
• Cell phones must be set to silent
• No listening to music or movies without headphones

Quiet Study Zone (yellow)

• Brief, occasional talking in a low speaking voice
• No cell phone conversations
• Cell phones must be set to silent
• No listening to music or movies without headphones

Group Study Zone (orange)

• Collaboration and conversation at a normal “indoor” speaking volume are permitted
• Brief cell phone conversations are permitted
• Cell phones must be set to vibrate or silent
• No listening to music and movies without headphones

For study zone locations, please see our Study Zones Map

Alcohol

Alcoholic beverages are not permitted in the Library. Violators will be referred to University Police and Student Affairs for disciplinary action. Exceptions may be made for college-sanctioned special events in accordance with the College’s Alcohol Policy and with the prior approval of the library director.

Attire

Appropriate attire is required, including shirts and shoes. Library personnel reserve the right to determine the appropriateness of clothing. Library personnel also reserve the right to ask individuals to wear additional clothing.

Tobacco

Tobacco use is not permitted in the Library, in accordance with the College’s Tobacco Free Policy. Smoking or vaping any substance, including e-cigarettes, is prohibited in the Library. Violators will be referred to University Police and Student Affairs for disciplinary action.

Plagiarism and Academic Integrity

Library users are expected to comply with the Purchase College Academic and Professional Integrity Policy by completing original work and avoiding cheating and plagiarism. The Library values the ethical use of information and research in all academic and creative works. The College’s Academic Integrity Policy requires students to properly cite, paraphrase, and attribute any ideas which are not their own. Crediting scholars who came before contributes to an ongoing academic discourse, promotes a culture of integrity, and protects the rights of authors and creators, including those within the Purchase College community.

The misuse of library resources and services, including in-person and virtual reference services, for the purposes of cheating or plagiarism constitutes academic dishonesty and will be reported to the Academic Integrity Committee.

To learn about plagiarism and proper citation techniques, visit the Citation Guide. When in doubt, you can always ask a librarian about citing and paraphrasing sources, using copyrighted images, formatting bibliographies, etc.

Copyright

All library users are expected to comply with copyright laws. Please see our Copyright Guide for more details.

Direct link to the Code of Conduct.

To extend the life of library materials, patrons are expected to treat all library materials with care and to return materials in the same condition as when checked out. Library patrons returning a damaged item, or who damage a non-circulating item, will be assessed at the replacement cost plus a $20 processing fee. Library staff will determine whether the item has been damaged beyond normal wear.  Patrons who continually misuse Library materials, including circulating and non-circulating items, may have their borrowing privileges revoked.

With Contactless Pickup in effect, we encourage uses to quarantine books for three days as recommended by the REALM project.  Do not use disinfectant, cleaner, water, soap, bleach, hand sanitizers, wipes, or anything other cleaning product on library materials. Do not leave library materials outside or in the sun for long periods or use UV treatments on them.  Any of the above can damage books.  
 
Examples of billable damage include:

• Missing pages, discs, or accompanying materials
• Using materials as furniture props, wedges, or coasters
• Broken spine
• Water/liquid damage
• Pen, pencil, or highlighter markings
• Leaving post-its, sticky notes, paper clips, etc. in books
• Torn or missing covers
• Scratched discs
• Mold

The Library has a rotating annual exhibition of student artists selected by the School of Art+Design. Other students, faculty, and staff wishing to have work exhibited in the Library should make a request at least two weeks in advance to the Library director.  The Library tries to accommodate as many of these requests as possible but is not obligated to accept any requests.      

The Library accepts donations both monetary and in kind.

If you would like to make a monetary donation to the Library, contact the Library director’s office, (914) 251-6435 or eileen.prager@purchase.edu. If you are interested in donating books, DVDs, CDs, or other library materials, please consult the Purchase College Library Donation Policy.

Filming

The Library tries to accommodate student requests to film in the Library; however, the director reserves the right to deny permission if the activity may disrupt other students or classes using the Library.

Individuals or companies not affiliated with the college must contact the Office of Conference Planning to obtain permission to film in the Library or anywhere else on campus.   

These guidelines must be followed:

• Obtain permission from the Library director at least 48 hours (2 business days) in advance. Permission can be requested by emailing lib.director@purchase.edu. The requester must specify in the request whether additional lighting will be brought in, whether there will be dialog or other sound, whether furniture or library materials need to be moved, and the precise date and time of the filming.  

• Notify Library personnel at the Circulation Desk when you have arrived for filming and when you have completed filming.

• Do not film any individuals in the Library without their permission.

• Do not modify Library walls, shelving, lighting, etc. without explicit permission from the director or building manager.  

• Abide by the noise policies in the various areas of the Library. Exceptions may be granted when classes are not in session.

• Remove all equipment, costumes, etc., and clean up all trash after filming.

• The film crew is responsible for  moving any furniture, etc., and returning it to the way it was before the shoot.  

• Provide the name and contact information of the Purchase College community member responsible for the filming.

Photography

Taking still photographs is permitted in the Library, as long as photographers receive permission from any people they photograph.

Direct link to this Filming in the Library FAQ.

Food and drink are not allowed in the Library, except in the 2012 Lounge. We ask all library users to help maintain a clean and healthy environment by disposing of all waste and recyclables in the proper containers.

Water

Water may be consumed in the Library if contained within:

• Spill-proof travel mugs
• Sport-style water bottles
• Plastic bottles with caps

Report All Spills

No fault policy – If you spill something, please report it to a service desk (Circulation or Reference) so we can help you clean it up and provide paper towels, etc. We will not blame you, and in fact, will thank you for telling us about it!

Guidelines & Principles

Please follow these simple principles borrowed from the Leave No Trace Outdoor Principles:

Dispose of Waste Properly

• Make sure to place recyclable water bottles in recycling bins and non-recyclable garbage in trash cans designated for those purposes.

Leave Everything as You Found It

• Leave library/technology resources, furnishings, and equipment as you found them–or in better condition than you found them.
• If you spill something, please report it to a service desk.
• Be Considerate of others including our hard-working custodial staff.

Library personnel reserve the right to ask individuals to relocate or remove food or drink from prohibited areas.

Purchase College Library is open to the public. Guests are welcome in public areas of the Library.

Guests may use the Library’s print and electronic resources on-site. For information on borrowing privileges for non-Purchase College users, see our policy on who can borrow and our Friends of the Library page.

Guests are permitted to use library computers and the PurchaseGuest wifi. To obtain a guest login for the public computers or the guest wifi password, please ask at the Circulation or Reference desks.

All guests must follow the Library’s Code of Conduct and adhere to campus-wide COVID-19 and other safety protocols.

Purchase College affiliates have priority in using computers and peripherals. Guests may be denied access to computers during busy times. Please note that we do not provide printing privileges for guests. Library staff can print shorter items for guests at the staff member’s discretion. Due to our role as a Government Depository Library, staff will print federal government documents for guests. Guests may use scanners and are encouraged to use a USB drive or a Google Drive account to save scanned documents.

Guests are not permitted in private office areas, classrooms, group study rooms, or carrels except by invitation or permission from authorized Purchase College personnel. During times when the Library is open overnight, only individuals with Purchase College ID cards are permitted in the Library at night, between the hours of 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.

Purchase College students, faculty, and staff can use our Interlibrary Loan (ILL) system, known as ILLiad, to request materials from other libraries. We provide this service free of charge to Purchase College students, faculty, and staff.

Note: Guests and Friends of the Library are not eligible to request items via interlibrary loan.

To get started with interlibrary loan, please see our interlibrary loan guide. Please note that the first time you use ILL at Purchase, you will need to complete an online registration.

Lost items that were recovered in the Library will be kept at the Circulation Desk until the end of the work day.  At the end of the day, all unclaimed items will be sent to UPD. Neither the Library nor the College are responsible for lost, stolen, or missing items.

If you lose an item, or do not return or renew an item after its original due date, you will be charged the replacement cost of the item (as determined by the Library) plus a $20 processing fee. The Library does not accept replacement items provided by the borrower. Initial notices for lost books will include an average (or default) cost for the item of $75. The actual cost can be lower or higher and will be determined by the Library staff before the borrower is billed for the item. Inquiries about the actual cost of the item should be directed to the Circulation Desk staff. If you find the item, you may return it before the end of the academic school year, and the cost of the item (not the processing fees for fines) will be waived.

Masks are optional in the Library for all patrons and library staff, regardless of vaccination status. This is in keeping with Purchase College policy, which states that “We are currently in an area of medium transmission. Masks are optional in most cases.”

Library patrons are encouraged to maintain a reasonable social distance when interacting with our staff. Please use designated footprints while waiting for printers, circulation or reference service. Library staff reserve the right to ask patrons to increase social distance by moving further away, changing position, etc. Please do not move furniture in order to reduce distance between yourself, staff, and patrons.

Library staff reserve the right to enforce the COVID safety policies set out by the College. Failure to comply with these policies may result in referral to the Office of Community Standards, removal from the Library, suspension of library privileges, and/or notification to University Police (UPD). If inappropriate conduct occurs after an initial warning, you will be asked to leave the Library.

Overdue notices are sent to patrons via email as a courtesy.  Even if borrowers do not receive overdue notices, they are still responsible for returning items by their due dates.

All student library fines are paid through Student Accounts. Go to My Heliotrope for further information on paying your bill. The Library no longer accepts payments of any kind at the Library service desks.    

If you have any questions about fines, please speak to a Circulation Supervisor, either in person or by calling (914) 251-6401. 

If you have graduated or no longer have a current More Card, and need to pay an outstanding fine, contact valencia.wallace@purchase.edu or call (914) 251- 6416

The Library offers black-and-white and color printing on letter-size or tabloid-size paper. Print allocations are set and maintained by Campus Technology Services (CTS), not the Library.  For information about how to access your print account or add more points to your print allocation, see the CTS Print Management page in SharePoint (login may be required).

Currently CTS does not offer guest printing privileges. Guests may save and email documents to themselves, including documents from library scanners. At their discretion, library staff may print government documents for patrons, due to our status as a Federal Depository Library.

The Purchase College Library subscribes to the philosophy expressed in Article III of the Code of Ethics of the American Library Association. We protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted.

The Library supports and complies with the relevant NY State laws governing library records:

NEW YORK CONSOLIDATED LAWS
CIVIL PRACTICE LAW AND RULES
ARTICLE 45. EVIDENCE | NY CLS CPLR § 4509
§ 4509. Library records

Library records, which contain names or other personally identifying details regarding the users of public, free association, school, college and university libraries and library systems of this state, including but not limited to records related to the circulation of library materials, computer database searches, interlibrary loan transactions, reference queries, requests for photocopies of library materials, title reserve requests, or the use of audio-visual materials, films or records, shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed except that such records may be disclosed to the extent necessary for the proper operation of such library and shall be disclosed upon request or consent of the user or pursuant to subpoena, court order or where otherwise required by statute. 

On regular loan items (books, scores, gov. docs.), non-senior students are allowed three renewals, and faculty, staff, seniors, and graduate students are allowed two renewals. (The initial loan period is much longer for those groups.)

For 7 day loan items (DVDs from the popular collection, VHS, CDs, LPs, audio cassettes and bound journals), faculty, staff, and students are allowed one renewal.  

Other borrowers may not renew items.

To renew your items, please see Renewing Library Materials. 

Problems with the building should be reported to the Circulation or Reference service desks. Examples of such problems are:

• Temperature is too hot or too cold.
• Restroom issue
• Leaks
• Clean up spills, etc.  

Group study rooms, digital editing suites, and viewing rooms may be reserved by Purchase College students, faculty, and staff using the College’s room reservation system, Roombook.  Guests and other users may request special permission from the Library Director to book a room.

Computer labs and classrooms typically cannot be reserved, except for use by classes. All classroom / lab reservations must be submitted via Roombook, in advance, and approved by the Office of the Registrar.

To request to hold an event (other than a class) in a library classroom, lab, or other space, please email lib.director@purchase.edu. All events must be approved by the Library Director and/or the Office of the Registrar, where applicable.

For more information, please see our instructions for reserving rooms.

The Library has several large format, touchscreen scanners and smaller scanners. All patrons and guests are welcome to use them. For information on the scanners, please see our Scanners FAQ.

Faculty are encouraged to use the Library’s scanners to make accessible scans for use in Brightspace courses.

The Library is divided into three different study zones: silent, quiet, and group study.  For more information about what is allowed and prohibited in each zone, see our Study Zones Guide.  

Solicitations/sales by individuals or groups are prohibited in the Library unless approved by the Director.

In accordance with the College’s Tobacco Free Policy, smoking or vaping any substance is prohibited in the Library.

The Purchase College Library welcomes children as long as:

1. They are accompanied by a parent or adult caregiver
2. They are under appropriate supervision
3. They behave appropriately

Please be aware that our facilities are open to the public, a situation which can present risks to children. The safety and security of children are the responsibility of the parent or adult caregiver.  The Library cannot assume responsibility for the safety of children left unattended.Please note the following:

• A child not yet in high school must be under the supervision of an adult who assumes responsibility for him or her.
• If a child wishes to leave the library, the library staff cannot legally detain him or her.
• Parents or adult caregivers must monitor all activities and behavior of their children while they are in the library. The staff person in charge will request that a child leave the premises if the Library Code of Conduct is not followed.
• Parents or adult caregivers are responsible for any act of vandalism (cutting, tearing, defacing, destroying books, periodicals, equipment, furniture, etc.).

If a child is left in the Library unattended, the staff will notify the University Police Department.

The Library will remain open on a revised schedule, when classes are canceled and campus offices closed due to inclement weather. If classes are moved to 100% remote due to inclement weather, the Library will nonetheless adhere to a revised weather emergency schedule.

During these weather emergencies, a campus announcement will be made indicating library closure and/or posted on the library webpage. If the Library has the ability to be open, a campus announcement and/or hours will be posted on the library webpage indicating the open hours.