Borrowing Materials

All current faculty, staff, and students with a valid Community College of Philadelphia ID card may borrow up to eight (8) items at a time.

The standard loan period is four (4) weeks. Reserve and reference materials must be used within the Library and cannot be checked out. Books may be renewed twice, either online through your library account or by telephone.

Students can view their borrowing activity and due dates by logging into My Library Account.

Alumni and retirees are not eligible to borrow materials or reserve group study rooms. However, they are welcome to use most library resources for on-site research, except for licensed databases.

Eating, Drinking & Distractions in the Library and Learning Commons

As outlined in the Student Handbook, the College has the authority to maintain an environment conducive to learning. The Student Code of Conduct identifies behaviors that may result in disciplinary action when they interfere with this mission.

To support a clean and focused learning environment, the following guidelines apply in the Library and Learning Commons:

• Food and Beverages: Food is not permitted in carpeted areas, study rooms, or the Library book stacks. To protect equipment, drinks of any kind are not permitted at the computers or at computer tables. Beverages in covered containers are allowed only in designated areas.

• Noise Levels: The Library and Learning Commons is a shared space, and we ask all users to be mindful of noise so everyone can study, research, and collaborate comfortably. Quiet Study Areas require low voices and silenced devices, while talking is welcome in designated Group Work Areas as long as consideration is shown to those nearby. Students use the Library for many purposes—including studying, collaborating, and taking exams—so please keep phone use to a minimum, take calls away from others whenever possible, and use headphones for audio at a volume that is not audible to others.By following these guidelines, you help preserve a respectful, clean, and productive environment for everyone.

• By following these guidelines, you help preserve a respectful, clean, and productive environment for everyone.

Overdue and Lost Item Procedure 

The Community College of Philadelphia Library does not charge overdue fines. However, users are responsible for the replacement cost of any lost or damaged items.

Books in the circulating collection have a four (4) week loan period. They may be renewed twice for additional four (4) week periods, provided they are not overdue or on hold for another user. To ensure fair access, we ask that all materials be returned on time.

Although overdue fines were eliminated in 2018, overdue items are still subject to restrictions. The Library sends courtesy notices to help you track due dates, but it remains each user’s responsibility to monitor their account and return materials promptly. We recommend checking your library account at least once a month, as email notices may be missed, filtered into spam, or not delivered due to technical issues.

Please note: users with overdue items may be blocked from borrowing additional materials, including reserve items, until overdue materials are returned.

The library sends overdue notices for most materials in the following timeframes:

• • A courtesy notice is emailed 5 days before the due date.
  • The first overdue notice is emailed on the 1st day after the due date.
  • The second overdue notice is emailed on the 7th day after the due date.
  • The third overdue notice is emailed on the 14th day after the due date.
  • The fourth overdue notice is emailed on the 21st day after the due date.
  • A book is considered “lost” on the 30th day after the due date and a lost book notice is emailed.

Lost Items

The library’s automated system will declare an item lost 30 days after the due date. Borrowers have ten days to make arrangements to purchase a replacement copy or be prepared to be billed by the Bursar’s Office. If you believe you've already returned the lost book to the library, you may request at the Circulation Desk that a search be initiated for the book. The library staff will search for the book for ten days. If the book is not found after ten days of searching, you will be responsible for replacing the item or paying a replacement fee at the Bursar’s Office.

Replacement Copies

Borrowers who have a lost book may be able to provide a replacement copy of the exact same book in new or near-new condition (same ISBN) in lieu of paying the replacement cost. Arrangements should be made with the Access Services Librarian before a replacement copy is ordered. If it is not, the borrower will be held liable for the replacement cost and will be notified of that decision.

Payment at the Bursar’s Office

Amounts owed for lost materials and not replaced by the borrower will be transferred to the student’s account, which includes tuition and other College fees.  Unpaid amounts that accumulate to totals designated by the Bursar’s Office may result in a “hold” on the account, which could prevent registration for classes, graduation, or receiving transcripts.

Damaged Items

Users should return items to the library in the same condition they were in when checked out. Damage incurred while using items may result in the patron being held financially responsible.  Depending upon the severity of the damage, the same obligations of the borrower not above in Lost Books will apply.  Examples of item damage include (but are not limited to):

• Writing, underlining, or highlighting
• Self-adhesive notes (Post-it® type notes)
• Water damage
• Pet damage
• Environmental damage (smoke, perfume, mildew, mold)
• Damaged covers, ripped or missing pages