Borrowing Privileges

Saint Louis University students, faculty, staff, and courtesy borrowers who have current identification cards may borrow books.  A current Saint Louis University I.D., a MOBIUS member-school I.D., or courtesy card is required for all borrowing transactions.

• SLU I. D. holders are able to
  • check out circulating materials,
  • enter the Library without having to sign in, and
  • add money to the card for copying purposes.
• All card holders are responsible for abiding by the rules and policies of the library from which books are borrowed.
• All card holders are responsible for any fines or charges accrued at the lending library.
  
         

Loan Periods for Library Items

Undergraduate Students

Graduate Students/SLU Staff

Faculty

Courtesy Borrowers
    

Renewals

Books that meet these criteria

• are within 7 days prior to their due date or later
• have not been billed for replacement
• have not been requested by another borrower
• have not reached the renewal limit

may be renewed online using the View Your Circulation Record function of the catalog.

Overdue Books and Fines

Daily fines for Pius Library overdue books are charged as follows:

A book is stamped with the due date at check-out.  The SLU Catalog View Your Circulation Record provides the due date of all books on loan to each borrower.

Overdue notices for billed books from all Saint Louis University Libraries are sent when books are 5 and 15 days overdue.  After 30 days, overdue books are considered lost, and the borrowing patron will be billed a lost book fee of $115 plus a non-refundable $5 billing/processing fine.

Overdue notices for MOBIUS loaned books are sent when books are 5 and 30 days overdue.  After 45 days, overdue books are considered lost and the borrowing patron will be billed a lost book fee of $100.00 plus a non-refundable $20.00 billing/processing fine.

All billed items are thoroughly searched prior to invoicing. Failure to receive a notice does not exempt a borrower from the responsibility to return books on time and is not grounds for the cancellation of fines.

Billed books and/or fines exceeding $50.00 will result in suspension of borrowing privileges.

Lost or Damaged Books and Replacement Charges

A borrower who has lost a book from any of the Saint Louis University Libraries will be charged for the replacement of the lost book.  A borrower who has lost a MOBIUS book will be charged in accordance with the owning library's policies.
 

Requesting Books

Copies with a "Not Checked Out" status at Pius Library may not be held. Only books with status "In Process", "At Bindery", "In Repair", "Date Due", or "On Hold" may be placed on hold.  The holds can be placed online by the requester or at the Circulation Desk in person.

When the book is received at Pius Library, the requester will be notified to pick up the book at the Circulation Desk. From the notice date, SLU books are held for 7 days and MOBIUS books are held 10 days for pickup.

A book on hold for another patron cannot be renewed.

If a book has more than one hold on it, the normal check-out period may be shortened to serve the greatest number of patrons.

Recalls

All books are subject to recall. A book may be recalled after it has been on loan for a minimum of ten days.  Books needed for Reserve Room use will be recalled immediately.  MOBIUS libraries may recall their books at any time.

Recalled book due dates will automatically change to precede the original due date.  When a recall notice is received, the book is to be brought to Pius Circulation promptly. Recalled items are subject to fines past the recall due date.

To get a substitute for a recalled item, try requesting another copy online through MOBIUS or through Interlibrary Loan- ILLiad.

Searching Books

If a book cannot be located in the general collection, a patron can request a search by filling out a search request card at the Circulation Desk.  When found, the book will be held at the Circulation Desk for the patron and the patron will be notified.  If the book is not found within 5 working days, the patron will be notified.  If the patron still requires the book, he or she may request a copy of the book through the MOBIUS system or Interlibrary Loan.

Study Rooms

Keys to study rooms can be checked out from the Circulation Desk on a first-come, first served basis. Single, double, and seminar rooms are available for 3-hour loans and are non-renewable. Some rooms are reserved for class meetings and are unavailable at scheduled times.

Audio-Visual (A/V) Rooms

A/V room keys can be borrowed from the Circulation Desk. Keys are loaned for three hours to SLU patrons only, and have fines of $0.25 per hour. A/V rooms cannot be reserved in advance.

Lockers

Lockers on the 2nd floor for personal use are available for current students, staff, and faculty. The cost is $3.00 per academic year, and rentals expire on May 31 annually. Summer rentals to August 31 are $1.00. A limited number of premium lockers on the 5th floor are available at the cost of $5.00 per academic year. Inquire at the Circulation desk about renting a locker and further locker use policies.

For More Answers and Assistance

For questions about Pius Library Circulation services and policies, e-mail Circulation at piuscirc@slu.edu, call (314) 977-3087 and ask to speak to a full-time staff member, or visit the Circulation Desk and ask to speak with a full-time staff member.