Borrowing - Queens College Library (2024)

Queens College Library books, media items, and Course Reserve materials can be checked out from the Circulation/Borrowing Desk on the 3rd floor during normal service desk hours. 

 Articles and books from libraries around the country can be requested via InterLibrary Loan (ILLiad).

Who May Borrow

• CUNY Faculty
• CUNY Students
• CUNY Staff
• Townsend Harris H.S. Students who are taking College Now courses
• Empire State University and Adelphi University faculty, students and staff
• Queens College Alumni (with valid QC Alumni ID card)
• Queens College Friends of the Library (with valid Friend card)^*

* Library access for Friends of the Library has been temporarily suspended until further notice.

What You Need

• You must have your valid Queens College Q-Card, CUNY ID card, or QC Alumni ID to borrow materials.
• You must activate your CUNY ID at the Circulation Desk of your home campus.
• QC Alumni must acquire a library barcode at Rosenthal’s borrowing desk.
• Empire State University and Adelphi University patrons must have their ID cards from their home campuses, with a valid expiration date affixed. A temporary library barcode is provided at Rosenthal’s borrowing desk upon initial check out, which can then be used in conjunction with your Empire or Adelphi school ID.

Email Notification

Courtesy reminders, overdue notices, recall notifications, and return confirmations are sent to the email address associated with your CUNYFirst.Alumni will be sent notices to the email provided upon library barcode registration. (Please note that the Library does NOT send print overdue notices through the regular mail.) Please be assured that we never share your email address and only use it to send messages related to your Library transactions.

Loan Periods

CUNY library patrons receive an initial loan period of sixteen weeks (112 days) for most regular circulating items. QC Alumni receive sixteen weeks, or up to the Alumni ID’s date of expiration, whichever comes first. Patrons from Empire State and Adelphi University receive sixteen weeks, or up to their school ID’s expiration date, whichever comes first.

Media items such as videos and DVDs are seven day loans, while media devices designated for currently registered QC patrons (laptops, calculators, chargers) are five hours up to the time the Borrowing Desk closes.

Dry erase markers may be requested and checked out at the Borrowing Desk for three hours, up to the time the desk closes.

Loan periods for Course Reserve textbooks and materials are dependent on the course itself. Please inquire at the Borrowing Desk for details on loan times.

*Please note that the library reserves the right to shorten a loan’s due time for item hold requests and recalls. Patrons will be notified of any changes to their loan times.

Fines & Service Fees

Due dates are stamped into each book on or near the page facing the rear cover. The Library does not send overdue notices unless you have a valid email address. It is the patron’s responsibility to return materials on time.

NOTE: Library fines must be paid over at Bursar accompanied with a print-out of your library bill. Please inquire at the library’s Borrowing Desk to receive a copy of your bill.

Overdue fines:

Late fees for Course Reserve materials, media videos, and sets of dry erase markers are calculated at $6.00 an hour / ten cents per minute, computed over a 24 hour period.

Late fees for media devices and accessories are calculated hourly at $15.00 an hour / twenty-five cents per minute, computed over a 24 hour period.

Recall and Rush Recall:Materials that have been recalled carry a late charge of $1.00 per day. If a recalled item is not returned within sixty days, it will be considered lost, and an additional fee will be incurred

Lost books:Replacement fee: ACTUAL RETAIL COST + Lost Item Processing Fee: $25.00

If the book is no longer in regular retail circulation, the replacement cost is $85.00 + Lost Item Processing Fee: $25.00

We strongly encourage replacement book copies, either new, or used in good condition. Processing fees will be waived for acceptable book replacements.

Lost media items:Replacement fee: ACTUAL RETAIL COST + Lost Item Processing Fee: $25.00

Renewals

• UPDATE: Most regular circulating items checked out on or after January 31st, 2023 can be renewed for an additional 224 days, provided they are not being recalled or requested. (Note that renewals for QC Alumni are capped based on the Alumni ID’s expiration date.) Renewals are processed at the Library’s Borrowing Desk along with your QCard/CUNY ID, Alumni ID, and the materials present — or online from your “My Account” via the CUNY OneSearch catalog. (See below for Online Renewals.)

Renewals will NOT be granted if:

1. The item has a hold/recall.
2. The item has gone into “Lost” status.
3. The renewal limit has been reached.
4. There is a block on the borrower’s record.
5. The materials are cataloged as non-renewable.

If a renewal request is not honored because of a recall, the item MUST be returned by your newly appointed due date. HIGHER FINES ACCRUE ON RECALLED ITEMS.

Online Renewals

You may renew your materials online through the CUNY Catalog (OneSearch). On the OneSearch page, click on Menu on the top-right corner, and then My Account. This will take you to the CUNYFirst log-in page where you can sign in with your CUNYFirst credentials.(If you are a non-CUNY patron such as Alumni, select “Other”, and sign in with the credentials the library provided when you received your library barcode.)

After you are in “My Account,”:

1. Select your loans from the owning CUNY library institution list.
2. You may select RENEW ALL, or choose to RENEW individual loans. (Be advised that loans that are labeled as NOT RENEWABLE cannot be renewed by the user.)
3. Your renewal will take effect immediately and you will be issued a new due date.

Returns

You may return book items in person at Rosenthal Library’s Borrowing Desk, or into our secured book slots by the front entrance near the turnstiles. (Please note that if an item is overdue with a recall charge and you would like to receive a copy of your bill, you must return it directly to the clerk at the Borrowing Desk.)

When the library is closed, you can place items in the depository drop-off box located outside the Library’s main entrance; these will be collected and returned on the following business day.

Course Reserve materials, art pamphlets, and Media items MUST be returned directly to the clerk at the Borrowing Desk to ensure a timely return.

Overdues

Any regular circulating book item overdue for more than seven (7) days will result in a suspension of borrowing privileges until the item is returned or renewed.

Any regular circulating book item overdue for more than sixty (60) days will be considered lost. A $25.00 lost item processing fee will be incurred in addition to the retail cost of the item itself.

Book Holds & Library Account Blocks

You may place a hold on any book that is charged out. When it is returned, you will be notified and the book will be held for you at the Borrowing Desk for ten days.

Fines in excess of $25.00 or more will result in a library account block, and a suspension of your borrowing privileges.

Other Services and Information

CUNY Courtesy Service
You may return regular circulating books borrowed from other CUNY libraries at Queens College Library.

Interlibrary/ILL
Once you are notified, ILL book requests can be picked up at Rosenthal Library’s Borrowing Desk. Make sure you have your valid Queens College QCard to authorize check-out.

Lost/Stolen ID Cards
If your Queens College QCard is lost or stolen, you must notify Campus Security and the Borrowing Desk. Items borrowed on a lost/stolen card are your responsibility until you report the loss or theft.

Search Requests and Holds
If an item is not on the shelf and you have not found an item in the sorting room on Level 4 (Room 417a), you may request a search be done to locate the material. You may also place a hold on an item borrowed by another patron. A notice will be sent to you when the item is located/returned.

Hold shelf
You may place circulating materials on the 3-day hold shelf if you are unable to borrow upon leaving the Library. Please speak to the front Borrowing Desk to request a hold.

Theses
Queens College theses can be paged from 9:00am–4:45pm Monday through Friday at the Borrowing Desk. Library patrons who need to view theses at alternate times, including weekends and evenings, need to call the desk ahead of time with proper citation information. Call 718-997-3702 and the item requested will be put on the hold shelf for in-house viewing. A valid QCard or CUNY ID card is required to check out a thesis for perusal.

For questions concerning Circulation services contact: Circulation/Reserve Desk, or 718-997-3702.