ID Cards

You must present a current school ID card or library-issued borrowing card in order to check out or renew books. There are no exceptions.

If your card is lost or stolen, be sure to let us know immediately. You will be held responsible for any items checked out on your card if you do not inform us that it is missing.

Any time you obtain a new or replacement ID card, you must activate it for library use in person at the library's main circulation desk.

Expiration Dates

Students only have library privileges during semesters they are taking classes, during a semester for which they have paid a maintenance of matriculation fee, or during Summer semester if they were registered for Spring.  Matriculation and registration information is provided solely by the NYU Registrars office. 

Friends of the Library cardholders and Sponsored Borrowers may only access the library until the expiration date printed on their card.

Students at Cooper Union, LIU Palmer, and Hebrew Union MUST have a current validation sticker or their records will be considered to have expired.

Borrowing Limits

Non-degree students are allowed to have 25 items checked out at one time. Other borrowers may have up to 200 items checked out at one time.

Loan Periods

The due date will be stamped in each book at the time of checkout. Note that because due dates may be changed by remote renewal or when an item is recalled (see below), the stamp will not always reflect the actual due date. To check the due date of any item checked out to you, you may view your library record online (click here for instructions on viewing your record and renewing books online). You may also request a printout of your record from the Full Service line at the Circulation desk when you visit the library.

Please note, due dates maybe truncated if your expiration date is earlier than the loan period 

General Collection refers to circulating books from the stacks. Circulating books are located on floors 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Non-circulating books and bounds journals, are also found on these floors.

Special Loans refer to non-circulating Reference  books that have been approved for short- term checkout by a librarian in the appropriate reference center: General & Humanities (1st floor); Business & Social Science (6th floor); or Science (9th floor). The loan period is set by the librarian, and is usually overnight or shorter.

Interlibrary Loans may be checked out until the due date set by the Interlibrary Loan department.  Renewal maybe requested through the ILL office

Journals Loans: Bound journals may be checked out for one week.

Leisure Collection refers to the current titles in fiction and non-fiction for recreational reading, shelved on Lower Level 2.

Renewals

Renewal guidelines:

• Books from the General Collection may be renewed remotely or at Circulation.  In order to renew at circulation, you must bring the books to the desk. 
• Special loans may not usually be renewed. To request a renewal, bring the Special Loan item to the appropriate reference department.
• Journal loans, Childrens Literature and books from the Leisure collection may not be renewed.
• To renew an Interlibrary Loan, log into the Interlibrary Loan system.

Books from the General Collection may be renewed in person at Circulation (to renew in person, you must bring the books to the Circulation desk) or remotely on the web. Books may be renewed up to 200 times as long as they have not been requested by other users or for Course Reserve. You might not be aware that a Hold has been placed on an item until the time you try to renew it.

To avoid overdue items, be sure to renew before the due date.

Note that if you use the remote renewal systems to renew overdue books, your record will be charged the appropriate fine, if any. If the fine totals $5 or more, it will prevent you from both renewing and checking out more books until it has been paid.  You are responsible for returning and renewing books on time, even if the online renewal system is unavailable. (See Blocks below for information on blocked records.)

Holds and Recalls

If you need a book that is not currently available, you may request that a Recall be placed on the book. The user who has the book will be sent a notice alerting them that the book has been requested. When the book is returned, we will notify you by email and hold the book for 14 days. Requests for recalls may be placed at the Express line at the Circulation desk, or directly through BobCat by clicking on the "Recall/Request" button on the left-hand side of the item record.

If you request a recall on a book that is not already due within 14 days, the book will become due in 14 days.  If the book is due within 14 days already, than the due date will not change.  The notice sent to the patron will specify the new due date.

Note that items that have been recalled from you must be returned by the due date specified in the recall notice, regardless of the original due date or the due date stamped in the back of the book. Recalled books which become overdue accrue fines at the rate of $1/day and block your record so that you cannot check out or renew any books until the recalled items are returned.  Books that are already overdue will accure charges retroactive to the orginal due date.

Keep in mind that you are responsible for responding to recall notices even if you are out of town or otherwise indisposed at the time that the notice is sent, or when the book becomes due. Books maybe recalled between semesters and over the summer; this often occurs when a book is required for Course Reserve.

Notices are sent to the mail and email addresses the library has on file for you.  All NYU card holders will receive email notifications to their NYU Home accounts.  To forward to a preferred email account from NYU Home, Please see:  http://www.nyu.edu/its/email/configure/nyuhome/

Remember that all books are subject to recall at any time.

Returns

• All books borrowed from Bobst Library must be returned to Bobst on or before the due date.
• Interlibrary Loans and Special Loans must be handed directly to a Circulation assistant; they may not be returned to a book return bin.
• Other books may be placed in a book return bin or handed directly to a Circulation assistant. Books that have not been returned in one of these manners are not considered to have been returned.
• You are responsible for returning your library books by the due date even if you are out of town or otherwise indisposed on that date.

Remember that books cannot be checked in if they don't come to the Circulation desk; books which are left in the library without being properly returned will most likely remain on your record, becoming overdue.

Only items belonging to Bobst Library may be checked out, renewed, and returned at Bobst. Items belonging to other libraries (including Consortium libraries) must be returned to the owning library.

Overdue Fines

*The following chart lists the most common types of charges, their rates, and their maximums. For items that are at least 50 days overdue (20 days for recalls), please see the Lost Book Fines and Fees section below.

Other charges may be assessed that do not appear on the above table. Please contact the Circulation Department if you have any questions.

*This Policy applies to books charged out after September 5, 2007.

Lost Books Fines and Fees

When a book becomes 50 days overdue (or a recalled book becomes 20 days overdue) it is catagorized as "lost" and your account will be assessed the price of the book, a $30.00 processing fee, and any overdue fine. If the book is subsequently returned you will be responsible only for the processing fee and any late fine.

Interlibrary loans, special loans, audio-visual material and other items that are not standard books from the open stacks may have different maximum fines or accrue fines at different rates. Please inquire at the Circulation Department if you have any questions.

Preservation of Library Books

Books must be returned to the library in the same condition in which they were borrowed.

Charges will be assessed for books returned damaged. Books that are damaged beyond repair will result in replacement costs and processing charges being assessed.

Please avoid the following conditions and common sources of damage to library books:

• Moisture (including rain and spilled beverages)
• Using inappropriate materials as bookmarks, for example:
  • Post-it notes; the adhesive substance used on post-it notes is acidic, can rip pages, and can lift text
  • Paperclips; leave impressions and can rip pages
  • Pencils (or anything thicker than a piece of paper); wedged between pages causes damage to the spine
  • Rubberbands; leave damaging residue on pages and should not be used to hold pages back
  • Folding the corners of pages (dog-earing)
• Animals
• Stuffing books into an overfull bookdrop (if they don't go into the chute easily, return them at the Circulation desk)

Charges may be assessed at the discretion of the Library if any of the above conditions occur, even if accidental or inadvertent.

Please do not ever write in library books, even in pencil. Writing in books will result in charges being assessed.

If you come upon any library materials you believe need repairing, please hand them to a Circulation Department staff member. Everyone's cooperation is required in order to keep the collection in the best condition possible.

Overdues, Bills, and Notices

A reminder notice will be e-mailed to you three (3) days before your books are due.   Notices are sent to the mail and email addresses the library has on file for you.  All NYU card holders will receive email notifications to their NYU Home accounts.  To forward to a preferred email account from NYU Home, Please see:  http://www.nyu.edu/its/email/configure/nyuhome/

An overdue notice will be mailed to you when your books are thirty (30) days overdue. Books are due on the date indicated in BobCat (instructions on viewing your record and renewing books on the web). The library sends this notice as a courtesy reminder that your books are overdue; books are due on the date indicated whether or not you receive an overdue notice.

A bill will be sent to you if your account totals $6.00 or more in unpaid fines and fees. You will be billed for the replacement cost, plus processing fees and fines, of any books which are more than 50 days overdue (or for recalled books which are more than 20 days overdue).  Unpaid bills can result in having your informain sent to a Collection Agency.

Notices are sent to the local address on file with the Registrar . Be sure to update with the Registrar (Albert), if your mailing address changes, or you might not receive any notices.

Registration Blocks

Fines in excess of $60.00 and/or any lost books on your record will result in a stop being placed on your registration record. This will prevent you being able to register for classes (including drop/add), your diploma and from receiving transcripts. If you have been informed by the Bursar that you have a "library stop" on your record, please contact the Circulation department.  Failure to respond to a library stop may result in fines and being reported to a Collection Agency.

• You owe a total of $5.00 or more in fines and fees.
• Any book on your record that is 50 days overdue.
• Any book which has been recalled from you has not been returned by the new due date.
• Any mail we send you is returned by the post office.
• Any email we send you is bounced back

Fines must be paid at the library to which they are owed. Fines owed to Bobst Library may be paid at the full service line at the Circulation desk. Please note that any blocks on your record due to fines (as explained above) are based on the total fine on your record. This means that you might have to make payments at more than one library in order to return your account to good standing. You may pay with cash, personal checks, credit cards and debit cards.

Confidentiality of Library Records

As required by New York State law, library records pertaining to patrons are strictly confidential. This includes personal information such as addresses, circulation information such as the books you have checked out, building use and reference information. In order to obtain information regarding your library record, you must present your school ID or library-issued borrowing card.  If you are calling to request information, you must provide your University ID  number.  Staff may ask further questions to verify your identity.

Requesting Searches

Quick Searches

If you are unable to locate a book which is indicated as "Available" in BobCat (or a journal which is indicated as "Available" or "Bound"), fill out a Quick Search card (available in the stacks on each floor and at the Reference and Circulation desks) and hand it into a staff member at the Full Service line at Circulation. We will attempt to locate the book or journal within 24 hours, and notify you via email or phone if the item is found. Note that placing a search will not prevent another user from checking a book out, but will limit the length of time they may use the book and will ensure that you are notified when it is returned (see Holds and Recalls above for more information).

Claims Returned

We will also perform a search in the library if there is a book showing up on your account after you believe you have returned it. You may request a "Claims Returned" search at the Full Service line at Circulation. If the item does not turn up immediately, several subsequent searches will be conducted. We will inform you  by email when the book is found, or at the conclusion of  all searches.  Material not returned properly (see returned) are not eligible for claims returned.

Other Libraries

NYU students in degree-granting programs may use the following libraries in addition to Bobst:

• Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences Library at 251 Mercer St.
  • Access policies
• NYU Dental Library at 345 E 24th St.
  • Access policies
• NYU Law Libraryat 40 Washington Square South
  • Access policies
• NYU Medical Libraryat 550 1st Ave.
  • Access policies
• NYU Real Estate Institute Library at 11 W 42nd St.
• Ettinghausen Library of Middle East Reference at 50 Washington Sq. So.
• Institute of Fine Arts Library at 1 E 78th St. (by appointment)
  • Access policies
• New School University:
  • Fogelman Libraryat 65 5th Ave. (at 13th St.)
  • Gimbel Libraryat Parsons School of Design, 2 W 13th St. (at 5th Ave.)
  • Scherman Music Library, 150 W 85th St.
    • NSU access policies
• Cooper Union Library at 7 E 7th St.
  • Access policies
• New York School of Interior Design Library at 170 E 70th St.
• New-York Historical Society Library at 170 Central Park West

Borrowers who are not in degree-granting programs at NYU who need to gain access to one of the libraries listed above should inquire at a Reference center. A pass may be issued if the needed material is not available at a public library.

The policies summarized on this page apply only to Bobst Library. For information regarding policies at other libraries, please inquire at those locations. Note: Not all libraries listed above have circulating collections and not all allow general access to their collections.