Eligibility/Responsibilities
Any library user holding a valid Brock University photo ID card, alumni card, Special Borrowers’ card, or a valid card from a Canadian University Library may borrow material. Users from Canadian universities will also be required to confirm their active status by logging into their home institution’s portal or email system.
Only the person to whom it is issued may use a borrower’s card. Library users are responsible for any material signed out in their names and will be charged overdue fines and replacement and processing costs for lost or damaged items.
Lack of knowledge of loan policies, failure to note due dates, failure to renew on time, or failure to receive Reminder or Overdue Notices are not acceptable reasons for waiving library charges.
Additionally, the Library is not responsible for any damage to a user’s computer, VCR, or DVD equipment that might be caused by items borrowed from the Library.
Full details regarding Library Online Access and Borrowing Privileges by user type are available.
Loan Periods
| Item | Period |
| Books and Government Documents | Faculty, staff & students: 120 days, subject to recall if needed by another user. Alumni, Community and special borrowers: 2 weeks |
| Popular Reading and Wellness Books | 4 weeks |
| Reserve Materials | 3 hours or 24 hours or 48 hours. Items with a 3 hour loan period which are signed out within 3 hours of closing time each day will be due back 1 hour after the library opens the next day. |
| Various Equipment such as cables, computer mice, calculators. | 4 hours |
| Board Games & Playing Cards | 3 days |
| Map, Data & GIS Library Thematic maps and aerial photographs Topographic and historical maps and atlases Books | 3 days In-library use only 1 week |
| CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes | 2 weeks |
| Archives & Special Collections | Library use only |
| Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University items | 2 weeks |
| Instructional Resource Centre (IRC) | see IRC homepage |
Extended Loans
While stack books and circulating government documents are loaned for 120 days, they are subject to early recall and the borrower will be notified of the new due date by email.
Borrowing Limits
| Patron Type | Loan Period | # of Renewals | Maximum # of items checked out |
| Undergraduate | 120 days (subject to early recall) | unlimited | 500 |
| Graduate | 120 days (subject to early recall) | unlimited | 500 |
| Faculty, Staff, & Retirees | 120 days (subject to early recall) | unlimited | 500 |
| Alumni | 2 weeks | 4 | 20 |
| Special Borrowers | 2 weeks | 4 | 20 |
Only 4 reserve items may be signed out at once to eligible users (faculty, staff and currently enrolled students.)
Faculty, staff and Brock University students have unlimited renewals. Renewals are available to all borrowers provided the item has not been requested by another user.
Users are entitled to ten (10) outstanding holds at any one time.
When asking to renew high demand reserve materials, users may be asked to wait up to 15 minutes in order to allow other users access to these materials.
Book Retrieval, Holds, Recalls
Place a request on print materials with an “Available” status to have books retrieved from the shelves for you.
When you find a book in Omni, sign-in to request it.
Items which are currently checked out will be recalled and made available to be picked up from the Ask Us Desk when returned.
Users are limited to ten (10) outstanding holds at any one time. Learn more.
Renewals
Brock borrowers can renew material online by signing-in to Omni, or in-person by bringing items to the Ask Us Desk. Borrowers whose privileges have been suspended may not renew material. Three-hour reserve material, and material requested by another borrower, cannot be renewed. Faculty, staff and students have unlimited renewals, subject to recall by another user.
Fines
| Item | Fine |
| Overdue maps, CDs, DVDs, Interlibrary Loan materials | $0.50 per day per item |
| Overdue Reserves/equipment | $1.50 per hour per item |
| 3 hour loan items will be billed for replacement after 48 hours. 24 hour loan items will be billed for replacement after 5 days. 48 hour items will be billed for replacement after 7 days. 7 day loan items will be billed for replacement after 15 days. | |
| Overdue recalled material | $4.00 per day per item |
| Overdue recalled ILL / RACER material | $25.00 up to 15 days overdue |
| Overdue board games | no overdue fines, but will be billed for replacement after 21 days |
| Lost book | $125 default replacement charge plus a $25 non-refundable administrative charge |
| Lost / damaged maps/CDs/DVDs | Cost of item plus a $15.00 non-refundable processing fee |
| Lost equipment storage bag | $5.00 per item |
| Lost whiteboard cleaning kit | $6.00 replacement charge |
| Lost whiteboard cleaning cloth | $2.00 replacement charge |
| Lost whiteboard spray bottle | $2.00 replacement charge |
| Lost locker key | $25.00 replacement charge |
| Lost / damaged board game | $20.00 (Lost playing cards) - $2.00 |
| Lost / damaged miscellaneous cables | $25.00 per item |
| Lost / damaged calculator | $25.00 |
| Lost / damaged video camera | $550.00 |
| Lost ILL / RACER book / item | Flat rate replacement cost of $75.00, plus a $50.00 non-refundable processing fee |
| IRC | see IRC homepage |
Avoid incurring fines by signing-in to Omni to view the list of items you have borrowed and their due dates.
Borrowing privileges for Brock University students are suspended when fines are $20.00 or more or, when one (1) recalled item is overdue. A block is placed on the student self-serve account which could impact transcript requests, and receipt of a diploma. Faculty and staff borrowing privileges are similarly suspended for fines of $20.00 or more. Privileges will be reinstated for all users when overdue and recalled materials are returned and outstanding fines are paid.
Lost or Damaged Library Material
If a library item is lost, missing, stolen or damaged, the user will receive an “Invoice for Lost Library Material” and will be assessed a $125 default replacement charge plus a $25 non-refundable administrative charge.The lending Library will determine whether a damaged item is beyond repair.
Appeal of Library Fines
Users who wish to appeal a library fine may do so by completing an online appeal form. The request will be reviewed and an email response will be sent within five (5) working days.
Correspondence Policy
All University Library correspondence for students, faculty and staff is sent to a Brock University e-mail address. See ITS Help Desk for information on your e-mail account and on forwarding mail to another address.
All borrowers are responsible for responding promptly to e-mail or print communications from the Library. Printed notices will be sent when Bills for Replacement are required and for library users who do not have an email account.
Borrowing From Other Universities
Undergraduate students may borrow books in person from other Ontario university libraries (Direct Borrowing), with the exception of the University of Toronto. A valid Brock University Identification Card is required, and users may be required to show additional picture identification. Books may be returned to the lending library or to the Ask Us Desk at the James A. Gibson Library.
Graduate students, faculty and staff may borrow books directly from all Ontario university libraries. Arrangements also exist for borrowing from out-of-province universities (Atlantic, Quebec, Prairie and Pacific). See Canadian Universities Reciprocal Borrowing Agreement for more information.
Reciprocal Borrowing Policies for Niagara College and Brock University
Brock University and Niagara College have a reciprocal borrowing agreement for faculty, staff and students.
Niagara College faculty, staff and students may borrow books from the James A. Gibson, IRC and Hamilton campus Libraries at no charge. In order to register for borrowing privileges, Niagara College users must:
- apply in-person and complete a Special Borrowers’ form.
- show a valid Niagara college picture ID card and one other supporting piece of identification.
- log in to their college portal/email account to verify current status.
- re-register in-person on a yearly basis so that contact information is kept current.
Brock faculty/staff/students are entitled to borrowing privileges at Niagara College under the following conditions:
- users must register in-person and present a Brock student or staff card along with an additional piece of photo ID.
- users must re-register on a yearly basis in order to make sure contact information is current.
| Patron registration | Register in-person and present staff/student card with photo ID |
| Material available for loan | Books<br/>Exclusions: DVDs/videos; periodicals; reserves; reference materials; remote access to e-resources |
| Loan period | 2 weeks |
| Maximum # of items checked out at one time | 5 items |
| Maximum # of renewals | 1 per item |
| Fines | 25 cents per item per day |
| Returns | Borrower responsible for returning materials to Niagara College |
| Expiry date | Students – August 31<br /> Faculty & staff – One year from date of registration |
For further information, please contact the Circulation Department at Niagara College libraries at the Welland or Niagara-on-the-Lake campuses.
Niagara Regional Campus of the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University
McMaster University’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine has a regional campus at Brock University, which is located in the Cairns Family Health and Bioscience Research Complex.
McMaster students enrolled in the program are entitled to the same borrowing privileges as Brock undergraduate students.
The James A. Gibson Library houses a collection of books located on the 5th floor to support this program. These materials circulate for a two-week loan period, are available to all Brock Library users, and may be renewed online.
DeGroote School of Medicine students at the Niagara Regional Campus can access their Library Account online by entering their Name, Brock ID# and PIN to review due dates of items checked out, renew items online, and place holds online.
Interlibrary Loan Racer requests should be placed through the BROCK ILL/RACER system.
Interlibrary Loan/RACER
Material not available at Brock may be borrowed through the Interlibrary Loan/RACER Service.
Brock Alumni
Brock University Alumni are eligible for borrowing privileges at the James A. Gibson Library at no charge. Open stack material may be borrowed for 2 weeks and may be renewed for four consecutive 2-week periods, provided the item has not been requested by another user. A limit of 20 items outstanding in a patron’s record is in effect. Reserve material cannot be borrowed.
Community Borrowing
| Type | Fee |
| Brock Alumni | No charge |
| Community | $40.00 per year |
| Seniors (65+) | $20.00 per year |
| For-Profit Institutional | $300.00 per year (up to 5 borrowers) |
| Non-Profit Institutional | $100.00 per year (up to 5 borrowers) |
| Replacement for Lost Card/Barcode | $5.00 |
| Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery (Original works only) | $50.00 per year (plus charges assessed by lending library) |
| Map Library Temporary User Account | $10.00 per session |
For More Information see Alumni & Community
Returns
The University closure amid COVID-19 means we can’t accept your returns at this time.
Once we re-open, please return all Library materials to the Ask Us Desk during hours of operation. An after-hours book return slot is located at the east entrance to the Library.
Return options for students no longer in the Niagara area:
- Drop off your Brock books to your closest university library when they re-open. They will be returned to Brock on your behalf.
- Ship your returns to us by mail at:
James A. Gibson Library
Brock University
1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way,
St. Catharines, ON
Canada
L2S 3A1
For information on policies of the IRC, please refer to the IRC homepage.