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 are welcome to borrow.
- Library online access and borrowing privileges by user type.
- Library users are responsible for any material signed out in their names and will be charged overdue fines (where applicable) and replacement costs for lost or damaged items.
Loan Periods
| Item | Period |
| Books and Government Documents | Faculty, students & staff: 120 days. Alumni, & special borrowers: 14 days |
| Badger Books | 28 days |
| Course Readings on short-term loan (Reserves) | 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 |
| Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) NaturePlus Passes | 7 days |
| Thematic maps | 7 days |
| Historical maps | In-Map, Data, GIS Library use only |
| Map, Data & GIS Library books | 14 days |
| CDs, DVDs, LPs, VHS tapes | 28 days (no renewals) |
| Archives & Special Collections | In-Library use only |
Borrowing Limits
| Patron Type | Loan Period | # of Renewals | Maximum # of items checked out |
| Undergraduate | 120 days | unlimited | 500 |
| Graduate | 120 days | unlimited | 500 |
| Faculty, Staff, & Retirees | 120 days | unlimited | 500 |
| Alumni | 2 weeks | 4 | 20 |
| Special Borrowers (community members, institutions) | 2 weeks | 4 | 20 |
Course readings on short-term loan (reserves)
- 4 items may be signed out at any one time to eligible users (faculty, staff and currently enrolled students.)
- Borrowers may renew high demand 3-Hour materials but will be asked to wait for 15 minutes in case other users are waiting to borrow.
Book Requests (Holds) and Retrieval Service
Brock borrowers may request print materials with “Item in Place” status.
- The option to request is available when users are signed-in to Omni.
- Library staff will retrieve the books for you.
- Requestors will receive a notice via Brock email when their requests are ready.
- Users are limited to ten (10) outstanding holds at any one time.
Renewals
Brock borrowers may renew material online by signing-in to Omni, or in-person by bringing items to the Ask Us Desk.
- Faculty, staff and students have unlimited renewals, unless an item is recalled for use as a course reading (reserve).
- Borrowers whose privileges have been suspended may not renew material.
- Three-hour course readings, and material requested by another borrower, cannot be renewed.
Fines
Avoid incurring fines by signing-in to Omni to view the list of items you have borrowed and their due dates.
| Item | Fine |
| Overdue CDs, DVDs, Interlibrary Loan materials | $0.50 per day per item |
| Overdue course readings on short-term loan (Reserves) and 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 items recalled for use as course readings | $2.00 per day per item |
| Overdue recalled Interlibrary Loan materials | $25.00 up to 15 days overdue |
| Overdue board games | no overdue fines, but will be billed for replacement after 21 days |
| Overdue NPCA NaturePlus Passes | $5.00 per day up to $50 maximum |
| Lost / damaged book | $125 default replacement charge |
| Lost / damaged CDs & DVDs | Cost of item plus a $15.00 non-refundable processing fee |
| Lost equipment storage bag | $5.00 per item |
| Lost whiteboard 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 miscellaneous cables | $25.00 per item |
| Lost / damaged calculator | $25.00 |
| Lost / damaged video camera | $550.00 |
| Lost Interlibrary Loan item | Flat rate replacement cost of $75.00, plus a $50.00 non-refundable processing fee |
Suspension of borrowing privileges: Faculty & Staff
Faculty and staff borrowing privileges are suspended for fines of $20.00 or more. Privileges will be reinstated when outstanding fines are paid.
Suspension of borrowing privileges/transfer of fines to student accounts & financial aid
Borrowing privileges for Brock University undergraduate and graduate students are suspended when fines are $20.00 or more. On a monthly basis, these fines will be automatically transferred to the student’s financial account. The Library will notify the student before this transfer is made.
- Log in to your Library Account to view details about fines on your record.
- Fine payment information: https://brocku.ca/safa/tuition-and-fees/making-a-payment/
- Privileges will be reinstated when outstanding fines are paid.
- Charges transferred to your Brock student account cannot be directly refunded and may take up to 3 weeks to process.
Lost or Damaged Library Material
If a library item is lost, missing, stolen or damaged, the borrower will receive an “Invoice for Lost Library Material” and will be assessed a $125 default replacement charge. The lending Library will determine whether a damaged item is beyond repair.
Appeal of Library Fines
Borrowers 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.
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 ID card is required, and borrowers may be required to show additional picture identification / sign-in to the Brock portal. Books may be returned to any Omni 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 Library and the Burlington campus Instructional Resource Centre (IRC) 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; course readings on short-term loan (reserves); 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.
Community Borrowing
| Type | Fee |
| Brock Alumni | No charge |
| Community | No charge |
| For-Profit Institutional | $300.00 per year (up to 5 borrowers) |
| Non-Profit Institutional | $100.00 per year (up to 5 borrowers) |
For More Information see Alumni & Community
Returns
Please return all Library materials to the Ask Us Desk when the Library is open. An after-hours book return slot is located at the east entrance to the Library.
Other return options for students no longer in the Niagara area:
Return to an Omni partner library:
- Algoma University
- Carleton University
- Lakehead University
- Laurentian University
- Wilfrid Laurier University
- McMaster University
- Nipissing University / Canadore College
- OCAD University
- Ontario Tech University / Durham College
- Queen’s University
- Toronto Metropolitan University
- Trent University
- University of Guelph
- University of Ottawa
- University of Waterloo
- University of Windsor
- Western University
- York University
By mail:
Ship your returns to us at:
James A. Gibson Library
Brock University
1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way,
St. Catharines, ON
Canada
L2S 3A1