Borrowing Policies

All members of the St. John's University community are eligible to borrow circulating materials. A valid St. John's University ID (StormCard) or St. John's University Library Courtesy Card serves as a library card. Borrowers must present their card with the items they wish to borrow. Borrowers are prohibited from lending their library card (StormCard/Courtesy Card) to others. Any card that is presented by someone other than the person to whom it was issued will be confiscated and held at the Public Safety Office. Borrowers are responsible for maintaining current contact information with the Circulation Department.

Loan Periods
Some materials may have loan periods that differ from those listed below. Some items (Reference, Special Collections, Periocials, etc.) are non-circulating. Loan periods for print reserve materials vary from 2 hours of "Library Use Only" to a week. Patrons will be informed about due dates when they borrow materials.

  • Undergraduate Students, Courtesy Card holders: 28 days
  • Full-time & Adjunct Faculty, Administrators, Staff, Graduate/Law Students: 120 days

Blocks on Borrowing
Overdue items must be returned and fines and/or lost item charges paid before additional items may be borrowed. Student transcripts and/or course registration will be blocked until all items are returned and all fines and fees paid.

Renewals
Overdue items, items with an active hold or recall, or items that have exceeded the maximum renewals cannot be renewed. Most items can be renewed online through the Libraries' catalog.

  • Undergraduate Students: 2 renewals
  • Full-time Faculty, Administrators, Graduate/Law Students, Staff: 1 renewal
  • Adjunct Faculty, Courtesy Card holders: no renewals

Overdue Notices
As a courtesy, an overdue notice is sent via e-mail one day after an item is due.  Patrons are responsible for checking and maintaining the e-mail account to which notices are sent.  Failure to read or receive an e-mail notice does not relieve the patron of responsibility for overdue items or resulting fines. Please check your “@stjohns.edu” e-mail account regularly.  The University Libraries also reserve the right to block library privileges of any user if the email address on file is no longer valid. 

Fines & Fees

  • Overdue fines accrue at a rate of 20 cents/day to a maximum of $5 per book.
  • After 25 days overdue, an item is considered lost and a replacement fee is charged.
  • Grace Period: All patrons are extended the courtesy of a 3 day grace period (beyond the due date) for overdue items. However, if an item is returned after the end of the grace period, the overdue fines are calculated from the due date, not the end of the grace period.

Holds
A hold is a patron request for a circulating item that is checked out. When the item is returned, the library will hold it at the Circulation Desk and notify the patron that it is available for pick up. Holds can be placed online through the Libraries' Catalog or in person at the Circulation Desk.