Libraries Policies

ACCESS TO THE PHYSICAL LIBRARY AND PHYSICAL RESOURCES:  

The University Libraries are open to all current St. John’s University students, faculty, administrators, and staff. Those entering the libraries and using services are required to present a valid St. John’s StormCard. Accessible restrooms in the library are located on the third and fourth floors of the St. Augustine Hall. If you need help finding or accessing print resources, please visit the service desk on the third floor for assistance.

ACCESS TO ELECTRONIC RESOURCES 

The University Libraries provides current St. John’s University students, faculty and staff access to a wide range of electronic resources (library databases, ebooks, journals, etc.). You will be prompted to enter your St. John’s SignOn credentials to gain access to these materials, both on and off campus.

ST. JOHN'S UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES' COMMUNITY NORMS

St. John’s University Libraries fosters the open exchange of ideas and inquiry in a respectful environment free of harassment. Harassment may include comments, gestures, facial expressions, or imagery that demeans people based on language, religion, ethnicity, gender, physical or mental disability, physical appearance, or sexual preference. Those using library spaces, services and resources will treat other library users and employees with consideration and respect. We will respect the rights of others, and practice self-discipline. We will help protect the library collections and spaces while holding ourselves and each other accountable for keeping these norms. Together we can create a library environment that is welcoming, caring and affirming. Adopted by the St. John’s University Libraries Faculty Council on November 2, 2021. 

University Libraries' Access Policy last updated 06/03/2024
 

ALUMNI VISITORS LIBRARY ACCESS POLICY 

The Alumni Library Access Card will only enable you to gain access to the library’s physical spaces on the third and fourth floors of St. Augustine Hall and to use the print materials in-house. The Alumni Library Access card does not permit borrowing privileges or access to electronic resources. These services are reserved for those who have active St. John’s University credentials.

To apply for an Alumni Access Card, please complete the application.

You will need to bring your Library Access Card to gain access to the elevators and stairwells. With an Alumni Library Access Card, you can:

-Enjoy the library spaces to read, study or use print library materials in-house except during midterms and finals. 
-Use the SJUGuest Wifi on your phone, personal laptop or other devices.
-Use the Scannx scanner (located in the 3rd floor South wing) in order to scan documents or images. 
By using the University Libraries' spaces, alumni visitors are agreeing to adhere to the Libraries’ Policies and the Library Community Norms. 

Last updated 08/29/2024

Policy and Guidelines for Book Donations*

St. John’s University Libraries will accept as donations books that:

• Support current curricular needs;
• Promote rigorous scholarly research and inquiry;
• Were created or produced by an author, editor and/or publisher that is authoritative and reputable within that field of study;
• Contain contents that are verifiably current and accurate;
• Contain citations, bibliographies, endnotes, footnotes, etc. that attest to the veracity of the information; 
• Undergo the University Libraries’ standard review process for scholarly resources including a recommendation for acceptance by the librarian liaison in that subject area as well as a determination about the likelihood of use by the University community; and
• Be examined and reviewed based on the availability of other materials on that subject.

In addition, the University Libraries will not accept as donations any books that carry restrictions on their use or other restricted conditions.

Once a book has been accepted, it becomes the property of the University Libraries and may be added to the collection or discarded in an appropriate manner at the discretion of the Dean of University Libraries.

*Please note: University Libraries is not presently accepting books as donations.

Borrowing materials

All members of the St. John’s University community with St. John’s SignOn credentials are eligible to borrow circulating materials. Your digital ID from the St. John’s Connect app is used to check out circulating and reserve items. If assistance is needed in finding or retrieving material, circulation staff are ready to assist.

The loan period for circulating items is 28 days for undergraduate students and staff, and 90 days for full-time faculty, adjunct faculty, administrators, and graduate students. Loan periods for print reserve materials vary. You will be informed of due dates when you borrow short-term reserve items. 

Returning materials: 
Circulating items may be returned at the 3rd-floor service desk or in the book drop located on the 1^st floor of St. Augustine Hall.

Borrower notices: 
St. John’s University Libraries will communicate with you through your St. John’s University email address. The “from address” for these notices is [email protected].

• An email will be sent to you when an item is checked-out to your account, and when the item is checked-in.
• An “advance notice” email will be sent to you three days prior to the due date. 
• An “item is due” notice will be sent on the due date.

If an item is not returned by the due date, the following notices are sent as needed:

• 7 days after the due date, an overdue notice will be sent to you. 
• 30 days after the due date, a long overdue will be sent to you.
• 60 days after the due date, a second a long overdue notice will be sent to you.

Renewals 

Renewals for circulating items are based on patron category.

• Full-time faculty, undergraduate students, and staff are allowed 1 renewal if there are no hold requests for the item.
• Administrators, Adjunct Faculty, and Graduate Students do not have renewal privileges.
• If there are no renewals available, you must bring the item to the third-floor service desk to be checked in. If the item is still needed for course work or research, it may be checked out again.

Instructions for renewing online:

• Items can be renewed online by going to the Library main page: https://www.stjohns.edu/libraries
• Click on the Library Account tab at the top of the page. You may be asked to use your St. John’s SignOn credentials,
• Select the items to renew and click on the red “Renew items” button.

 Overdues 

• Borrowers with overdue reserve and media materials are placed on borrowing hold after 1 day.   
• Borrowers with overdue circulating items will be blocked from borrowing after 30 days overdue. The item is then considered long overdue. The borrowing block will be lifted once the book is returned. 
• The borrower is responsible for notifying the library immediately if library material is damaged or lost. 

Last updated as of 06/03/2024 

Current St. John’s students, staff, faculty or administrators may bring their children into the library, but they must be accompanied and supervised at all times. The accompanying adult is responsible for the safety, behavior, and supervision of their children, who will be expected to respect library property and their fellow patrons as indicated in the Library Code of Conduct. Children and minors are not eligible to borrow materials or use electronic resources.

Should a child be unattended for any reason, Public Safety will be contacted. A child will not be allowed to leave the library without an accompanying adult or a St. John’s University Public Safety Officer.

St. John’s University Libraries identifies, acquires, manages and provides access to physical and digital resources to support current curricula needs, to promote scholarly research and inquiry, and to encourage critical practices that allow our community of users to create new knowledge that has the potential to be transformative in nature. The Libraries acknowledges the impact of the evolving information-seeking practices and firmly adheres to an ethos of free and open access to information, freedom of expression, and the need for our collections to reflect diversity and interculturality.

In building our collections, we recognize that libraries are not neutral and as such our traditional collecting practices may have excluded the voices, experiences, and perspectives of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and other marginalized groups. With our continued commitment to be an anti-racist and inclusive institution, the Libraries is working toward a more just future for the St. John’s University community of scholars and researchers. To accomplish this, the Libraries will endeavor to:

• Approach collection development with cultural humility and remain open to what we do not know
• Critically examine the “authority” of a work through the consideration of author identities, perspectives and historical context in an effort to break down barriers produced by structural oppression and implicit/explicit biases
• Prioritize collection choices to include intentional consideration of historically marginalized authors and creators
• Collect materials in a wide range of formats and media in recognition that there are many ways to learn and know
• Build collections with an ethos of equity and accessibility, and with a commitment to open scholarship that honors scholarly activity
• Establish healthy, robust, extramural collections through active dialogue with campus partners including faculty and students

We believe that adherence to the University Libraries Collection Development Philosophy will contribute to the intellectual, social, and emotional well-being of our students and other members of our campus community.

Government Documents / Federal Depository Library Program 

The Queens Campus St. Augustine Hall Library Government Documents program is working with the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) to meet evolving Post-COVID Federal Depository Program guidelines, and the emergence of Digital FDLP guidelines.   

For Assistance with Online Government Documents  

FDLP Government documents can be accessed freely online directly to the public without charge. Additional guided assistance is available through our Government Documents Library guide. Please contact us if you have questions about finding and using electronic government documents. Reference: 718-990-6727; Ask a Librarian   

For Assistance with Print Government Documents  

The St. John’s University Main Library (in St. Augustine Hall) is open to St. John’s University students, faculty and staff with current St. John’s IDs only. At this time, access to the select FDLP Government Documents print collection is available by appointment only. Please call (718) 990-5083 and leave a message, or email your inquiry to todmana@stjohns.edu. The depository coordinator, Anthony Todman, will respond as soon as possible. By making an appointment, FDLP visitors are agreeing to followthe Libraries' Community Norms.  

Other St. John’s FDLP libraries:  

• Rittenberg Law Library:  For assistance with access or law-related materials in the Rittenberg Law Library's Document Depositories, please contact Courtney Selby: [email protected].  

• Davis Library (Manhattan):  For assistance with access to the limited FDLP Government Documents print collections at the Manhattan Campus, please contact Ricky Waller [email protected] or call 212-277-5137  

The Purpose of the Proxy Patron Account

The St. John's University Libraries provide University faculty the opportunity to name proxies to represent them in the Libraries. This service is intended to assist faculty in doing their library research by authorizing their designees to use the library in said faculty member's name.

Who may serve as a proxy?

Current St. John's University students, research assistants and employees are eligible to serve as proxies. Faculty members may authorize as many proxies as they choose.

How to Apply for the Proxy Patron Account

Faculty may request a proxy account by completing the Proxy Request Form and submitting it to the Circulation Desk of either the Queens or Staten Island campus libraries, or at the Queens Media Center and IMC desks. Proxy privileges may be issued for up to one year, at the sponsoring faculty member's discretion. 

Responsibilities of the Sponsoring Faculty Member

Sponsoring faculty members are fully responsible for all materials borrowed in their name. All circulation notices will be sent to the faculty member.

The University Libraries provides Community Bulletin Boards on the first floor in the Quiet Study area to post flyers, posters, and other appropriate information. Flyers/posters must be approved by Student Government, Inc. or by an academic department/administrative unit and must bear a stamp or signature indicating such approval. All other posters/flyers are subject to removal.

Please:

• Post only one copy
• Remove others’ posters/flyers only after the event has passed
• Use pins, not tape

We reserve the right to remove materials that are posted in other areas of the building.

Beverages in covered containers are permitted in the library spaces providing appropriate care is taken. Light snacks are permitted if they are not distracting to others because of odors, noise, etc. Please remember that the library is a shared space. Make sure your work area is clean before you leave: throw out trash and wipe clean table or desk surfaces.

Food deliveries or restaurant take-out items are not permitted in the library. These meals meal should be enjoyed the cafe area only.

Photo/Video Policy
 
In order to maintain a safe and welcoming atmosphere, video, audio, or image capture in the library should respect the following guidelines:
-For privacy concerns, students, community members and visitors may not be filmed or recorded in any library spaces without their prior permission in writing. Please also refrain from taking photos of minors (under 18 years) without the permission of their guardian.
-Students looking to use the library as a filming location for any class-related projects must provide the Office of the Dean of Libraries with a copy of a location agreement form from Public Safety, to be subject to approval by the Dean of Libraries. Approvals need to be in place at least days before filming begins, and filming should be limited to 7am to 10am on weekdays or any time during the library’s weekend hours.
-The Libraries reserves the right to stop photography, videography or other recordings if it disrupts the library environment.
-The Libraries also holds no liability for any incidents resulting from video, audio, or image capture.

The St. John’s University Libraries respect the right of privacy of all patrons regarding the use of the Libraries. Library records are covered by New York State Law NY CLS CPLR § 4509 (2001):

“Library records, which contain names or other personally identifying details regarding the users of public, free association, school, college and university libraries and library systems of this state, including but not limited to records related to the circulation of library materials, computer database searches, interlibrary loan transactions, reference queries, requests for photocopies of library materials, title reserve requests, or the use of audio-visual materials, films or records, shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed except that such records may be disclosed to the extent necessary for the proper operation of such library and shall be disclosed upon request or consent of the user or pursuant to subpoena, court order or where otherwise required by statute.”

The Libraries also observe all St. John’s University privacy and confidentiality policies, including:

• Human Resources Policy Manual, Policy 706: Confidentiality and related policies 121: Verification of Employment Information, 122: Personnel Records, and 710: HIPAA Compliant Procedures
• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA)
• Information Security Program (pursuant to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act)
• Student Handbook, Chapter 6: Policies and Procedures
• Computer and Network Use Policy: Privacy and Confidentiality
• St. John’s University Web Site Privacy Statement

Library patrons who have questions, concerns, or complaints about the Libraries’ handling of their privacy and confidentiality rights should file written comments with the Dean of Libraries.

Caroline Fuchs,
University Librarian and Dean of Libraries
Professor
St. John's University
8000 Utopia Pkwy,
Queens, NY 11439

Service and Assistance Animals in the Libraries

Designated service and assistance animals are permitted in the Libraries in accordance with the policies set forth by the University. Please see the St. John’s University policy and application process to register the animal. 

For more information, please visit the Office of Disability Services.

Access to the electronic and digital resources licensed by the Libraries are limited to the University’s current students, faculty and staff for personal research, and for academic and instructional purposes, either on campus or remotely. To access these resources, you will be prompted to login using your St. John’s SignOn credentials.  

The accessibility, usage and reproduction of such resources is protected under Copyright Law of the United States (in conjunction with "Fair Use" practices) and St. John's Universities contractual licensing agreements. 

Downloading, temporary storage, and printing of available materials are dependent upon the parameters set by the publisher. 

Please do not share personal information such as passwords or access codes. Excessive downloading, posting or publicly sharing copyrighted materials, or using these materials for commercial gain should not occur.  

Things to remember:

• Think before you act: following the policies ensures equitable access for all and will avoid disruption of library privileges.
• You may not download entire issues of electronic journals or sequential chapters of books. 
• Systematic downloading of protected resources/materials may be detectable by information providers, which could result in loss of access for you.  
• Sharing and distribution of proprietary texts without permission goes against our licensing agreements.
• Licensed products obtained for usage by St. John's University may have additional permissions, requirements, and prohibitions incorporated with their accessibility.