Hopkinsville Community College Library Policies

Up to ten (10) books and audiobooks may be checked out at one time, but no more than five (5) books on any one topic may be checked out at a time.

For students and community members:

Books and audiobooks circulate for two-week periods. Items may be renewed once. Just check with staff at the circulation desk. Items with a hold may be recalled for the patron requesting the hold.

Staff and faculty may check out materials for the semester.

Reference materials do not circulate.

Late charges for students - overdue books accrue a fine of $.10 per day, not to exceed $10.00 per book. DVD fines are $1.00 per day. Fines will be collected when the amount reaches $10.00. This fine will be assessed when the item is considered lost. If the item is returned, the replacement fee will be removed, but the fine is still due. If the item is lost, the replacement fee and $10.00 will be collected. A PeopleSoft hold will be placed on a student’s record for items with a $10.00 fine and replacement costs if applicable. Students who have overdue materials or who are delinquent in payment of fines and other charges will have a library hold placed on their record and may not register or receive transcripts. Community patrons will be charged at the same rate as students.

Community patrons have the same library privileges as students. They are required to fill out a “community” patron card application, and their card is mailed to their home address. A valid driver license with correct address information must be made available before a library card will be issued. A copy of the driver license will be made and kept on file.

Any patron under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. A current photo ID of the adult must be presented and a signed Community Patron Data Sheet for Minor form will be required and kept on file for any patron under 18. Students under the age of 18 who are taking HCC classes are exempt from this policy.

Faculty may choose to place books or articles on reserve. Faculty reserve items are located at the circulation desk. Each instructor determines the timeline for check-out.

HCC provides Interlibrary Loan (ILL) services to students, faculty/staff and community. Personnel from HCC will request the needed item from another college or university. Please allow a minimum of one to two weeks for delivery. There is no charge for this service.

Library instruction is available to HCC classes as well as by special arrangement for outside groups, such as high school English classes. The instructor or other person(s) in charge must call ahead if a formal presentation is expected. A seventy-two hour notification is to be given to a library staff member if any class is coming to the library for an extended period of time. Either general library tours or customized instruction will be provided.

One-on-one instruction is done on a daily basis. Each member of the library staff assists patrons with their miscellaneous problems/questions as needed.

When the emergency alarm sounds, all persons in the library should immediately stop what they are doing and prepare to leave the building.

Patrons will be given instructions for exiting the building. Everyone must stand at least 40 feet from the building (parking located on Talbert Drive).

No one may re-enter the building until clearance to do so has been given.

The library is for study and research, so a quiet atmosphere is the expectation. Group study is supported in several rooms off the main library area. Ask at the Circulation desk if you need a group study area.

All are to be treated with respect and kindness.

Library patrons of all ages are expected to respect the rights of others, thus individuals shall not behave in a disruptive manner. Disruptive behavior will not be tolerated. Examples of disruptive behavior include, but are not limited to, excessive noise, harassment of others, calls on cell phones and unattended children. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. In order to use library computers, patrons under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult unless he/she is a student enrolled in HCC classes.

When problems arise, a member of the Library staff will speak with the person(s) involved and will issue a warning if necessary. If the situation persists, the party(ies) may be asked to leave the library. In the event of continued abuse, the loss of library privileges may result.
If the unacceptable behavior cannot be satisfactorily resolved by the Library staff, the appropriate administrative personnel should be notified/consulted. Student issues should be addressed by the Chief Student Affairs Office. Community issues should be addressed by the Chief Academic Affairs Officer. If security is a perceived problem, notify the security staff and the Director of Safety and Security. If computer use is involved, notify the Director of Information Technology.

Cell phone use is restricted to the lobby area and outside, unless texting. Phones should be on silent mode while in the library. Calls should be completed before reentering the library.

A coin-operated copier ($.10 per page) is available for student use. Change is located at the circulation desk.

Document scanning for students is not a service provided by the HCC Library.

Document faxing for students is not a service provided by the HCC Library.

If the alarm on the security gate sounds, staff may ask to see contents of your bags.

The library has a microfilm reader/printer for patron use. Print copies are $.10 per page. The paper tray is located at the circulation desk. The library houses the entire collection of the Kentucky New Era newspaper.

The Office of Development has the responsibility for accepting gifts from private sources on behalf of Hopkinsville Community College. The regulations regarding gifts are outlined in Section 7, Independent Foundations, Grants, Contracts, and Related Policies, of the KCTCS Administrative Policies and Procedures.

The Hopkinsville Community College Library staff will “protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted” (Code of Ethics of the American Library Association, Article 3). This information includes, but is not limited to, database search records, circulation records, interlibrary loan records and other personally identifiable uses of library materials, facilities, programs or services, such as reference interviews. This right to privacy is protected under the provisions provided for in KRS 61.878, OAG 82-159, and OAG 82-149 (see appendix). It is the policy of the HCC Library that no information about any library users will be provided to any agency of government—local, state, or federal—without an order in proper form showing good cause based on specific facts issued by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Hopkinsville Community College Library complies with all copyright regulations. Any duplication of copyrighted materials is done within the boundaries of the Fair Use guidelines. The library is not responsible for copyright infringement by faculty, staff, students, or members of the community using library materials. However, a copyright notice is posted by the copier and copyright notices are posted in all books containing software.

107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair Use

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or  phonorecords
or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use),
scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In  determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use the  factors to be  considered shall include -

1. the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
2. the nature of the copyrighted work;
3. the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
4. the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.

From U.S. Code, Title 17.

Hopkinsville Community College Library supports the Library Bill of Rights and goo of the American Library Association and the Kentucky Library Association Intellectual Freedom.

Hopkinsville Community College Library will accept requests from faculty, staff, students and the community for reconsideration of material. The process for reconsideration of library material is as follows:

1. Requester fills out the Request for Reconsideration of Library Material form and turns it in to a library staff member.
2. Requests for reconsideration are given to the library director who informs the president of the college.
3. The president of the college appoints a review committee composed of the library director, a faculty member from each division, a staff member, and a student.
4. The committee will review the request for reconsideration and will determine if the material meets the criteria for selection.
5. The committee will submit a written report to the president of the college and the requester will be informed of the committee’s decision.

Challenged material will be kept in circulation during the reconsideration process.