Policies
Welcome to the DACC Libraries!
The DACC Libraries provide two physical locations at the Central Campus and at the East Mesa Campus for our College and Doña Ana community users. We offer an open atmosphere where you can access our in-house and electronic materials, while being assisted by our friendly staff. We have developed these policies to maintain this cooperative environment. If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at 575-527-7555 (Central) or 575-528-7260 (East Mesa)
- Cell Phones
- Children in The Library
- Circulation Policies
- Public Access Computers
- Requesting a Book or Article
- Reserves-Faculty Guidelines
- Reserves-Information for Students
- Requesting AV Equipment
Cell Phones:
Due to increasing noise level and patron complaints, cell phone use will no longer be allowed in the library. Patrons entering a library need to set their phones to vibrate and are asked to conduct any cell phone conversations outside the Library. Patrons not following these guidelines will be asked to leave the library. Signs are posted in centralized locations throughout the libraries to remind users of our policy. Any comments may be directed to the Dean of the Library or the Public Services Librarian.
Children in the Library:
We encourage families to use our resources, especially the materials by the circulation desk. However, the library is a public building and staff cannot assume responsibility or supervision for children using our facility. This policy has been established to provide a safe and positive environment for children who use the library.
- Children under the age of 12 should not be left unattended in the library. A responsible adult (16 years of age and up) should always accompany children.
- Parents or guardians must monitor all activities and behavior of their children while they are in the library.
- Parents will be asked to remove children from the library who exhibit disruptive behavior (running, loud outbursts, crying, etc).
- They are also responsible for any damage to property done by the child.
- Priority for computers is based on academic needs; children may be asked to move at times of high demand.
- Children will not be allowed to use a computer without parental supervision.
When an unattended child is found in the library, we will attempt to contact the parent or guardian. If we are not able to locate a responsible person, we will contact campus police to assume responsibility for the child.
Circulation Policies:
Circulation Periods
Books circulate for 3 weeks.NMSU/DACC Students, faculty & staff can borrow up to 25 circulating items in total.
Community or guest patrons can borrow up to 3 circulating items in total.
Audiovisual materials circulate for 1 week (this applies to all users).Only 2 AV (Videos, DVD’s, Audiocassettes, etc) can be borrowed at a time.
Reserve materials are Library Use Only unless otherwise indicated.
Periodicals (magazines) and reference materials only circulate to faculty.
Renewals
NMSU/DACC Students, faculty, and staff
Books can be renewed twice, by phone or online. Exceptions are if the item is on hold or long overdue.
Audiovisual Material can be renewed once, by phone or online. Exceptions are if the item is on hold or long overdue.
Community or Guest Patrons
Books & Audiovisual MaterialCan be renewed once, by phone or online. Exceptions are if the item is on hold or long overdue. Reserves, Reference, & Periodicals cannot be renewed.
Loss of check-out privileges
If an item is not returned on time and the status changes to lost, check-out privileges will be revoked and a replacement fee will be charged for each item. Replacement costs will include a processing fee of $10 plus the replacement cost of the item (this is determined by the Collection Development Librarian). Out of print items will be priced according to their similar replacement.
Suspension of circulation privileges for the individual involved will continue until such time as the replacement charge has been resolved. A registration and transcript block will also be placed on student accounts. If you have any questions about our policies, please feel free to discuss them with a staff member.
*These policies may be adjusted based on Librarian’s discretion. Circulating items include books & audiovisual materials.
*Faculty and Crimson Scholars students can check books out for an entire semester – does not include Reserves.
Public Access Computers:
Library computers are intended primarily for the use of Doña Ana Community College students, faculty, and staff.
- Priority is given to our students for class assignments and research. Doña Ana county residents are also welcome to use our computers when they are available.
- In order to ensure that all members of the DACC community have appropriate access to library computers when needed, we may at times limit the non-academic recreational or personal use of computers.
DACC Libraries are responsive to our users and we reserve the right to prohibit computer access to materials that might be deemed offensive according to generally accepted community standards, such as Websites promoting pornography or violence. Computers may not be used for any illegal or unethical purposes and users must obey all stated copyright and licensing agreements.
DACC libraries have computer workstations that comply with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards and are available for those needing special accommodations. Others may use these computers, but first priority is given to persons with disabilities. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by adults, and cannot be left alone on our computers.
Currently, printing is free, but we ask that you exercise restraint, and limit your printing to 25 pages per computer session. Failure to comply with these and all DACC/NMSU campus policies may result in loss of computer privileges.
Requesting a Book or Article:
There are times when an item that is needed is not part of the DACC collection; we offer two services to borrow items from either the NMSU system of libraries or outside institutions :
- Library Express – within NMSU system
- Interlibrary Loan – outside library institutions within U.S.
These services are offered to the DACC community and the people of Doña Ana County. Patrons must be in good standing to submit requests, this means no outstanding fees or overdue items. The following information is necessary to process the request: name, telephone number/email, and social security/Banner ID.
What may be borrowed
Books, specific articles from periodicals, video/dvd, thesis/dissertations.
There is a limit to how many items a patron can request at one time - for our library the maximum is 5 items - this ensures items are returned to the lending library in a timely manner. There is no guarantee that a requested item will be available for lending; this depends on the lending library policies and procedures.
What may not be borrowed
Reference or non-circulating item(s) may not be borrowed.
Waiting times for material
Interlibrary Loan (outside institutions) requests usually take 2-3 weeks for processing and receiving. Patrons will be notified when the item has arrived. Turnaround times for materials requested from Library Express (within the NMSU library system):
| Alamogordo | 3-4 days |
| East Mesa | 1-2 days |
| Las Cruces Public Schools | 1 week |
| Main Campus – Branson & Zuhl | 1-2 days |
| Thomas Branigan Memorial Library | 3-4 days |
Cost
DACC does not charge a fee for the processing of requests, but the lending library may have a charging policy that is paid for by the patron. In that case we will obtain consent before the charges are accepted.
Returns
Interlibrary Loans must be returned to DACC. Library Express items may be returned at any of the following campus libraries: Branson, Zuhl, East Mesa or DACC.
Renewals, Overdue, Lost Or Damaged Items
Checkout limits and renewals are determined by lending library. The general length of borrowing time is three weeks. Renewals must be requested at least three days before the item is due.
Please keep in mind if fines are accumulated for overdue material these will be paid for by the patron. To avoid these fines please return material by due date. Patrons will be charged for items they damage or lose as assessed by the lending library.
Warning concerning copyright restrictions
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or other reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or other reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use", that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.
Information and Renewal Requests
Contact the Interlibrary Loan DepartmentPhone:
575-528-7246 (Central) or 575-527-7262 (East Mesa)
Email: dacclib@nmsu.edu
Reserves – Faculty Guidelines
Placing materials on Reserve
Faculty may place materials on reserve for the use of students enrolled in their classes. Materials on reserve are shelved behind the circulation desk and are usually limited to 2 hour in library loans. Items from the library collection as well as personal materials such as course handouts, lecture notes, journal articles, or sample exams may be designated for reserve.
To put personal copies on reserve, please bring the item to the library and fill out a Reserve Form (See below for form). At the beginning of each semester items may take up to 1 week to be processed, so please bring your items as soon as possible. We will make every effort to ensure the best possible security for reserve material, but cannot assume responsibility for lost or damaged items.
Disclaimer: A barcode and stamp will be placed on instructor owned items; if this poses a problem, let us know prior to processing.
To put library copies on reserve, please contact the library and indicate the title and call number of the item. Materials can only be placed on reserve in their respective locations.
An item not owned by the library may be submitted for purchase, please fill out the following Purchase Request Form.
Loan periods available
- Two hours only: Does not go out overnight; loan period two hours. If checked out less than two hours before closing, item is due at closing.
- 1 Day Loan: May leave the library, due back in one day. (On Saturdays, the item is due on Monday).
- 3 Day Loan: May leave the library, due back in three days.
- 7 Day Loan: May leave the library, due back in seven days.
Duration and return of materials
Materials are kept on Reserve for the academic year (Fall/Spring, unless indicated otherwise) and then will be removed. Personal materials should be picked up at the end of the Spring semester. Material not picked up the week after finals will be returned to instructors through interoffice mail. If you would like to donate your material to the library, please note it on the form.
Warning concerning copyright restrictions
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or other reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or other reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use", that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.
Questions
Please call 575-528-7246 (Central) or 575-528-7262 (East Mesa)
Reserves – Information for Students
Reserve materials are materials that instructors have allowed us to keep here in the Library for your use, such as textbooks, lab books, study guides, and notes. This is a great service to keep in mind as it might save you from purchasing textbooks and materials for your classes, which can become very expensive. Because of the high demand for these materials, most of them can only be used in the library.
Finding Reserve Items
Reserve items are listed in the library catalog under Course Reserves and may be searched by Instructor, Department (Program), and Course.
The search results will list items on reserve for all campus locations (NMSU, Doña Ana, East Mesa, etc). Items for Doña Ana and East Mesa will be shelved at the Circulation/Front Desk.
Please ask for assistance if you are having trouble locating reserve books.
Loan Periods
Most reserves are in library use only. Other loan periods include 1 day, 3 day, and 1 week.
Media reserve materials (videos, DVDS) are generally library use only and can be used in the library viewing rooms (Central).
Fines
Reserve fines are set to motivate borrowers to return material on times for use by other patrons. These apply all days and hours, even if the library is closed.
Fines for overnight reserve material accrue at a rate of $1 per item, per hour. Please note that all overnight reserve are checked out for 24-hour periods exactly and fines begin to accrue immediately following that period. If the item is 2 weeks overdue, a replacement and processing fee (min $10) is added, a bill for replacement is produced during the next scheduled printing of bills.
Unpaid library fines may result in the blocking of registration, graduation, and transcripts or loss of borrowing privileges.
Returning
All reserve books must be returned to the Circulation Desk, fines may accrue if materials are placed in the outside book drop when the library is open.
Please do not re-shelve reserve materials.
Renewals
Reserve books may not be renewed.
Exceptions: TEAS study guide – one week renewal allowed.
Reserve books are in high demand and may not be held or reserved for an individual student.
Warning concerning copyright restrictions
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or other reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or other reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use", that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.
Requesting AV Equipment
The library provides equipment for faculty and staff to use in the classroom or special events. This equipment includes projectors, speakers, screens, laptop computers, VCR's and Blu-ray Players. There are also various audio setups we can do for you. To request equipment you can either fill out a form at the library circulation desk, or you can fill out our online form. We'll contact you to let you know if we can fulfill your request. We do not deliver unless there are special circumstances.
Equipment request rules:
- Must be staff or Faculty to checkout equipment.
- Must show ID and give contact information. (Full and Part-Time Faculty/Staff)
- Two days advance notice must be given prior to reserving equipment.
- Equipment must be returned on time.
- Equipment must never be left unattended or outside of the library media center.
- If equipment cannot be returned during normal library hours, it is the requesters responsibility to secure the equipment in a locked office. (Not a classroom)
- If equipment is lost, stolen, or damaged the requestor's department will be held responsible.
- Prior arrangements must be discussed with the library staff, if equipment is needed longer than a week.
- Prior arrangements must be discussed with the library staff, if training is needed.
- The delivery, setup, and breakdown of equipment will be done for the following only:
- President
- Vice President
- Assistant to the Vice President
- Campus Financial officer (CFO)
- Campus Student Services Officer (CSSO)
- Campus Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Officer (CIEPO)
- Division Deans
- We service major campus events, conference rooms and special needs Rooms (75-79, 96)
*These policies may be adjusted based on professional staff's discretion.
