Access to the general materials collection is available through Circulation. Materials are checked out, returned, or renewed at the Circulation desk. Patrons may also check out books using the self-checkout station next to the Circulation desk in the lobby.
The Circulation desk is also where patrons can receive assistance regarding the location of materials, answers to directional and transactional questions, activate Ram Cards, pay for charges, check out a laptop computer to use in the library, and get popular non-circulating periodicals (newspapers and some magazines) to use within the library.
All WSSU faculty, staff, and students must use their Ram Card, which should be current and validated each school year, to borrow materials. Borrowers are financially responsible for all materials checked out on their Ram Cards.
Eligible Borrowers
WSSU students, faculty, and staff
Retired faculty and staff
City patrons
Co-operative users (students, faculty, and staff from any of the UNC System colleges and universities)
NC School of the Arts (students, faculty, and staff)
NC A&T State University (students, faculty, and staff)
Temporary Employees
Distance education students
Borrowing Library Materials
***WSSU Students (Undergraduates and Graduates)
Full and part-time students must present a current validated WSSU Ram card & Banner I.D # when borrowing or renewing materials.
There is no limit to the number of books that may be checked out from the general book collection.
All students prior to graduation and exiting the university must return all library items and should be clear of all library fines before a staff member can sign an exit form.
***WSSU Faculty and Staff
A validated Ram Card must be presented when borrowing materials. Faculty and staff members should check out all materials for their spouses and children to use. All faculty and staff members are fully responsible for all items checked out on their Ram cards.
There is no limit to the number of books that may be checked out from the general book collection.
Media items are prohibited from being checked out if patrons have any overdue items on their account.
If patrons have any overdue media items, they may continue to check out and renew materials (books) from the library.
Staff & Faculty prior to graduation and exiting the university must return all library items and should be clear of all library fines before a staff member can sign an exit form.
***Retired Faculty and Staff
Retired faculty and staff can register as City Patrons by paying $10.00 cash and use the library for one year.
Retired faculty and staff may check out a maximum of five items at one time.
The Library Director has the option of waiving the $10.00 fee.
***City Patrons
City Patrons may be registered as borrowers for one year upon payment of $10.00 in cash. The patron’s name, address, telephone number, barcode, and expiration date are maintained in the card file at the Circulation Desk.
City Patrons who wish to extend their borrowing privileges for subsequent years must pay $10.00 per year.
Persons eligible for City Patron borrowing privileges must present valid identification or information that they live, work, or attend school in Forsyth, Davie, Stokes, Guilford, Surry, Davidson, or Yadkin County.
The minimum age for registering as a City Patron is 18. Persons under 18 must have a parent to register them.
Check out is prohibited if the City Patron has any unpaid charges or overdue materials.
City Patrons may not renew materials over the telephone.
Renew in person (1) time.
Up to five items may be borrowed by each city patron. In no case is the total of books checked out by an individual City Patron to exceed five items.
City Patrons may not check out DVDs, videos, or laptops.
Holds are prohibited
Cooperative Borrowers –
(WSSU Students, Faculty and Staff - Borrowing from Other Academic Libraries)
WSSU Library participates in reciprocal borrowing agreements with the University of North Carolina institutions (UNC System) & TALA (Triad Academic Library Association)
Cooperative lending provides a means for students, faculty and staff of all University of North Carolina institutions (UNC System) & TALA todirectly borrow materials from the library of any other institution in these constituent systems.
UNC System - Cooperative borrowers must verify their authenticity by calling the home institution of the borrower or by viewing their personal record via http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/borrow/unc.
Must have a current photo ID in order to register.
If the patron is in good standing at home and presents a current photo ID, they will then be registered into the database as Patron Type: (From their perspective school, i.e ECU). An address card with the patron’s name, address, telephone numbers, and barcode is kept on file at the Circulation desk.
The borrower must show that they are in good standing at their home library and a current photo ID each time (s)he borrows from any UNC co-op library.
It is the responsibility of each borrower to return all library materials by the due date and to pay replacement charges if items are subsequently billed. The home library will add any unpaid charges to the patron’s home record.
O’Kelly Library will collect replacement charges from the borrower’s home library should the borrower fail to return any material as agreed.
Borrowers may check out up to 5 items at a time for a period of six weeks. However, O’Kelly Library reserves the option to limit the number of items that may be checked out.
Cooperative borrowers may not check out DVDs, videos, or laptops.
O’Kelly Library reserves the right to refuse borrowing and building-use privileges to any individual who violates the regulations of the library or deny cooperative borrowing privileges to any prospective borrower who is delinquent at his or her home library or in any of the cooperating libraries.
***Special Programs
Upward Bound, Stem Scholars, H-Cop, or any other high school related program – will have the same policy as city patrons
***All Temporary Employees (For Borrowing)
Must have a RAM Card
Must have a WSSU Email Address
***Distance Education Students
Distance education students must be registered as a current and valid WSSU patron.
Once a distance education student is registered, an address card with the patron’s name, address, telephone number, and barcode is kept on file at the Circulation desk.
Distance education students may check out materials (books) for six weeks.
Distance Education students may not check out Media items.
Loan Periods
Patron
Books
New Books
DVDs
Educational DVD's
Textbooks
Reserves
Faculty/Staff
6 Months
3 weeks
3 days
6 Days
3 hours
3 hours
Students
3 weeks
3 weeks
3 days
Lib Use Only
3 hours
3 hours
Renewals
Most materials may be renewed three times: The 1st and 2nd time the item can renewed in-person, online or by phone. The 3rd time the patron must come into the library to renew the item. If the patron wants to check the book out a fourth time, he/she must turn the item in and if the item does not have any holds on it, the patron may re-check out the item.
The following is the process for renewing items online:
Click on Library catalog link
At the top of page, click New Search
On the right side of page, click My Record
Enter – Your name & for Barcode – enter Ram Card #
Click on the item(s) to be renewed and follow the prompts
Items that are overdue cannot be renewed online.
Items in high demand (i.e. popular reading materials) cannot be renewed.
Overdue Charges for Books
Faculty, staff & student charges are sent to the Cashier’s Office – (Quarterly). The processing charge is non-refundable. All borrowers are charged the replacement cost for items damaged, lost or not returned after 61 days, plus a non-refundable processing charge of $25.00. Check out and renewal of materials is prohibited if patrons owe $150.00 or more in replacement charges and/or processing costs. Patrons must reduce their balance to a minimum of $140.00 to regain library check out and renewal privileges. Patrons can pay at the circulation desk and make sure patron receives a receipt.