Library privileges

Circulation services

A Cameron University picture identification card, a current courtesy card or a valid picture identification card is required to borrow books. Use of the ID indicates agreement to observe library policies.

Borrowing Privileges

Presented below are circulation limits and periods by patron type. 

* The loan period of textbooks is only four hours.

**Videos and Music CDs are limited to five. Reserved items are limited to four. Textbooks are limited to two. The checkout totals permitted for each patron type include limits based on format.

***An OK-Share Card holder will be issued a CU Courtesy Card to check out circulating materials. 

Presented below are borrowing privileges by item type.

Item Holds

A patron may request that a circulating item be held upon its return. Upon the item's return, library staff members will notify the requesting patron of its availability. Staff members will hold the item for three days. The maximum number of outstanding holds the patron can have is 5 items. A patron may request that a circulating item be held at the circulation desk if they are temporarily unable to check it out. The item will be held for three days.

Item Recall

The library may recall an item if another patron places a hold on the item, or the item is needed for a Course Reserve.

• All materials are subject to recall except textbooks and reserved items. 
• Students, faculty and staff all have recall privileges. This service is not available to Courtesy Card or OK-Share Card holders.
• Recalls may me placed at the Circulation Desk or through the CU Library online catalog.
• The holder of a recalled item will receive a notification email with a new due date. This person may keep the recalled item for 10 days before it is returned to the library OR keep it until the original due date, whichever comes first. Recalled materials cannot be renewed.
• Materials required for Course Reserve are subject to immediate recall.
• A library patron who fails to return a recalled book by its new due date may have his or her library privileges suspended.
• Patrons are notified by email when their recalled items have arrived. A recalled item is held at the Circulation Desk for 3 days before it goes to the next borrower or before it is re-shelved.

Book Return

Items may be returned during operating hours at the Circulation Desk inside the library, or they may be returned anytime at the outside book drop in the parking lot. For assistance, contact the Circulation Staff at 580-581-2956.

Fines & Fees

Textbook & Reserve Items

For each two hours that a textbook or a reserved item is returned late, the borrower will be blocked from further checkouts for one day. 

Interlibrary Loan Items

An item that is 5 days overdue carries a $5.00 fine. An item that is beyond 5 days overdue carries a $5.00 fine plus a $0.50 per day fine.

Lost and Damaged Items

Items 7 days overdue are assumed lost, and patrons will be billed for replacement. If lost items are returned within 30 days from the date the item was billed, the patron may request that the charges be reversed. Items that the library deems to be too damaged to return to circulation will be billed upon return. For each lost or damaged item, the library will bill the cost of the book plus a $10 non-refundable processing fee.

Confidentiality Policy

The university adheres to Oklahoma and federal law with respect to confidentiality of library records. The records of library materials borrowed or used cannot be disclosed to anyone except:

1. Persons acting within the scope of their duties in the administration of the library;
2. Persons authorized to inspect such records, in writing, by the individual or group whose records are sought; or
3. As otherwise required by law.

Interlibrary Loan Information

Upon request, the library obtains research materials not available at the CU Library for current students, faculty, staff and faculty emeriti. Plan ahead as some items are more difficult than others to obtain. Interlibrary loan personnel will notify patrons in advance of charges. Borrowers are responsible for paying the replacement cost of lost or damaged materials and for the payment of overdue fines. Current students, faculty, staff and faculty emeriti will be notified by email or phone when materials arrive. Lending library personnel establish book and media loan periods. Those who wish to retain an item beyond the initial due date should notify interlibrary loan personnel of this fact three or more days prior to the due date. Articles are the borrower's to keep. Upon request, interlibrary loan personnel can deliver electronically many interlibrary loan articles to students, faculty and staff. 

For assistance, please email ill@cameron.edu.

For more information, review these pages:

ILLiad Login

ILLiad Registration

Course Reserves

At the request of Cameron University professors, the library maintains materials related to Cameron coursework. Course reserves may include syllabi, books, journal articles, lecture notes, class assignments, audiovisual materials and other relevant materials to support classroom instruction. Restricted loan periods make the materials available to a maximum number of students.

Course reserves are located on the first floor behind the Circulation counter. For assistance, please email the Circulation Staff at Library_Circulation@cameron.edu or call 580-581-2956.

Courtesy Card

Persons not enrolled at or employed by Cameron University may request circulation privileges upon application to the library's Circulation Desk. Applicants should reside within or near Lawton, provide requested identification and agree to be responsible for the care and timely return of borrowed items. Courtesy card holders may borrow five or fewer items for a time period of 20 days in length. Card holders are responsible for replacement costs of lost or damaged items. Card privileges do not include the use of items from the library's course reserves collection, interlibrary loan services, or the use of the computers for Internet, email or word processing access.

A member of the Cameron University Alumni Association can have a courtesy card and expanded library privileges. For assistance, please email the Circulation Staff at library_circulation@cameron.edu or call 580-581-2956.

OK-Share Card

The OK-Share Academic Library Card system enables Oklahoma university and college students, staff and faculty members affiliated with participating institutions to borrow library materials from other participating Oklahoma academic libraries.

Obtaining a Card

Cameron University faculty, staff and students in good library standing may obtain an application at the Circulation Desk. Upon completion and approval of the form, the library will issue the applicant an OK-Share card.

Using the Card

The OK-Share card holder may visit participating Oklahoma academic libraries and obtain library-specific borrowing cards upon presentation of the OK-Share card and one other form of identification. The lending library will determine the specific lending policies, such as the length of the borrowing time and number of items that may be borrowed. 

Returning Materials

The CU Library Interlibrary Loan Department will return materials borrowed through the OK-Share card system, or borrowers may return the materials either in person or by mail. Persons who mail items back to lending libraries should send them first class mail and insure each item for a minimum replacement value amount of $100.00.

Card Holder Responsibilities

OK-Share Card system participants should return books before or on the due date in order to avoid overdue fines or lost material fees. Failure to return materials or failure to pay associated fees and fines may result in sanctions at the home library and lending library. Failure to return materials may result in collection procedures with the possibility of referral to law enforcement agencies for appropriate action under Oklahoma law.

For more information about the OK-Share Card system, please visit the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education website. 

Laptops

CU students, faculty or staff in good standing may borrow a laptop by presenting their CU ID and by reading and signing a copy of the Laptop Checkout Agreement. Laptops can be checked out for up to 24 hours.

A qualified patron may borrow no more than 1 laptop at a time, may not reserve a machine ahead of time and may not begin the loan process fewer than 60 minutes prior to closing time. Laptops do not connect to printers. 

A borrower assumes full responsibility and fiscal liability for cost associated with loss of, theft of, or damage to a computer or to its associated peripheral equipment during the time period in which it is checked out.

Kindle Fire Tablets

The CU Library offers a Kindle Fire Tablet checkout service to Cameron students, staff and faculty. Guidelines for checkout and use of tablets are as follows:

• Currently enrolled Cameron students, staff or faculty may borrow and use the devices.
• Students are allowed to borrow only one Kindle Fire tablet at a time.
• The device will be checked out to the borrower's CU Library account by presenting a valid Cameron ID card.
• The checkout period for each Kindle Fire tablet is 4 hours.
• Overnight checkout is not permitted.
• All borrowed Kindle Fire tablets must be returned to the Circulation Desk.
• For each 2 hours that a Kindle Fire tablet is overdue, the borrower's circulation account will be blocked for 1 day.
• After 1 day, an unreturned Kindle Fire tablet will be considered lost. The patron will be billed for replacement fees. 

Student Carrels

The library offers several student carrels, which are individual study rooms, each equipped with a computer. The following policies apply:

• 1 person at a time may use a carrel for study and research purposes.
• No reservation is required.
• Bottled water is allowed.
• Use headphones when listening to audio materials.
• Remove library materials, personal belongings and discarded items upon departure.
• Do not leave items unattended. The library is not responsible for the loss of any items.

Faculty Carrels

CU faculty may apply for carrel assignments by emailing rcataqui@cameron.edu. Each assignment is 1 year in duration, with reassignment possible. Faculty members who wish to keep circulation materials in carrels should borrow them through the Circulation Desk. Faculty members should not leave non-circulation library materials in carrels when those materials are not in use. Carrel holders should not store food or drink, tobacco products, or electrical appliance others than computers in their carrels.

Study Rooms

CU Library makes several individual rooms available for academic use by Cameron students, faculty and staff.

Reservation

• Reservations can be made for group study, video viewing or presentation rehearsal.
• The rooms may be scheduled through the Circulation Desk either by phone or in person.
• Rooms are reserved for up to 2 hours. 
• Reservations may be made up to 2 months in advance.
• The rooms may not be reserved for a full semester.
• Groups take priority for study room reservations. 
• Reservations may be cancelled if patrons are more than 10 minutes late.

Checkout

• A patron must show a photo ID to use a study room.
• The study room will be checked out into the patron's CU Library account.
• If a community user without a Courtesy Card account wants to use a study room, they need to apply for a Courtesy Card account.
• An individual patron who wants to use a study room may be required to sign an agreement.

Restrictions

• Room doors may need to be kept closed during a discussion, video viewing or a presentation rehearsal to avoid disturbing others.
• Rooms must be vacated 5 minutes prior to library closing.
• Users must clean up after themselves and leave the room in good condition for the next users.
• Misuse of the media rooms and/or equipment may result in loss of library privileges and/or financial obligations.
• No signs, fliers or banners may be attached to any wall, ceiling or library property.

Decorum Policy

In order to provide a peaceful place for research, study and reading for Cameron students, faculty and staff, the following rules apply:

• A patron wishing to listen to sound files in the library must use a headphone set to do so.
• Persons disrupting the learning environment may be required to leave in accordance with Cameron University Handbook section 2.02h and Appendix B.
• Children are permitted according to Appendix 1 in the university's Minors on Campus Policy.
• The library computer lab is a quiet space. If you need to have conversations or speak on a cell phone, please go to a study room or other collaborative space, such as the Digital Media Lab.
• The library is not responsible for the loss of unattended personal belongings. 

CU Computer Use Policy

The University's Computer Use Policy can be viewed on the Cameron website. 

Photocopier

One self-service copier and one self-service microfilm reader/printer are located on the second floor. 

Library patrons may purchase copy cards for use in the copier/printer and microfilm reader/printer view the Cash Card Loader machine located on the library's second floor.