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Library Borrowing Policy

Ref. No. Executive sponsor Policy steward Approval authority First approved Last reviewed Effective date Next review
15.11 Vice President, Campus and Communities Director, Libraries and Learning Commons Executive Council Jan. 4, 2021 Mar. 8, 2022 Mar. 9, 2022 2027
  1. Purpose
    1. The purpose of this policy is to ensure fair and effective access to library resources.
    2. This policy and related procedures comply with the principles of Novanet, CAUL-CBUA, CURBA, the BARA program, and the COPPUL/OCUL/CAUL-CBUA/BCI Resource Sharing Agreement, as well as adhere to electronic resource license agreements and the Copyright Act (Canada).
    3. NSCC Libraries comply with the NSCC Confidentiality of Student Information Policy and the Novanet Patron Privacy Statement.
  1. Scope
    1. This policy applies to NSCC students, employees and alumni, Novanet, CAUL-CBUA, CURBA and community borrowers.
  1. Definitions
Term Definition
Alumni Graduates of the Nova Scotia Community College and its predecessor schools.
BARA (Borrow Anywhere/Return Anywhere) A reciprocal borrowing program provided by public, community college, and university libraries in Nova Scotia which permits library materials to be returned to any participating library, regardless of where they were borrowed.
Borrowers Students, faculty and staff who study or work at a Novanet institution, as well as community and CURBA members, who have been registered in the Library Services Platform.
CAUL-CBUA (Council of Atlantic University Libraries - Conseil des bibliothèques universitaires de l'Atlantique) A library consortium comprised of post-secondary libraries in Atlantic Canada that serves to enhance teaching, learning, and research through collection development, resource sharing, research data initiatives, collaborative projects, and shared professional development.
Community borrower Any Nova Scotia or New Brunswick resident aged 18 or older.
COPPUL/OCUL/CAUL-CBUA/BCI resource sharing agreement A resource sharing agreement between the Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries (COPPUL), the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL), the Council of Atlantic University Libraries-Conseil des bibliothèques universitaires de l’Atlantique (CAUL- CBUA), and Bureau de Coopération lnteruniversitaire (BCI) that extends reciprocal interlibrary loan/document delivery services amongst participating libraries.
CURBA (Canadian University Reciprocal Borrowing Agreement) An agreement that extends in-person borrowing privileges to students and employees at participating university and college libraries in Canada.
Employee An individual who is currently employed with NSCC to perform work for the College. This includes all employees, regardless of status, as well as current employees who are on a leave of absence (paid/unpaid).
Interlibrary loan A reciprocal borrowing system by which libraries share resources with each other for the purpose of lending to another library’s borrowers.
Library resources Library resources include, but are not limited to, books, periodicals, electronic resources, equipment and supplies circulated by NSCC Libraries.
Library Services Platform (LSP) The online software that Novanet libraries use to order, catalogue, circulate and share library resources.
Novanet A post-secondary library consortium comprised of the universities and community college system in Nova Scotia and Mount Allison University in New Brunswick. The academic libraries share an online catalogue and Library Services Platform, as well as engage in cooperative action in collection development, resource sharing and reference services
Student A person who has confirmed their seat in a program or enrolled in a course.
  1. Policy
    1. Borrowing
      1. NSCC students, employees and alumni, as well as Novanet, CAUL-CBUA, CURBA and community borrowers, may borrow library resources from any NSCC or Novanet library.
      2. Some restrictions apply based on library operating procedures.
      3. NSCC students and employees may request materials through interlibrary loan from other Canadian libraries.
    2. Charges on Library Accounts
      1. NSCC students and employees are required to pay any outstanding charges on their library account.
      2. When charges to a borrower’s library account exceeds the established threshold, borrowing privileges are suspended at all Novanet libraries.
      3. A community borrower’s library account may be referred to a collection agency for outstanding charges on their library account.
    3. Unreturned or Damaged Library Resources
      1. Fines may be charged for overdue library resources.
      2. Replacement charges are applied if a library resource is not returned or is damaged.
    4. Leaving NSCC
      1. At the time of graduation or withdrawing from NSCC, students are required to return library resources and/or pay any outstanding charges on their library account. Unreturned library resources or non-payment of charges may affect a student’s College account and may result in a range of sanctions as outlined in the NSCC Student Code of Conduct.
  1. Policy Supports

Related Policies and Procedures

15.12 Library Borrowing Procedures 
33.01 Student Community Standards Policy 
71.01 Use of Copyright Materials 
75.11 Confidentiality of Student Information 

Additional Resources

Borrow Anywhere/Return Anywhere (BARA)
Canadian University Reciprocal Borrowing Agreement (CURBA)
The Council of Atlantic University Libraries-Conseil des bibliothèques universitaires de l’Atlantique (CAUL-CBUA)
COPPUL/OCUL/CAUL-CBUA/BCI Resource Sharing Agreement (PDF 322KB)
Novanet
Novanet Patron Privacy Statement
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