Usage Guidelines

Borrowers are encouraged to inquire about usage guidelines when checking out items to avoid confusion.

Goddard Library Stacks 

Materials from our stacks location (i.e., the library’s main physical collection) may be borrowed by active members of the Clark Community (students, faculty, staff) for the duration of one semester (specific dates determined by the Access and Curricular Resources Librarian annually and in alignment with the University’s Academic Calendar).  

Alumni as well as members of the ARC Consortium may borrow materials from the Goddard Library Stacks for 28 days. 

Leisure/Popular Reading Materials 

Materials from the popular reading collection may be borrowed by active members of the Clark Community, Alumni, and ARC Consortium Members for 21 days. 

Renewals 

All borrowers may renew items from the stacks and leisure/popular reading locations up to three (3) times, unless requested by another borrower or unless the item is so overdue it is considered lost. 

• If one of the previously mentioned conditions is met, the items need to be returned to the library to be made available to other borrowers according to the assigned due date. 

Course Reserves 

Books from our Physical Reserves collection may be borrowed by active students and instructors, for:  

• Two (2) hours at a time 
• These items are renewable during the library’s hours of operation so long as they are not requested by other library users. 

Borrowing Other Items 

Library of Things 

Most items from our growing Library of Things (e.g., board games, headphones, chargers, happy lights) may be borrowed for: 

• Two hours at a time renewable during the library’s hours of operation so long as they are not requested by other borrowers 
• Exceptions to this policy will be noted during check out and detailed in the Patron Borrowing Receipt (automatically emailed). 

Telescope 

The Goddard Library’s Telescope may be borrowed by active members of the Clark Community for:  

• 72-hours at a time 
• Renewable up to three times, or until another borrower requests the telescope, whichever condition occurs first. 

Borrowing Exceptions: 

Materials shelved/located in the following area/collections may be accessed within the building but may not be borrowed or taken outside of the library: 

• Reference/Desk Reference materials 
• Closed Stacks materials 
• Print journals/periodicals/newspapers 
• Materials from the archives or special collections 

Student Study Rooms

Student Study Rooms (Rooms 203A-417) may be reserved in advance for:  

• Up to two hours at a time by actively enrolled Clark students 
• Rooms can be renewed for up to an additional two hours in-person at the Library Service Desk during the same 24-hour period if available (i.e., not reserved by other library users)
• An individual may not reserve a room for the same time slot for more than two weeks in a row
• Student Organizations cannot use Library Study spaces for regular meetings without prior approval from the Access and Outreach Librarian
• Users are asked to be on time for their reservations by refraining from checking keys out early or returning keys late. This creates access barriers to the spaces and can lead to erroneous fine accrual.
• Maximum daily usage is capped at four (4) hours per 24-hour period, per library user.
• Maximum weekly usage is capped at eight (8) hours per week per library user. 
• Requests for exceptions to these usage guidelines can be submitted at least 48 hours in advance to the Access and Outreach Librarian: Library@clarku.edu

Faculty Study Spaces

Requests to reserve Faculty Study Rooms (Rooms 437, 441, and 445) may be submitted by faculty and staff of the university for:  

• Eight (8) hours per day 
• Up to sixteen (16) hours per week  

These requests are mediated by Library Staff. Requests for exceptions to these usage guidelines can be submitted at least 48 hours in advance to the Access and Outreach Librarian: Library@clarku.edu

Fuller Room 

Requests to reserve the Fuller Room (422) may be submitted by faculty and staff of the University for meetings (i.e., not regular class instruction) for up to:  

• Eight (8) hours per day 
• Up to six (6) times per semester.  

These requests are mediated by Library Staff. Requests for exceptions to these usage guidelines can be submitted at least 48 hours in advance to the Access and Outreach Librarian: Library@clarku.edu.

Multipurpose and Administrative Spaces

Multipurpose and administrative rooms may be reserved for occasional use by faculty and staff of the University.  

Room 402

The Prouty Seminar Room (402), which also serves as a student study room, may be reserved by faculty and staff for meetings (i.e., not regular class instruction) for up to:  

• four (4) hours per day 
• four (4) times per semester 

These requests are mediated by Library Staff. Requests for exceptions to these usage guidelines can be submitted at least 48 hours in advance to the Access and Outreach Librarian: Library@clarku.edu.

The Academic Commons (First Floor)

To reserve the Academic Commons on the first floor of the Goddard Library, please contact the Library at: Library@clarku.edu.

Overdue Notification Schedule

Library users are notified via email when materials are checked out from the library, when they are due, and are reminded of the due date in advance. If items are not returned or renewed in a timely fashion, automated reminders and alerts are emailed to the borrower for a period of time in an effort to avoid charging for lost items and processing fees. 

For most materials notifications are sent on the following schedule: 

1. On the day that the item(s) are borrowed, a receipt is emailed listing each item borrowed from the library, as well as its due date
2. A notification is sent two days before item(s) are due 
3. A notice is sent on the day that item(s) are due indicating what items need to be returned 
4. A reminder/overdue notice is sent three (3) days after item(s) become overdue 
5. Another overdue notice is sent 15 days after the item(s) become overdue 
6. A final notice is sent 28 days after the item(s) become due, pending fines/fees are added to the borrower’s account, and a notification is emailed alerting the borrower to the accrual of pending fines/fees. 
7. One day later, a final email is sent, submitting a formal bill for all outstanding charges for item(s) that are not returned to the library.

Exceptions to the Typical Notification Timeline

Fewer notifications will be sent over a shorter period of time for the items borrowed from the following locations due to their shorter loan periods: 

• Study Space Keys 
• Library of Things items 
• Course Reserve materials 

Fines and fees will accrue after an initial grace period of 2 minutes. Overdue items are billed to borrowers after 24 hours with a maximum late fee of up to $25.00 ($1.00 per minute in late fees accrued after the end of the grace period). Library staff understand mistakes happen and will waive accrued fees for first offenses. 

Billing Structure

If billed, borrowers are responsible for a non-refundable $5.00 processing fee per item.  

If items are lost or deemed long-overdue, borrowers are responsible for a $50.00 replacement fee, waivable upon the return of the item. 

Exceptions to the typical billing structure

If the Library’s telescope is deemed long overdue, lost, or damaged, the borrower will be responsible for a replacement fee of $500.00. 

The late return of the following materials may result in the accrual of additional processing fines of $1.00 per minute, up to $25.00 due to the high use/demand for these items: 

• Study Space Keys 
• Library of Things items 
• Course Reserve materials 

Loss of Borrowing Privileges

If materials are not returned or renewed in a timely fashion, borrowing privileges (including Interlibrary Loan privileges) may be revoked until items have been returned, charges have been paid, and the borrower’s account is returned to good standing.  

Extreme Cases

Student Borrowers

In extreme cases where a student borrower fails to work with library staff to bring their account back into good standing through the payment of outstanding fines, and/or the return of overdue items, the library may work with the Office of the University Registrar to place a hold on the borrower’s student account, preventing them from registering for classes, requesting transcripts, etc. until their library account is back in good standing. 

ARC Consortium Borrowers

For ARC affiliated borrowers, extreme overdues will be billed to their home institution and borrowing privileges suspended until their account is returned to good standing.

The Goddard Library accepts materials donations that support the research and teaching needs of Clark University, with the following conditions: 1) a detailed list of materials must be submitted to library for review by library staff prior to acceptance of any gifts, 2) decisions about adding materials to the collections rest with library staff, 3) any materials given to the library may be removed from the collection at any time and the library reserves the right to dispose of materials through sale or other means.

Lists of materials to be considered by library staff for inclusion in the library’s collections may be sent to: Library@clarku.edu

• Research services and support (contact library@clarku.edu)
• Book borrowing (28-day loan period)
• Digital access to archival collections finding aids, images, and Pasticcios (1925-present) through Clark’s Digital Commons
• Archives research support and access to The Scarlet, yearbooks, historical course catalogs, theses and dissertations, and more (contact archives@clarku.edu)
• Access to all public programming and book talks offered through Goddard Library
• On-site access to most databases in the library’s A-Z Database List (please note that remote access is not available due to license restrictions)

The Goddard Library welcomes visitors from the community during our hours of operation and ask that visitors who are not actively enrolled or employed at Clark sign in at the Goddard Library Service Desk on the second floor.

• Please note that the building’s doors only unlock for Clark ID holders after 5:00p, but visitors may contact the Library Service Desk to be admitted by calling: (508) 793-7461

Spaces

• Study spaces and seminar rooms are reserved for students and staff of the university, but visitors are welcome to use all open (i.e., non-reserved) spaces within the building.

Resources

• Books and journals from the library’s print collections may be used on site
• Digital access to archival collections, finding aids, images, and Pasticcios (1925-present) is available through Clark’s Digital Commons.
• On-site access to most databases in the library’s A-Z Database List is available (please note that remote access is not available due to license restrictions).
• Visitors also may access all public programming and book talks offered through Goddard Library.
• Public computer stations may be used by visitors to the library with presentation of a photo ID. Please ask for assistance at the Library Service Desk on the second floor.
• Wi-Fi: Visitors to the Goddard Library who bring their own personal computing devices may also connect to the Guest Wi-Fi network by following the instructions provided by Clark University’s Information Technology Services (ITS) Department. Connect to Clark Wi-Fi.

Services

• Research support services provided by the librarians and archivist of the Goddard Library can be arranged in advance, pending availability, by scheduling an appointment, or by reaching out via email: library@clarku.edu. Please note that university students and staff have priority access to these consultations.
• For Archives research support and access to The Scarlet, yearbooks, historical course catalogs, theses and dissertations, and more contact: archives@clarku.edu.