Policies

As an independent institution, Meredith College provides an academic library for the use of its students, faculty, and staff. Other individuals are welcome to visit and to use library materials in accordance with library policies. The College reserves the right to restrict any individual from using its materials, equipment, facilities, or services. Among the rules concerning Library use are:

• Library study and meeting rooms may be reserved only by Meredith students and employees.
• During periods of high use, all study spaces, computers, and seats are reserved for Meredith students and employees.
• Access to library resources is given to patrons in the following order of priority: 1) Meredith students, faculty, and staff; 2) alumnae and members of Friends of the Carlyle Campbell Library; 3) members of the general public. In times of peak demand, educational use takes priority over recreational use.
• Disruptive patrons may be asked to leave at any time.
• Library patrons are expected to use computer resources responsibly, ethically, and in compliance with relevant laws and any contractual agreements the Library has entered into to provide such resources.
• All children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

On-Campus Access:  Inside the library and all other campus buildings all online resources are available to all patrons from the library website.

Off-Campus Access:  Many online resources have access restrictions. When restrictions apply, patrons accessing them from off-campus will be asked for their last name and Meredith ID number. The library system will then either grant or deny access to the resource based on the rules. Generally, restricted access allows access only to current faculty, staff, and students.  Access is not available to alumnae, Friends of the Library, or visitors.

Wifi: The entire Meredith campus has a freely available wifi network for wireless computer access. The network name is meredith-public and no password is required.

Computers inside library are available to all patrons as follows:

• Ground floor: 4 computers in the Freeman Room, available whenever a class is not scheduled for the room. Includes MS Office, other software packages, and internet
• Main floor: 2 sit-down and 2 stand-up computer stations, for searching the library catalog, CCL's research databases, or other online research. 4 monitors are also available for you to plug in your laptops.

Meredith students, faculty and staff may borrow books from the other college and university libraries in Raleigh that are part of the Cooperating Raleigh Colleges (CRC) consortium. The members of CRC are:

* Meredith College
* North Carolina State University
* Peace College
* Shaw University
* St. Augustine's College

Simply visit the other library, get the book(s) off the shelf, and present your Meredith ID at that library's circulation desk to check the book(s) out.  You can check out up to five items at a time, and the standard loan period is 30 days.

Donation boxes and flyers are placed in the library with permission of the Circulation Supervisor.  The Circulation Supervisor requires that boxes and flyers from students and non-Meredith entities have already been approved by Student Leadership Services.  Faculty/Staff requests do not need SLS approval, but do need Circulation Supervisor approval.  The Circulation Supervisor also considers issues like accessibility in the library entrance area.  The library reserves the right to remove and discard flyers and boxes that have not received approval or are posted in inappropriate places.

Overdue Fines

Students are responsible for the payment of fines for overdue items, including some reserve materials, and for replacement costs of lost items. While there no fines charged for books, CDs, Kindles and Strict Reserve material, other library materials may have fines.  Please see the Overdue Fine Table for more information.  Borrowing privileges are suspended for any student with total fines exceeding $10.00 and are reinstated when fines are paid. Click here for faculty overdue policies.  

Lost Books and Other Materials

When library materials are checked out, they become the responsibility of the person who checks them out. Click here for faculty lost material policies. If a borrower is unable to return materials, regardless of the cause, they must pay the library for the lost materials. The library will charge the replacement cost of the item plus a $25.00 processing fee. The replacement cost will be determined by the library staff, by consulting a standard reference source such as Books in Print, Music in Print, Amazon.com, manufacturers’ catalogs, etc. As a last resort, a default amount will be charged. Default amounts depend upon the type of material lost and are set by library administration. These defaults are:

• Most books and scores: $100
• DVD's: $100
• CDs: $100
• Games $100
• Laptops $1,000
• A/V Equipment, 2 hour loan: $1,000
• A/V Equipment, 1 day loan: $2,000

After a lost item bill has been issued, the patron may return the item and pay only the accrued fine. After a lost item has been paid for, no refunds for item cost or processing fee will be made even if the item is returned. The item is the property of the patron.

Food and drink are allowed in the library. Please be considerate and careful around library materials. Also, please refrain from eating or drinking near computers.

Vending machines for snacks and drinks are located near the library entrance.

The library is pleased to accept gifts of books or other materials that will improve the usefulness of the collection for our users. Please see the detailed library donation guidelines for the materials we accept.

Gifts of materials to the College Archives are also accepted. Please see the detailed archives donation guidelines on what is appropriate for the Archives.

Gifts of money help the library provide the best possible services and resources for our users. Please see the financial donation guide for policies and procedures.

Click here for contacts, detailed policies, and procedures about gifts to the library

The top floor of the library is designated for quiet study. In addition, there is a silent study room on the top floor to the left of the stairs.