Academics Circulation Policy

Marlboro College
Rice-Aron Library and Graduate Center Library

The circulation policies of the Rice-Aron Library and the Graduate Center Library reflect the missions of the libraries and The Corporation of Marlboro College to provide their community and local residents with access to print and non-print academic resources primarily for the purpose of scholarly research.

Borrowing Privileges

Who May Borrow?

• Marlboro College students, faculty and staff (including Graduate School)
• Marlboro College alumni who live locally (Windham or Bennington County, VT; Franklin County, MA; Cheshire County, NH)
• Town of Marlboro residents
• Reciprocal borrowers (SIT, VCAL faculty)
• Marlboro College trustees

Others who wish to borrow materials may seek to do so via the interlibrary loan services of their home institution or public libraries.

Borrowing privileges expire upon separation from the College (e.g., graduation, withdrawal, cessation of employment) or cessation of local residency. Alumni and townspeople must re-register annually. 

Borrowing accounts are created for students automatically upon enrollment and for faculty and staff upon the commencement of their employment. All other patrons must request accounts from the library staff during regular business hours. Please call (802) 258-9221 during these hours to make alternate arrangements, if necessary. Picture identification and one of the appropriate documentations listed below will be required:

• Proof of residence for Marlboro Town resident
• SIT ID for School of International Training community members
• Completed VCAL Faculty Reciprocal Borrowing Form for VCAL faculty

What is available to check out?

• All patrons may check out printed books and audio-visual materials: audiobooks, compact discs (music) and videos (DVD and VHS).
• Only Marlboro College students and faculty may borrow reserve materials.
• Only Marlboro College and Graduate Center faculty, students and staff are eligible to access our electronic book collection and database materials from off campus. Others may use these resources in the Rice-Aron Library.
• Items that may not be checked out by patrons, and must be used only within the library building, include reference items, periodicals, microforms, student plans, and archival materials.

Loan Periods

Books, Audiobooks and Compact Discs

• Marlboro College students, faculty, staff: 1 semester (due dates fall in mid-December, late January, mid-May, and early September)
• Graduate School students, faculty, staff: 1 trimester (due dates fall at the start and end of each trimester)
• Alumni, townspeople, SIT, VCAL, and other libraries: 30 days

Videos (VHS and DVD)

• 7 days

Reserve Materials (Books, videos and other)

• 3 hours (or overnight if checked out less than 3 hours prior to closing of the Reserve Room)

Loan Conditions

All materials must be returned on or before the due date or when recalled by the library staff for use by another patron. Recalled items must be returned within 10 days; after that, replacement bills will be issued.

There is no maximum number of checkouts for Marlboro College students, faculty, and staff. Others may borrow up to ten items (including up to five audiovisual items) at one time.

Renewal Policy

Patrons may renew materials, provided that these items are not needed by other patrons, by logging to their accounts in the library catalog or by requesting renewals from the library staff.

• Faculty, staff and students may renew items as many times as necessary, provided they are not needed by another patron.
• Marlboro Town residents, alumni, trustees, and SIT/VCAL borrowers may renew books as many times as necessary, provided they are not needed by another patron. They may renew videos and CDs three times; beyond that, items must be brought back to the library and checked in/re-checked out.

Reserve and A/V Room Policy

All reserve materials leaving the Reserve & A/V room, including AV materials that are not on reserve, must be checked out at the checkout station within this room. Reserves may be borrowed for three hours during reserve room hours. Overnight loans are allowed when borrowed less then three hours before closing time. Renewals are only permitted when others do not need the item. For more information, see the Reserve Materials Policy.

Recalling Checked-out Items

If you need a library item that is checked out to someone else, please notify library staff. The item can be recalled from the current borrower. Alternately, we can attempt to set up shared access to the item for a period of time if such an arrangement is acceptable to both parties.

All Rice-Aron library users (including Marlboro Town residents and members of institutions that have reciprocal borrowing agreement with Marlboro College) are responsible for returning a recalled item within 10 days. Inter-library loans lent out to other institutions must to be returned within 10 business days. Failure to do so will result in billing the user or institution for the recalled library material in order to buy a replacement copy and make it available to those who need it as soon as possible. Once items have been replaced by the library, refunds for replacement bills are no longer available.

Overdue Materials

Patrons are responsible for all items borrowed on their account. While the Library will make reasonable efforts to contact patrons with overdue materials, it is the responsibility of the patron to know when materials are due and to return them promptly. Log in to the library catalog anytime to view your account. Materials kept beyond the expiration of your borrowing privileges are subject to immediate billing.

Revised May 2012