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Lindsell Library - Charlotte Campus

General Circulation Policies

Loan Periods

The following guidelines apply to current Gordon-Conwell students and staff.

  • Circulating books: 25 items, 28 days (includes Microform & Vertical File items)
  • Reserve items: 3 items, 2 hours (overnight - 2 hours before closing until 2 hours after opening the following day)
  • All Media (DVD, Video Cassette, CDs): 3 items, 7 days (Maximum of 3 videos and 2 DVDs out at any one time)
  • Reference, Periodical, Thesis Collection, Archive and Rare Book Room materials: for use only in the Reading Rooms
  • Interlibrary Loans: determined by the lending library
  • Thesis loans: Students writing approved theses may renew circulating books eleven times (28 day checkout periods). All items are subject to recall or to be placed on hold by another patron..

General Renewals

Renewals

Renewals of Goddard Library items may be requested by e-mail or by phone at your local campus library. You will need to provide the circulation staff with a list of all items to be renewed, along with their call numbers. You can also renew your books online. Please note the following renewal periods:

  • Circulating books: up to five renewals of 28 days each if book has not been recalled or placed on hold
  • Reserve items: unlimited renewals unless book has been requested by another person
  • Media: 7 days, NO renewals
  • Interlibrary Loans: determined by the lending library. See ILL policy.
    To renew Inter-Library Loans, contact ill@gcts.edu at least five days before the due date given.
  • Thesis loans: up to eleven renewals of 28 days each if book has not been recalled or placed on hold (only available for students writing an approved masters thesis or Doctor of Ministry project).

Circulation Policies

Borrowing

  • Any person welcome on campus is also welcome within the Library. However, all borrowers who wish to check materials out of the Library must have either a current Gordon-Conwell ID, Driver's License, or ID card from a consortial institution. 

Guest Accounts

  • Guest accounts for borrowing cost $50.00 per year, but are free for some categories of borrowers and members of institutions from the Carolinas Theological Library Consortium (CTLC), our regional consortial group of libraries. To request guest borrowing privileges please contact the library by email at hllibrary@gcts.edu.

Circulating books: 

  • 25 items, 28 days for Gordon-Conwell borrowers (Faculty, Staff, and Students).
  • 5 items, 21 days for Guests and GCTS Alumni.

Approved Thesis Loans: 

  • Students writing approved theses may check out circulating books for 6 months. After the first 28 days, the books may be recalled by another patron. 

VHS & DVD's:

  • All VHS must be viewed in the library. 
  • Reference DVD's - cannot be checked out. 
  • All other DVDs - limit 2 at a time for 14 days. 

Audio Cassettes & CD's:

  • 7 days (Maximum of 5 out at any one time to any borrower)

Reference, Reserve, Journal, Thesis, Cooley, Microform, and Vertical File:

  • For use only in the library. Page scanning, copying, and printing is available. Please see a library staff member for assistance.

InterLibrary Loan:

  • The primary purpose of Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is to help the Gordon-Conwell community access resources outside of its libraries' collections. ILL provides supplemental materials in order to help patrons access the best resources in any given field.
  • For ILL policy and instructions please visit the library's Interlibrary Loan page. 

Renewal Options

  • Renewals of Lindsell Library items may be requested using one of these methods: 

Renewal Periods

(All library owned items are subject to recall after their lending period has ended)

  • Circulating books:
    • Students and staff: up to five renewals of 28 days each.
    • Faculty: up to 11 renewals of 28 days each. 
    • Alumni and Guests: one renewal of 21 days each.
  • Cassettes & CD's: 7 days
     
  • Thesis loans: two renewals of only 28 days each after the 6 month period.

How to Renew Online

  • Library Accounts can be accessed from these locations:

  • Library Homepage: Click 'Library Account' from the side menu or 'Log into your Library Account' from the WorldCat Discovery search box. The account log-in page will open. 

  • Within WorldCat Discovery: Click 'Sign-in' in the top right corner. 

New Log-in information: Library account username and passwords are now the same used for other Gordon-Conwell services (SAKAI, CAMS, and email). When your password changes, the updated password must be used here.  
 
  • Once you have logged into your library account you will be able to view borrowed items, contact information, and books on hold.
     
  • To renew one or more items, click the Renew button. 
     

Account Log-in and Renewal Help
 

  • For log-in issues try logging into SAKAI or CAMS before contacting us. If its working there but not for your library account we can assist with troubleshooting. 
     
  • Renewal requests are denied for a number of reasons including renewal limits, hold requests, fines, account issues, or system errors.  
     
  • Please contact the library for log-in or renewal concerns. 

Course Reserves Explained

  • Course reserves are highly used or required items that are requested by a class professor to be placed on reserve. Reserve items remain on the reserve shelf until the class has ended.  
  • Reserve materials are kept behind the circulation desk.  
  • Generally reserves are not allowed for checkout from the Charlotte campus library. Permission must be granted by the class professor with an email send to the library director. 

Searching for Course Reserves

  • Visit the Course Reserve tool within WorldCat Discovery to view what is currently (or formerly) on reserve from any Gordon-Conwell campus library. 
     
  • Search by course name, instructor, department, or prefix. Searches can include former courses by clicking 'include inactive courses'.  
     
  • Search Examples:
    • Course name: Managing Conflict
    • Instructor: Cooper
    • Department: Counseling
    • Prefix: CL640

Holds Explained

  • Holds are placed on items that have already been checked out by another patron. The current borrower is under no obligation to return the book until the end of the first loan period. Placing a hold will, however, prevent the current borrower from renewing the item. 
  • Only current students, faculty, and staff may place a hold.
  • Only circulating items can be placed on hold from the branch library where the borrower is a student or employee. 

Recalled items

  • All items are subject to immediate recall after they have been in a borrower's possession for 28 days.

  • Items that are needed for course reserves are subject for immediate recall regardless of how long they have been in the borrower's possession.

Requesting a Hold

Viewing Items on Hold