Circulation Policies

PLEASE NOTE: On Tuesday, June 12, 2007, the circulation policies for VHS and DVD videos in the Marjorie I. Mitchell Multimedia Center changed.

Printable version of new Marjorie I. Mitchell Multimedia Center loan policies (Adobe PDF file)

Loan information

The Marjorie I. Mitchell Multimedia Center's video collection (23,000+ titles), bound guides and CDs all circulate. Laserdiscs do not circulate.

The loan period for Northwestern University (NU) students, staff, and all patrons who have a valid NU WildCARD or bar coded NU ID is three (3) days. The loan period for faculty and all graduate students who have a valid NU WildCARD or NU ID is fourteen (14) days. Temporary, non-barcoded borrower's cards, issued by the Mitchell Multimedia Center staff, are given to non-Northwestern University individuals for academic research on-site in the Multimedia Center.

A maximum of four (4) items (i.e. VHS reels, DVD discs, and bound guides) may be checked out to students, staff and special borrowers during any given three (3) day loan period. Northwestern University faculty on the Evanston campus may check out a maximum of 25 items at one time. Graduate students may check out a maximum of 10 items at one time.

All videos must be checked out to a user regardless of the viewing location, including the Multimedia Center's viewing carrels and group viewing rooms. Users are responsible for returning videos.

Fines and fees

Overdue fines for students, TAs and special borrowers for VHS and DVD video are $2.00 per day per item. Overdue fines for students, TAs and special borrowers for CDs are 10 cents per day per item.

An "item" is defined as a title with a call number. A call number may have multiple reels or discs (e.g. 791.4575 S7123 dvd - disc 1 - 4). Each reel or disc is a separate item.

Lost/replacement fees apply to all users and for all items, including faculty, TAs and staff, and begin on the tenth (10th) day an item is overdue. The lost/replacement fee is $50.00 per item in addition to a processing fee of $10.00 per item plus any applicable overdue fines.

All fines and fees must be paid at the Main Circulation Desk on Level 1 of the University Library. All queries regarding fines and fees should be addressed to full-time staff at the Mitchell Multimedia Center.

You can use the NUcat website to check your fines and fees. Click on the "My Account" tab.

Library cards

Current Northwestern University WildCARDS or other NU barcoded IDs serve as library cards for students, faculty and staff. Temporary, non-barcoded borrower's cards, issued by the Mitchell Multimedia Center staff, are given to non-Northwestern University individuals for academic research on-site in the Multimedia Center.

Interlibrary Loan

Video titles not in the Multimedia Center's collection may be requested through the Library's Interlibrary Loan Department.

Reserve

Items may be put on reserve if they are to be used for required or recommended class use throughout an entire quarter. Titles checked out from the Reserve Desk in Core circulate for four (4) hours for students, staff and special borrowers. Faculty may check out titles from the Reserve Desk in Core for three (3) days. For details about putting media on reserve, please contact the Northwestern University Library's Main Reserve located in Core/Reserve on the 2nd floor of the North Tower of the Library.

Returning materials

All media checked out from the Marjorie I. Mitchell Multimedia Center should be returned to our circulation desk located on the 2nd floor of the South Tower of the Library during hours of operation. After hours or when the Multimedia Center is closed, media may be returned in the outdoor book drop or at the Main Circulation Desk on Level 1 of the University Library.

Media checked out from Main Library Reserve must be returned to Core / Reserve, located on the 2nd floor of the North Tower of the Library.

All students, faculty and staff must return all media before leaving the University. Bills will be sent for any media that is charged out.