Student Services: Circulation Services

• Multimedia: Two day checkout—audio tapes, CDs, and flashcards.
• Study Aids: Five day checkout for up to two titles
• DVD/Movies: Three day checkout, limit of three titles.
• Treatises, Books: One semester—for treatises not in the Reserve collection.
• Laptops: One week checkout.
• Adaptors/Power cords: One day only. Due the day of checkout before the library closes.
• Audio/Visual Equipment: Two day checkout.

Please be considerate and return all checked out materials on time. Although the Law Library does not charge for overdue materials, students who repeatedly fail to return high-use materials in a timely manner can be found in violation of the Law School Honor Code. If items are lost, borrowers are responsible for paying the actual replacement costs, plus a $10 processing fee per lost or damaged item.

If a requested book is missing from the shelf, the student should inquire at the Circulation Desk for assistance.  If a book is missing, it may be on a shelving cart at the Circulation Desk or it may be checked out.  If it's checked out, the Law Library staff may be able to obtain the book temporarily.

If the book is not check out or on the shelving cart at the Circulation Desk, the book may be requested to Interlibrary Loan.  Library faculty and staff may also be able to direct the student to similar or related materials.

Once a missing book is reported to the Circulation Desk, a staff member will fill out a form and conduct a search for the book. The search will continue until the item is found or determined to be lost. If the item is lost, then the Law Library may replace the item.

If student needs an item that the Law Library does not have, or if the item is missing, the Law Library staff can obtain the item through a database or through ILL.

To place an order for ILL, fill out the ILL request form available on the Main University Library web site at http://library.ttu.edu/docdel/.

ILLs may take up to two weeks to arrive in the Law Library. Although staff will make the best effort to secure your ILL order, we cannot guarantee the item will be lent through ILL. Please be mindful that it is up to the lending library to fill or decline the request. You will be emailed when the item arrives.

The Law Library has a limited number of laptop computers to check out to Law School students. This policy is designed to help facilitate the need for laptops.

Regular Loans:

• Laptops are available for law students to checkout.
• Laptops are checked out for seven (7) days.
• Laptops are due on the same hour they were checked out.
• All laptops will be due seven (7) days before the first day of finals. No laptops will be checked out during this time.

Fines:

• Late fees for laptops are $20.00 per day until the laptop is returned. (Fines start accruing once the laptop is five minutes overdue.) A laptop is not considered returned until all of its components have been returned.
• Laptops will not be checked out to students who have outstanding laptop fines unless they have made prior arrangements with the Circulation Desk staff.

Damaged/Lost/Stolen Laptops:

• The student takes responsibility for the laptop and the peripherals (cords, etc.) that are checked out to them. The student is required to return the laptop in the same condition as it was when originally checked out. The student is responsible for examining the laptop and pointing out issues found on the laptop that the student feels s/he should not be responsible for. It is recommended that the examination be done in the presence of the Circulation Desk staff or before walking away from the Circulation Desk.
• In the event that a laptop, checked-out to the student, is damaged beyond repair or has been stolen, the student accepts all financial responsibility and is expected to replace the laptop. EXCEPTION: If the student can provide the following, s/he may be released from financial responsibility:

1. a copy of the police report detailing the incident; and
2. proof of documentation for an insurance claim (Home Owners/Renters/ Vehicle) to replace the stolen or damaged laptop.
3. If the student is not insured, the student must provide a notarized statement to that effect.

Course reserve items are held behind the Circulation Desk. Materials on Reserve are available for a four-hour checkout.  Overnight checkouts are available at closing, but are due within one hour of the library opening the next business day.

The Circulation Desk handles most lost and found items retrieved within the Law School building. If you lose an item in the Law Library, you can check with Circulation Desk staff to determine if the item is in the Lost and Found. To recover the item, you must be able to describe the item accurately and present a valid form of ID if the item has a name on it. If Building Maintenance staff finds items, they turn those items over to the TTU Police Department.

The Law Library staff makes reasonable efforts to locate the rightful owners of lost items. When lost items are turned in to the Circulation Desk, Law Library staff add the item to the Lost and Found database. Items turned in are posted on MyTechLaw under “Library Tab” for students to check. Items are kept for 30 days. Any unclaimed items are disposed of in accordance with the Lost and Found Policy and Procedure.

If an item is marked with identifying information (e.g. name or phone number), Law Library staff will attempt to contact the person. If the contact information is outdated or the person does not respond within 30 days, the item will be disposed of in accordance with the Lost and Found Policy and Procedure.

Any personal items found in the Law Library by Custodians after hours are turned into the Custodial Services Offices where they are logged in on their forms and turned over to the TTU Police Department. The Custodial Services Offices will not accept the following: student consumer goods like notebooks, writing instruments, documents, flash drives, art supplies; recyclable paper; non-University keys; and anything deemed unlikely to be claimed.
 

QUICK START: LOST AND FOUND PROCEDURES