Borrowing Privileges

Can I borrow items from Sheridan Library?

Library collections are primarily intended to meet the needs of:

1. Students and faculty currently registered with Sheridan College;

2. Staff currently directly-employed by the College;

Limited borrowing privileges are also extended for print materials to the following groups:

1. Sheridan Alumni;

2. Direct Borrowers who are currently registered students and employees of any Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology participating in Direct Borrower's Agreement;

3. Guest Borrowers who include externally-contracted staff at Sheridan and university students participating in the joint programs with Sheridan College.

I am starting my first semester. When can I start borrowing items from the library?

Borrowing privileges for new students who have paid their fees begins on the first day of their first semester. We are unable to issue books before all tuition fees have been paid.

Can I access the library's online resources?

Online resources, from library subscription databases, are only available for current students (including students registered in joint programs), Faculty, and Staff of the College due to licensing agreements with vendors.

I am currently on co-op. Can I still borrow from the library?

Yes. Students who have paid their co-op fee and are on co-op are considered current students with the relevant privileges.

I live near the college. Could I be considered a Guest Borrower?

Unfortunately, no. Sheridan Library services and spaces are not intended for use by members of the public.

Do I need to get a library card?

The Sheridan OneCard is all that is required to borrow materials and review accounts for current students, faculty, and staff. The OneCard is non-transferable. The OneCard may be obtained at your campus Instructional Technology Support Centre (ITSC). Lost OneCards must be reported to your ITSC and replaced for a cost determined by the ITSC.

What if I don't have a OneCard?

Eligible borrowers who are not issued a OneCard by the College will be issued a white library card with a unique barcode when they register in-person at any campus circulation desk. Activation of library cards is immediate. Lost library cards must be reported to Sheridan library staff immediately, in-person or by phone. Replacement cards are free of charge.

To register for a library card:

• part-time students must present photo ID with an address as well as Sheridan registration;
• direct borrowers must present a current student ID or barcode sticker for their home institution ID in addition to photo ID with address. Part-time students or employees may not have been issued an ID by the home college. Documentation such as registration or employment contract as well as another piece of photo ID with address is acceptable as long as the document features a start and end date;
• alumni borrowers are subject to a non-refundable annual fee of $20.00 and must present their alumni card (or a copy) along with photo ID including address; and
• guest borrowers must present photo ID with address, proof of employment (OneCard, paystub) or program registration where applicable.

For how long can I borrow a book?

Loan periods are determined by the category of borrower and the type of material.

Borrowers are issued a due date receipt after checking out materials. Since Sheridan Library is open during weekends, due dates may fall on Saturday or Sunday.

For current students, common loan periods include:

• Books: 2 weeks
• Textbooks: 3 hours
• Video games: 3 days
• Game Consoles: overnight
• Board games: 3 days
• Magazines & Journals: 1 week

See the Borrowing Services Policy for a full list of loan periods.

Can I borrow an item between semesters?

Yes. Current students may borrow materials during the two week break between the current and next semesters as long as they have paid their fees. Students must show their timetable for proof of registration.

Borrowing is available to new students on the first day of the semester, and not before, if fees have been paid.

What will I be charged for overdue items?

Fines are calculated for each day the library is open. Please note that due dates may fall on a Saturday or Sunday.

For regular overdue materials:

• $0.25 per day per item, excluding videos and reserves.
• Videos: $1.00 per day per item
• Reserves: $1.00 per hour per item
• MAXIMUM: $30.00 per item that is overdue by 8 weeks or more. In addition, a replacement charge and $5.00 processing fee will be placed on the borrower's record.

For overdue short term loans and board games at a rate of:

• $1.00 per hour
• MAXIMUM: $30.00 after 24 hours. This fine, a $5.00 processing fee and the replacement cost of the book or board game will then be posted to the patron's account. If returned, patrons will only be responsible for paying the $30.00 fine.

How do I pay my fines?

Fines may be paid in-person at any library service desk. Debit or cash is accepted.

Will I be notified of overdue fines?

Yes. All users with overdue items will be sent notices to their Sheridan email account alerting them to outstanding fines.

What happens if I don't pay the fine?

A user's borrowing privileges are suspended when fines reach $3.50.

The College's finance department will pursue payment for any long-outstanding fines. Users must pay fees in order to pay registration fees for future terms or to receive their diploma, degree or certificate from the College.

How can I check my due dates and fines?

To check your account for library due dates & fines, go to My Library Account. Use your Sheridan credentials to sign in.

I'm not ready to return my library item. Can I extend my due date?

Yes. To extend the loan period on an item, borrowers may request a renewal. You can renew an item by phoning or visiting your campus library, or you can renew online through Page 1+.

• Requests for renewals must be made on or before the item’s due date.
• Renewals are not permitted if the item has been requested by another borrower, if there is a recall on it, if there are overdue fines, and/or you have exceeded the maximum number of renewals allowed.
• Renewals are not allowed for reserve items, reference items and short term loan items.

For how long can I renew an item?

Renewal periods vary by type of item:

• Books can be renewed for 14 days. You are allowed to renew books twice.
• Periodicals can be renewed for 7 days.
• AV material can be renewed for 2 nights (but only once) if there is no booking for the item.

Where can I return my books?

Please return any borrowed library materials to the service desk at each campus library, or any of the drop boxes located on campus.

What if the library is closed?

If the library is closed, you can still return items in any drop box located on campus. On the following work day, we will check in your item with the previous day's date.

What if the item I need is located at another campus library?

Borrowers may request items located at another Sheridan campus library. In such cases, the items will be shipped to the borrower's preferred campus library.

• Requests may be placed in person or over the phone, or by requesting an item through Page 1+.
• Borrowers are notified by Sheridan email when their request(s) are available for pick up.
• Requests are kept behind the circulation desk for one week.
• Requests may not be placed on reserves, reference items, short term loan items.

What if I need something that Sheridan Library doesn't have?

As a current Sheridan student, faculty, or staff member, you have two options:

1. Visit a participating Ontario college: Under the Direct Borrowing Agreement, a college staff, faculty or student may borrow in person from any Ontario College of Applied Arts and Technology Library. To borrow from another institution,
   • Present your current Sheridan ID card at their circulation desk
   • Verify that you are a current student (if no expiry date is on the Sheridan ID card)
   • Fill out any required registration forms

NOTE: The lending library may require additional identification.

2. Request an Interlibrary Loan: Sheridan Library may be able to retrieve the item from colleges or universities from across Canada, North America, and beyond.

Can I get an item in an alternative format?

Yes. For those requiring alternative formats for materials held in the Sheridan Library collection, the library will provide an accessible format of print, digital or multimedia resources upon request.

• For Textbooks: Contact Accessible Learning.
• For books in print: Use the Accessible Content E-portal (ACE).  ACE is a repository of books in accessible format that is managed by Scholar’s Portal, a service of the Ontario Council of University Libraries.  ACE provides books in the following formats: colour PDF, black & white PDF, DAISY, plain text and e-pub.  Please note that ACE is accessible to current students, faculty and staff only and may only be accessed by users with a verified perceptual disability. To get access to ACE, please contact Nira Persaud.
• For video transcripts: All videos created by Library and Learning Services include transcripts, provided online.

Questions? please contact Nira Persaud (Access and Instructional Support Technician). Please ensure that all requests are issued to the Library as soon as possible - some alternate format requests may take longer to process than others due to issues with the publisher, physical state of the resource and/or copyright

How do I request new book, video, or other titles for the library collection?

Simply complete this form: Suggest a Title

Please note that purchases must meet the criteria outlined in the Collection Development Policy.