Borrowing Policy
BSU Students, Faculty, and Staff
Full and part-time students, faculty, and staff may check out materials with presentation of their Connect Card.
Community Members & Alumni
BSU alumni and Massachusetts residents aged 16 and older may obtain a Community Card with presentation of valid photo ID.
Community Cards must be renewed yearly.
BSU Students may borrow up to thirty-five (35) items.
BSU Faculty and Staff may borrow up to fifty (50) items.
Community Members and BSU Alumni may borrow up to six (6) items.
Lending periods depend on the type of item borrowed. Materials should be returned as soon as they are no longer needed. All loans are subject to recall.
Item Type Faculty/Staff Students Community Card Holders General Books 120 days 30 days 30 days Leisure Reading Books 30 days 30 days 30 days CDs & DVDs 7 days 7 days 7 days ERC Test Prep Collection 7 days 7 days 7 days ERC Instructional Aids (Kits) 7 days 7 days No Checkouts Library of Things 7 days 7 days No Checkouts Technology 7 days 7 days No Checkouts Holds can be placed using your Library Account, in person, or over the phone.
BSU Students may hold up to eighteen (18) items.
BSU Faculty and Staff may hold up to twenty-five (25) items.
Community Members and BSU Alumni may hold up to three (3) items.
Books, CDs, and DVDs will automatically renew one time if there is no hold pending.
Other materials may be renewed upon request.
A receipt listing all your checkouts and corresponding due dates is emailed to the address in your Library Account. You can check your account at any time to see due dates. A reminder email is sent one day before your item is due and again on the day the item is due.
If any library material is damaged or is lost, the patron is billed for the replacement cost of the material. Material that is long overdue (30 days or more) is considered lost and will be billed for.
Faculty, staff, students, and community card holders are responsible for paying replacement fees.
Fees cam be paid through Marketplace/TouchNet. Contact the library for instructions.
If a library user returns an undamaged long overdue/lost item within thirty (30) days of paying a replacement fee, the fee will be refunded.
We accept replacement copies for print books in our general book collection only (the replacement copy must be the same edition as the lost copy). We do not accept replacement materials for any other items in our collections.
For AV equipment and laptop replacement costs, see our Technology Lending page.
Please do not hesitate to reach out regarding long overdue, lost, or damaged items. We are here to help you figure out how best to manage the situation.
Please visit our Request Items from Other Libraries page to learn about options for interlibrary loan.