Library Privilege Information for Department Personnel Officers

All UC employees are eligible for courtesy borrowing privileges at all branches of the General Library (Peter J. Shields, The Physical Sciences & Engineering Library, Carlson Health Sciences Library and the Blaisdell Medical Library).

The UC Davis General Library is mandated by the Office of the President to ensure that our "primary clientele" (U. C. students, faculty and staff) have ready access to the materials they need to do their coursework and research. We are proud of our collections and eager to protect them so that present and future scholars have the materials that they need. One way we observe our mandate is by carefully controlling the issuance of library privileges (i.e., library cards).

Library privileges are issued to individuals and not departments or other groups of people. Library privileges issued to one person may not be used by another.

Off-site access to electronic resources is limited to UC Davis faculty, staff and students and is governed by license agreements with the vendors of the electronic resources. Off-site access requires a Campus Computing Account with a Kerberos password. The library does not authorize Campus Computing Accounts for non-library employees.

Applying for borrowing privileges

Beginning July 1, 2004 all new employees should present their UC Davis or UCDMC photo Employee ID cards at the circulation desk to obtain library privileges. All applicants complete a brief library card application, and library staff verifies employment status, payroll title, and dates online through the UCOP Employee Database. We do not accept letters as verification of employment. Employees must be represented in the EDB to receive library privileges.

Visiting Scholars

All visiting scholars and distinguished visitors must present their UC Davis photo ID cards at a circulation desk to obtain library privileges. All applicants complete a brief library card application, and library staff verifies status, university affiliation, and appointment dates online using either the UCOP Employee Database (PPS) or the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP). LDAP records for Visiting Scholars are created by IET through the Temporary Affiliate Account program.

Library staff must be able to view the entry for visiting scholars in either the PPS or LDAP to determine library privileges. There is usually an overnight delay from entry to the library's ability to view the entry. Not all categories of temporary affiliation are eligible for library privileges. We do not accept letters as verification of affiliation or employment.

Departments authorizing visiting scholars for library privileges assume financial responsibility for unpaid library fees, fines and replacement costs if visiting scholars fail to respond to library notices or return library materials.

Borrowing by Proxy

Faculty and some academic titles are eligible to designate proxy borrowers to perform library functions on their behalf. Each faculty member may designate up to 4 proxies at a time. Proxy library cards are valid through June 30th of that fiscal year. The faculty member who signs the proxy library card application receives all notices and bills and is responsible financially for any materials borrowed on the card. To be eligible, the proxy must be employed by UC Davis, as verified through the UCOP employee database, or be a registered student, and directly doing research for the faculty person.

Disabled staff and students are also eligible for proxy privileges, but different limits apply. See the Library's Web page for more information on services to patrons with disabilities.

Library privileges for UC retirees

Members of the UC Retirement System (UCRS) are eligible for the same level of privileges as when employed. Verification is done by using the Retiree card supplied by the applicant. A call may be made to the Benefits Office at UCOP, but this is more difficult to do. Privileges expire annually, except those for emeritus faculty which do not expire.

Expiration of Privileges

All library privileges expire, except those of tenured faculty. Tenure track faculty cards for Assistant Professors expire two years from the date of the appointment. All other academic and staff privileges expire in one year unless the appointment is shorter. Student privileges expire quarterly.

The first Monday in May each year is the date that the book due date changes to the next fiscal year for those with Extended privileges (most faculty and researchers). At that time the Libraries will begin to renew the borrowing privileges of those whose appointments have been extended to the next fiscal year or have indefinite privileges.

Student Privileges

Students use their student ID cards as library cards. Student employees are not eligible for library privileges as employees since most of the time their primary purpose on campus is as students. Students who are on PELP (Planned Educational Leave Program) or are Filing Fee status qualify for privileges, but must pay for them ($12.50 per quarter). PELP students are not eligible for interlibrary loan. Students who are on PELP or Filing Fee AND are employed on campus in a research or instructional position may have this fee waived.

Undergraduates may be designated to have quarterly (graduate) privileges if the student is enrolled in an honors class, is a Regent's Scholar, part of the Davis Honor's Challenge, or a National Merit Scholar. To obtain privileges for honors students, the instructor or director of the program should notify Shields Circulation indicating how long the class lasts (some go over several quarters) and including the students' names and identification numbers.

Loan Periods

Shields Library and Physical Sciences & Engineering Library allow material to be checked out for periods ranging from a few hours (items on Reserve) to an entire academic year. Those qualifying for "extended" privileges (books going out for the year) are generally faculty and researchers. If a person has an academic appointment but is not here for an entire year, the privileges issued will be shorter and based on the ending date of the appointment.

Other regular loan periods are quarterly (graduate students and shorter-term academic employees) and 2-weeks (general staff and undergraduates). The Carlson Health Sciences (HSL) and Blaisdell Medical (BML) Libraries have the same borrowing privileges for everyone: 2 weeks at BML and 4 weeks at HSL. At all libraries some high-use items may be designated for short term loans. Loan periods for periodicals range from Library Use Only to one week.

Financial responsibility

Financial responsibility for lost or damaged material, or late fees are the direct responsibility of the borrower. Processing fees and/or recall or overdue Reserve fines or books returned after replacement billing has occurred are the responsibility of the borrower and cannot be paid by departmental recharge. A book, lost by a faculty member teaching a class in which the book was used, may have the cost of the book recharged to the department. For more information about charges for material, view the specific library's Web page.