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Courtesy Borrowing Policies

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If you are not currently a student or employee of Oberlin College you may still borrow materials if:

  • You are an adult (18 or older) who lives or works in Lorain County (written proof of address/employment required)
  • You are a graduate of the College living in Cuyahoga, Ashland, Erie, Huron, Medina, Summit, Portage, or Wayne counties
  • You are a current member of the Friends of the Oberlin College Libraries
  • You are the child of a college employee, aged 14-17

The valid library card for Oberlin residents is an Oberlin Public Library card. Other borrowers may use their Oberlin Public Library card, or may be issued a courtesy card from the college library. Alumni ID's are not valid as Oberlin College library cards.

All borrowers must first register at the Main Library circulation desk and provide proof of their current address (driver's license, utility bill, etc.); their library card is then valid at all the college libraries.

Loan Periods & Fines

Loan periods and fines vary by the format of the material and the current demand for the item. Courtesy borrowers may have up to 50 items checked out at a time. In general, the following rules apply:

Type of material Loan period Fine rate
Books, Scores & Government Publications
  Regular 3 weeks unless recalled $0.20/day
  Recreational Reading (McNaughton books) 3 weeks $0.50/day
  Faculty Publications 3 weeks $0.50/day
  Seminar (Conservatory) 3 days $0.20/day
  Reserve (Courtesy borrowers auditing courses may request reserve borrowing privileges for the duration of the course. Please see a circulation staff supervisor for these privileges.) varies, ask at check-out $2.00/hour or portion thereof (more on hourly fines)
Bound periodicals library use only n/a
Unbound periodicals library use only n/a
Microforms library use only n/a
Sound Recordings library use only n/a
Videos/DVDs    
  Art Library circulating: 1 week
non-circulating: library use only
$3.00/day
n/a
  Conservatory Library library use only $2.00/hour or portion thereof (more on hourly fines)
  Terrell Main and Science Libraries 1 week $3.00/day
  Reserve varies, ask at check-out $2.00/hour or portion thereof (more on hourly fines)
Laptop computers and accessories library use only n/a
iPads library use only n/a
OhioLINK/SearchOhio books
(Friends of the Library only)
3 weeks (up to 6 renewals) $0.50/day; billed after 30 days overdue
OhioLINK/SearchOhio media materials
(Friends of the Library only)
1 week $0.50/day; billed after 30 days overdue
Last updated:
March 11, 2019