It depends what you mean by due.....

So December 20 is the official due date. What does that really mean?

First, if you are still using any semester-loan books, scores, or government publications to complete your finals -- just keep them and return them when you are finished. Unless it is an item that gets fined (OhioLINKs, reserves, recalled materials), there is no penalty for returning these books a couple of days late.

Our semester-loan policy for most books, scores, and government publications requires us to pick A DAY for all of these materials to be due. As of last Wednesday, there were more than 11,000 items checked out to students from the Main Library alone. We really don't want them all returned to us today!! We hope some of them come back early, and you've been great about returning books as you finished with them. And we're happy to accept the rest of them any day this week. Return early and often. Check out our library hours to know when we're open.

If you plan to keep books for next semester, please renew them. We will place holds for spring enrollment in January for anything remaining overdue.

Questions? Contact me anytime!

Allison Gallaher
Head of Circulation

Party on, Garth!

Are you sick of trying to memorize information from articles and books? Are your fingers tired of typing? Are your eyes glazed over from looking at a computer screen for hours on end? Don't let finals get you down on the last day of reading period. Come to the Student Friends of the Library Pizza Study Break! Your stomach will thank you...

SFotL Study Break
Sunday night, 12/18/05 - 9p-10:30p, Mudd A-Level
Pizza, soda, and information on the Student Friends of the Library

Please get some sleep sometime!!

Studies show that sleep deprivation is one of the leading causes of many bad things. (Just because I work in a library doesn't mean I have time to look this stuff up, but I'm sure I read that somewhere!)

To make matters worse, all of the Oberlin College libraries have extended their hours during reading period and finals. Check out the specifics at our end of semester hours page.

To Renew or Not to Renew??

Are you wondering whether you need to renew your books before the December 20th due date? Here's my advice:

• If you just need to finish up a paper during finals, please just keep your books and return them when you're done with them. [Now this doesn't mean to ignore due dates for items that get fines, like periodicals or OhioLINKs or reserves or videos or recalled books].

• If you're planning ahead, and you need your books for Winter Term or spring semester, please do renew them. We will hold your enrollment for second semester if you don't return or renew the materials that you have checked out and that are due before the end of the semester. And if you will be off-campus for ANY PART of Winter Term, please complete a Winter Term address form so we can send your mail to the right address.

• If you are working in a Main Library carrel or scholar study during Winter Term and leaving your books there, all of the green in-house use slips must be date-stamped at the circulation desk to indicate that they've been renewed for second semester. Please bring your books down at your convenience.

• Do you want to check on what you currently have checked out and when it's due? Just access your account at http://obis.oberlin.edu/patroninfo/

Please feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions about your library account or our policies! Best of luck in the final days of the semester!

Allison Gallaher

Head of Circulation

More Research Appointments Available

Due to heavy demand, we've added several more time slots for research appointments this week. So, if there weren't any open spots for the date/time you wanted last time you looked, check again!

1-day loan for Main Periodicals

During the month of December, periodicals in the Main Library have 1-day loan periods. Borrowers may bring periodicals to the circulation desk for daily renewal until another user requests the volume. We do this to ensure wide access to periodicals that may be in high demand at the end of the semester. If you need a volume that is currently checked out, place a request for it in OBIS using the button. When the item is returned, we will e-mail you.

If you have extended need for a volume, it may be possible to allow this without daily renewals, on a case-by-case basis. Only circulation desk supervisors may approve this arrangement; please feel free to speak with one of us about your needs.

Allison Gallaher
Head of Circulation