Library Policies

Undergraduate Loan Periods

• Regular Loan (Books, Tapes): 28 days; 3 renewals available online before the due date
• Media (DVD, VHS, CD): 28 days; 3 renewals available online before the due date
• Interlibrary Loan: Determined by the loaning library; renewals may be requested online before the due date, but are granted at the discretion of the loaning library.
• Reserve Items: 3 hours

Link to your library account, for due dates and renewals: https://slc.on.worldcat.org/myaccount

Students can borrow up to 50 items at a time, including Interlibrary Loan items.

Graduate Student Loan Periods

• Regular Loan (Books, Tapes): 1 semester; 3 renewals available online before the due date
• Media (DVD, VHS, CD): 1 semester; 3 renewals available online before the due date
• Interlibrary Loan: Determined by the loaning library; renewals may be requested online before the due date, but are granted at the discretion of the loaning library.
• Reserve Items: 3 hours

Some Library Terminology:

Recall: If you receive a recall notice, that means another Sarah Lawrence student or faculty member needs an item that you have for their own research. Typically, a recall due date will be one week from the date of recall. 

Reserve: Reserve items have been set aside by professors so that their entire class can have equal access to material.  Shorter circulation periods ensure that several students may have access to material in the same day.  Only the professor who has the item on reserve may check out the item for an extended period, or request that the item be taken off reserve.

Reserve items usually circulate for three hours at a time; however items borrowed within three hours of closing are due back the next day at 10 a.m., Monday-Friday, and 12:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. In the case of these special overnight loans, you should keep in mind that closed hours WILL count for fines if the loans are returned late.

Regular Loans

• Regular Loan (Books, Tapes): No daily fines, except when an item is recalled. $100 replacement fee charged after 60 days overdue
• Interlibrary Loan: $150 charged when item reported lost or bill received from loaning library.
• 1-Week Loan Media (DVD, VHS, CD): $100 replacement fee charged after 60 days overdue

Patrons will be contacted via email before any fines are sent on to Student Accounts; if items are confirmed returned promptly and in good condition, there will be no fines.

Patrons may be charged more than the standard rate if items are significantly more expensive to replace.

Special Items

• 3-Hour Reserve Items: $0.50/hour ($12.00/day)
• Recalled Items: $3.00/day

5-Hour Loan Media (DVD, VHS): $0.50/hour ($12.00/day)There is no fine cap for reserve or recalled items. Library borrowing privileges will be suspended until the item is returned. Failure to return overdue reserves or recalls is a serious offense and a violation of the College’s Policy on Academic Integrity; as such, it may be reported to the Dean of Studies Office.

The primary mission of Sarah Lawrence College's Esther Raushenbush Library is to collect, maintain, and preserve materials needed to meet the research needs of students and faculty, as well as to support the undergraduate and graduate curricula.

Learn more about our Collection Development Policy

The library’s food and drink policy is intended to preserve library materials, equipment and furnishings, thereby providing a pleasant and comfortable workspace for our patrons. 

• Drinks in spill-proof containers or sports bottles are allowed throughout the library—open mugs, aluminum cans, paper cups, styrofoam cups, or any container that might spill are not allowed outside the vending machine area.
• Food and drink are permitted in the vending machine area.
• No food deliveries of any kind are permitted. 
• Occasionally, events are scheduled in the library at which refreshments are served.  In these cases, eating and drinking is restricted to the event area.
• Masks are required at all times, throughout the library building, except when actively drinking.

Patrons who fail to comply may be asked to leave the building.

The Library is committed to providing an environment that is comfortable, inviting, and conducive to study.  In order to accommodate the study preferences of a variety of users, the library is divided into three zones:

The Quiet Zone (Yellow)

• Intended for Quiet Study
• Muted conversation and earbuds/headphone use is permitted provided it does not disturb others
• Cell phones must be on silent; no cell phone conversations allowed

The Silent Zone (Red)

• Intended for Silent, Individual Study
• No conversation or ambient noise is permitted
• Cell phones must be on silent; no cell phone conversations allowed

The Talking Zone (Green)

• Intended for Group Study, Class Time, or Meetings
• Conversation, earbuds/headphones, and video watching is permitted at a volume that does not disturb others
• Cell phone must be on silent; no cell phone conversations allowed

To help people locate the three different zones, there are color-coded maps displayed on the Library bulletin board as well as signage throughout the library.

The library is committed to protecting the privacy of its users. Our policies conform to the code of ethics of The American Library Association that states in part, that “we must protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired, or transmitted."

Circulation information is confidential; records are viewed by library staff only when normal circulation workflow requires it.