Library Privileges

I. Policy Statement and Purpose

The primary mission of the J. Murrey Atkins Library of The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is to support the academic goals of the University. The J. Murrey Atkins Library is the center of intellectual life at UNC Charlotte, North Carolina’s urban research university, advancing the scholarly and creative endeavors of the University and the greater Charlotte community by providing exceptional collections, spaces, services, and technologies. The Library inspires innovation, supports research, and cultivates scholarship by connecting people, ideas, and resources.

Library privileges are primarily designed to meet the needs of the University’s students, faculty, and staff. This policy also describes Library privileges for trustees, members of the Foundation Board, the Board of Governors, University Boards and Committees, current members of the Alumni Association, and UNC Charlotte retired employees.

As the Library receives state funds and is a state and regional government document repository, it is open to the public. North Carolina residents may purchase a community borrower’s card to borrow Library materials.

II. Definitions

Community borrower is a verified North Carolina resident age 18 or older who has purchased a community borrower’s card at the current annual fee.

Library includes both the physical and online licensed resources of the J. Murrey Atkins Library building, the Arts & Architecture Library in the Storrs building, the Center City building, and any storage facilities.

Online licensed resources include electronic content licensed by the Library or the state of North Carolina on behalf of the university.

Physical collections include tangible items such as books, periodicals, media, archives, manuscripts, records, memorabilia, equipment, technologies, and other items physically held in Library facilities. Certain items in the Library must be used in specific locations under specific conditions and policies and may not be removed from those locations, such as Special Collections and University Archives materials, equipment, and some technologies.

Study and research purposes means use of Library collections, facilities, equipment, technologies, and services for academic purposes, including study and research and personal use, but not including for-profit, commercial, or illegal use.

III. Applicability

This policy applies to current and retired faculty and staff, family members of full-time employees, current students, members of the Foundation Board, Trustees, members of the Board of Governors, members of University boards and committees, current members of the UNC Charlotte Alumni Association, North Carolina residents, and any other individuals seeking to use the Library’s collections, facilities, equipment, technologies, and services.

IV. Roles and Responsibilities

For the purposes of this policy, individuals have the roles and responsibilities described as follows:

Dean of the Library: Negotiate formal agreements with other parties who will be provided Library services in compliance with applicable licenses and contracts. Review and recommend the approval or revision of this policy before forwarding it to the Provost.

Supervisors in Public Services: Interpret and apply Library policies in specific situations.

Library faculty and staff: Provide Library services to eligible Library users.

Library users: Are responsible for using Library facilities, collections, equipment, technologies, and services in accordance with established policies.

Provost: Review and recommend the approval or revision of this policy.

V. Procedures

UNC Charlotte faculty, students, and staff, as well as Faculty members and Senior Academic or Administrative Officers who are conferred emeritus status may borrow items from the Library’s physical collections, request items through interlibrary loan, and access online licensed resources through authentication wherever they may be physically located.

Other members of the University community, including members of the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees, the UNC Charlotte Foundation Board, the Board of Governors, University boards and committees, and current members of the UNC Charlotte Alumni Association, as well as UNC Charlotte retired employees, may borrow items from the Library’s physical collections and, to the extent permitted by the Library’s license agreements, access its online licensed resources on designated Library computers. They are not eligible to request items through interlibrary loan, but should visit their public library to place interlibrary loan requests.

Immediate family members (including spouses and children over thirteen year’s old living with parents) of all full-time employees of UNC Charlotte who are eligible for University identification cards may request a Community Borrowers’ card, which is valid for one year.

Any resident of North Carolina, 18 years of age or older, may purchase a Community Borrowers’ card. Individuals with an active Community Borrowers’ card may borrow items from the Library’s physical collections and, to the extent permitted by the Library’s license agreements, access its online licensed resources on designated Library computers. Community borrowers must present a valid identification of North Carolina residency, such as a driver's license, to obtain the Community Borrowers’ card, which must be renewed each year. All persons granted borrowing privileges under this Policy are subject to the policies established by the Library. Individuals with a valid Community Borrowers’ card are not eligible to request items through interlibrary loan, but should instead visit their public library to place interlibrary loan requests.

Individuals not affiliated with the University may use the Library's physical collections within the Atkins, Storrs, and Center City buildings and may access its online licensed resources on designated computers provided by the Library within the Atkins, Storrs, and Center City buildings, but are not eligible to request items through interlibrary loan. They should instead visit their public library to place interlibrary loan requests.

By means of formal agreements, the Library may extend privileges to faculty members of other educational institutions in the Charlotte area and for faculty and students of UNC system constituent institutions to borrow from its physical collections. The Dean may negotiate formal agreements with other groups for access to the Library, as long as they fully comply with licenses and contracts.