Frequently Asked Questions

When is the library open?

The LRC is open from 8 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and open on Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The LRC is closed when there is no school for students.

Do I need a library card?

Yes. All students, as well as residents of the area, must complete a library card application and receive a library card with a bar code before checking out any library materials. This card is your identification and must be presented when checking out items. Should materials be damaged or lost, you will be charged for them and no grades or transcripts can be released until library fines are settled.

How many books or periodicals may I check out?

The number of items checked out is limited to 10. Everyone is personally responsible for the safety, proper use and return of all materials charged to him or her.

Where is the card catalog?

It's now an Online Library Catalog, located on the computer desktop. Just click on the icon that says "HCC Card Catalog". This system also enables you to search for materials at all North Carolina Community College Libraries.

How long may I keep library materials?

Most books may be checked out for three weeks. Periodicals may be checked out for 2 days. All library materials must be returned before the end of each semester.

What are the overdue fines?

For all books and periodicals, fines are ten cents per day. All accounts must be cleared before a student will be allowed to register for the following semester, to graduate, or to receive a transcript.

What if I lose a book or magazine?

The current purchase price will be charged for lost library materials, including a five-dollar handling fee. A student found guilty of theft, mutilation or defacement of materials will be subject to suspension from the college.

What is a Reserve Book?

Faculty members may place books from the library collection and/or personal copies on the reserve shelves behind the circulation desk. Reserve books may only be used in the LRC.

Do you have any audiovisuals?

Audiovisual materials and equipment may be scheduled for use in the conference room or checked out for classroom use under the supervision of an instructor.

Can I print or make copies?

A self-service, coin-operated copy machine is available to make copies. Printing from the computer is also allowed. The cost is ten cents per page. Color print outs are fifty cents per page. Laminating is also available at a cost of twenty-five cents per foot.

What else is available in the library?

A microfilm/microfiche reader/printer is available for student use. Copies are ten cents per page. Full access to the Internet, Card catalog, NC Live, and MS Word are located on each computer. One computer is set up to scan your documents or photos, it can also print in color.

Copyright:

MULTIMEDIA FAIR USE COPYRIGHT GUIDELINES Students may incorporate portions of others' works into their multimedia creations and perform/display them for academic assignments in a specific course. Such projects may be retained for inclusion into their portfolios. Faculty may incorporate others' works into their multimedia creations to: Create multimedia curriculum materials. Teach remote classes where access/students are limited and the technology prevents distribution by copying. Faculty may demonstrate their multimedia creations at professional symposiums and retain same in their own portfolios. Any copyrighted source materials used in a multimedia creation must be lawfully obtained, i.e., through purchase, gift, or license agreements. Examples: original copies of videotapes, images, books, clip art collections, and audio recordings. Time limit on the fair use of copyrighted materials is two years from completion of work. Any use beyond two years must be with written permission for each copyrighted portion incorporated into their production.The number of copies that can be made of a multimedia creation containing fair use materials is generally two, however, joint producers may each have a copy.

Portion Limits:

  • Motion Media (Video) - up to 10% or three minutes, whichever is less.
  • Text - up to 10% or 1,000 words, whichever is less.
  • Poem - up to 250 words, but further limited to three poems or portions of poems by one poet; or five poems or portions of poems by different poets from an anthology.
  • Music - up to 10% or 30 seconds, whichever is less.
  • Photos and Images - up to five works from one author; up to 10% or 15 works, whichever is less, from a collection.
  • Database information - up to 10% or 2,500 fields or cell entries, whichever is less.

Sources consulted: University of Texas System, Copyright Management Center Web site; Stanford University Libraries Copyright and Fair Use Web site; Association of American Publisher's "Fair Use Guidelines for Educational Multimedia.

Internet Copyright Guidelines:

Is E-Mail copyrighted? All the E-mail you write is copyrighted. However, E-mail is not, unless previously agreed, secret. So you can certainly "report" on what E-mail you are sent, and reveal what it says. You can even quote parts of it to demonstrate. Frankly, somebody who sues over an ordinary message might well get no damages, because the message has no commercial value, but if you want to stay strictly in the law, you should ask first. On the other hand, don't go nuts if somebody posts your E-mail. If it was an ordinary non-secret personal letter of minimal commercial value with no copyright notice (like99.99% of all E-mail), you probably won't get any damages if you sue them.

  • Can I download software and distribute it? Some software is "public domain" meaning that you can do with it what you want. Freeware, on the other hand, is for your use but it is not appropriate for you to distribute it to others. Shareware requires renumerating the author for your use but cannot be duplicated and distributed to others.
  • May I make copies of articles from electronic journals or journals received electronically? If you are an instructor making copies of articles for your students, the fair use guidelines would probably apply. Any other copying that you do should not harm the commercial value of the work.If you pay any subscription fees to receive these journals, the same conditions would apply as for print journals. If you are an instructor making copies of articles from either of these kinds of journals for students in your class, the Fair Use Guidelines would probably apply.

Source: CYBERSPACE LAW ABSTRACTS, Larry Lessig (ed.), 1996, 97.

Library Internet Use Guidelines:

The HCC Library Internet Guidelines are provided for HCC students to support their educational needs and for HCC faculty and staff to support their professional activities. All HCC users are responsible for using the Internet in an effective, efficient, ethical, and lawful manner. Internet access is a privilege, not a right, and as such, can be withdrawn from those who use it irresponsibly. Procedures:

  1. Acceptance of Internet configuration and software files constitutes agreement with the policies outlined below.
  2. Users have access to a wide variety of information via the Internet. The availability of such information does not imply that HCC approves or endorses its content. Additionally, there is no guarantee of the validity or accuracy of information accessed.
  3. Users of HCC Internet services should be aware that files and electronic mail are not completely secure.

Library Internet Use Policy Allowed Uses of the Internet:

• research • online assignments • e-mail (restrictions noted under E-Mail/Chat Policy)

Disallowed Uses of the Internet:

• illegal or illicit or inappropriate purposes • commercial purposes • altering system files, utilities, or features • chat lines, instant messengers, and games

Internet Resource User Priorities:

•HCC Curriculum Students (research) • HCC Curriculum Students (online course assignments) • HCC Faculty and Staff • Affiliated Institution Users • Community Users (includes Continuing Education) HCC Library staff monitor all electronic activities to ensure computers are available to meet student research needs.

E-Mail / Chat

The primary purpose of the HCC Libraries' public access computers is for library-related research and/or study. Priority will always be given to HCC students needing computers for research purposes.

E-Mail

The use of e-mail will be allowed under the following conditions:

ONLY when the computers are not needed for research purposes.

Chat Lines, Instant Messengers, Games:

The use of chat lines, instant messengers and computer games is NOT ALLOWED AT ANY TIME in the HCC Library.

During busy periods, library staff maintains the right to ask anyone using e-mail to relinquish the computer to students who need it for research purposes. Library staff also maintains the right to ask anyone who is using chat lines, instant messengers, or computer games to leave the library.

Failure to follow the above may result in disciplinary action or loss of library privileges.

This page was last modified on Thursday, November 01, 2007 at 11:17 PM