Library Services
Quicklinks:
Borrowing Privileges
Library Cards
Non-Circulating Material
Loans and Renewal Period
Recalls
Returns
Borrower Responsibilities
Fines
Lost or Damaged Items
Computers and Printing
Interlibrary Loan
Intralibrary Loan
Library House Rules
Copyright Policy
The Library is open to the faculty, staff, students, and graduates of the Seminary. Visiting privileges and access to materials to be used in the library are extended to the general public.
Borrowing Privileges
Borrowing privileges are available to the faculty, current adjunct faculty, staff, students and alumni/ae of the Seminary, as well as current students and faculty of Eastern University, at no charge. Students of cooperating SEPTLA member institutions and students enrolled in the CUTS program may present a valid ID and request borrowing privileges. The general public, including local clergy and Friends of the Library who are not graduates of the Seminary, may pay an annual fee of $25.00 to obtain a library card that will allow for checkout of up to ten items at any given time. The Library reserves the right to revoke borrowing privileges.
The Library's borrowing policy for Palmer Theological Seminary students is as follows. Please inquire at the Library for the borrowing policies for other patrons.
| Item | Check-out Period | Max. Number of Items |
Renewal |
Fines |
| Books | 4 weeks | 15 | 1 | $0.25/day $20 maximum |
| Audio cassettes and CDs | 3 weeks | 2 | 0 | $0.25/day $20 maximum |
| Videos and DVDs | 1 week | 2 | 0 | $0.25/day $20 maximum |
| Visual CD-ROMs | 1 week | 1 | 0 | $0.25/day $20 maximum |
| Reserve Items | 4 hours, or overnight after 6:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. on Fridays) Due 12:00 p.m. the next business day (on Fridays after 3:00 p.m. checkout, due 12:00 p.m. the first business day of the following week) |
2 | 1 hour | $0.50/hour $20 maximum |
SEPTLA Reciprocal Borrowing
Palmer Theological Seminary is a member of SEPTLA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Theological Library Association), which supports cooperation between theological libraries of the tri-state area.
- Palmer students (degree programs only) who wish to use a SEPTLA library and borrow materials must request a letter from the library staff. Students must provide a separate letter for each institution and for each semester. Students must present the letter and their validated ID at the SEPTLA library when they check out. The library will keep the letter on file. Palmer students must abide by the circulation rules of each SEPTLA library they visit.
- Students from other SEPTLA libraries who wish to borrow materials from the Austen K. deBlois Library must bring a letter from their sponsoring institution, along with their validated school ID. A new letter is required each semester. SEPTLA borrowers are limited to borrowing three items at a time with one renewal period.
Library Cards
- For seminary and Eastern University students, staff, and faculty, the Seminary ID or E-card is used for library transactions. Students must have their library privileges updated each semester by presenting a validated ID.
- Individuals claiming SEPTLA, or CUTS affiliation must present a valid ID from their institution. SEPTLA students must also bring a SEPTLA borrowing agreement from their home library.
- Friends of the Library, alumni, and students from affiliated institutions who do not have a regular ID will be issued library cards.
- There are no checkouts without a validated ID or library card. NO EXCEPTIONS.
- Lending your library card or ID to another individual may result in the permanent loss of library privileges.
- A replacement fee of $3.00 will be assessed for a lost library card. Lost IDs must be replaced by Auxiliary Services.
Non-Circulating Material
Since certain materials are either irreplaceable or fragile, they are not circulated. These items include, but are not limited to, current and bound periodicals, Reference books, and materials specified as "Special Collection."
Loans and Renewal Period
Books may be checked out for four weeks. Books that are not overdue may be renewed, by phone (484-384-2945), email (semlibr@eastern.edu), or in person, for one additional loan period if the items are not put on hold by other patrons. At the end of this period, they must be returned. Items may be borrowed again by the same patron a week after they are returned if no one else checks them out.
Recalls
All books, regardless of loan period, are subject to recall. If a book is recalled, it must be returned within seven days of the dated recall notice. The fine for late return on recalls is $1.00 per day. This applies to all borrowers.
Returns
Return borrowed books on or before the due date to the circulation desk or in the book drop outside the Library's main entrance.
Borrower Responsibilities
The borrower is responsible for the books borrowed. Do not lend borrowed items to another person. Items that are not returned or are returned damaged (this includes underlining, highlighting, etc.) are the responsibility of the borrower. If a book is already damaged when you are checking it out, please bring it to the attention of the circulation attendant.
Fines
Borrowers are fined 25 cents per overdue item per day for business days only, i.e., whenever the Library is open. The overdue fine for Reserve materials is 50 cents per hour. Maximum fine is $20.00 per item. Overdue items should be returned to a Library staff member, not put in the book drop. Fine for late return on recalls is $1.00 per day. Overdue notices are distributed by email at regular intervals. Fines must be paid before additional items may be borrowed.
Lost or Damaged Items
The full replacement cost (determined by the Library) will be assessed for all lost items and those damaged by highlighting, pen marks and extensive pencilling, water/liquid stains, and torn pages. The Library will not accept a purchased replacement in lieu of the replacement cost of damaged materials.
Computers and Printing
Computers in the Library are available for accessing the online catalog and for research purposes only. These computers are not set up for word processing. There is a charge of 10 cents per double-sided page and 5 cents per single-sided page to print materials on the laser printer.
Interlibrary Loan
Materials not owned by the Library can be borrowed from another library. This Interlibrary Loan service is available to Palmer Theological Seminary students, faculty and staff at no charge. A fee of $2.00 per loan transaction will be assessed to alumni/ae of Palmer Theological Seminary, and a fee of $5.00 or the actual cost, whichever is greater, will be assessed to other patrons who request loans. This includes local clergy and students enrolled in programs other than those of Palmer Theological Seminary. Most interlibrary loan materials are available for no cost; however, charges are sometimes assessed by lending libraries. Please fill out a request form for interlibrary loans (available at the circulation desk) and give it to the librarian. It usually takes one to two weeks for the requested material to arrive, depending upon the location. You may contact the Library for the status of the loan request.
Intralibrary Loan
Items housed at Warner Library and the Curriculum lab at Eastern University may be requested. Requested items will be brought over within 2-3 days. Materials housed at East Falls (Philadelphia Library) or Esperanza cannot be requested through intralibrary loan because of staffing limitations at those institutions.
Library House Rules
Food or beverages are absolutely prohibited in the Library beyond the Circulation Desk. Violators are subject to warnings and loss of certain library access privileges.
Beepers, cell phones and other noisy electronic devices are banned, or must be put on "vibrate mode" in the Library.
No diploma or transcript will be issued until all borrowed material has been returned to the Library and all fines paid. No grades will be issued until all fines are paid.
Patrons should be considerate of others who are using the Library.
Copyright Policy
According to Section 107 of the Copyright Law of the United States of America, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by that section, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright. In determining whether the use made of a work in any particular case is a fair use, the factors to be considered shall include:
- the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
- the nature of the copyrighted work;
- the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
- the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.
The fact that a work is unpublished shall not itself bar a finding of fair use if such finding is made upon consideration of all the above factors.
Any use of the Library materials or resources will be subject to the stipulation of the above.
Copyright information can be found through the following links:
United States Copyright Office
The Library of Congress
The Copyright Law of the United States of America
The Reproduction of Copyrighted Work by Educators and Librarians
(Copyright circular 21) (pdf)
Return to Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University Homepage
