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Circulation Services

Borrowing items, equipment, media, and booking study rooms are all part of circulation services in the Ray W. Howard library.

Borrowing policies

To borrow items from the library, students need an SCC student ID card. Faculty and staff can use their SCC ID card to borrow materials. ID Cards are available at the Bookstore.

Community Patrons

Our library allows non-students to sign up for a community patron card. Community Cards are given at the ASK desk in the library. Items checked out on a Community Card have different due dates and some items are not available for checkout through this card. 

How long items can be borrowed

The borrowing periods that are outlined below for each type of library item are general rules. Occasionally there are special circumstances for particular items that may override these rules. Log in to your library account online to check the due date for materials you currently have checked out. In all cases the due date provided to you at the point of check out is the final word on when your items need to be returned.

Checkout periods

  • BOOKS: most can be checked out for three weeks.
    • reference books can only be checked out through arrangement with a librarian 
    • books that have been placed on reserve vary in checkout periods
  • AUDIO CDs: one week
  • VIDEOS AND DVDs:
    • one week for items in the open collection.
    • Videos stored behind the counter are for in-library use only.
  • MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPERS AND JOURNALS: one week
  • MEDIA EQUIPMENT: equipment borrowing periods vary by equipment type.
  • COURSE RESERVES: borrowing periods for materials put aside by your instructor vary.

Item limits for checkout

Limits vary depending upon the type of patron. Students with a Shoreline ID card, staff, and faculty can check out a maximum of 25 items. Members of the general public (community patrons) are limited to a total of 10 items.

In addition to these general limits, the following item-type limits also exist:

Maximum item-type limits

  • AUDIO (CDs, etc):                                   5
  • VIDEO (DVDs, VHSs, etc):                    5
  • COURSE RESERVES:                          2

Borrowing from other college libraries

As an SCC student, you can also borrow materials (using your SCC student ID) from libraries at other WA state community and technical colleges such as Edmonds Community College, Everett Community College, the Seattle Community Colleges, and Bellevue College.

*Please note that most of these are campus-use only, and some are retricted to faculty/staff, or students who have received training in film classes here. Realia on course Reserve is first-come, first-served, two-hour checkout, but other equipment may be reserved in advance.​

Subjects: About the Library