FAQ & POLICIES:
What should I do if someone sets off the alarm at the front entrance?
1) Ask the person to come to the desk. We cannot open their bags or take any items out. They have to willingly do this for us. A circulation staff member should be present to help you at this point!! If a circulation staff member is not available go to step 2.
2) Ask the person if he or she has any videos or DVDs. If the person does, ask the person to take out the video/DVD (leaving the item(s) on the desk) and walk around the center panel with the bag to make sure there is nothing else in the person’s bag to set off the alarm.
3) If the person is coming in the library … ask them to repeat this procedure when they leave.
4) If the person is leaving the library … give the person back his or her video/DVD, after they have walked around the center panel.
5) If the student does not have a video or DVD, ask if they have any textbooks from the bookstore or they purchased online.
6) Desensitize any textbooks from the bookstore, or they purchased online. Hold the textbooks at the desk, and ask the person to walk around the center panel with his or her bag.
7) If the person is still setting off the alarm, get a staff member! The staff member will have to take care of the next steps.
8) Staff Members & Library Aide IIs (2nd & 3rd year) Only - The next step would be to ask if the person has any library materials, such as books or magazines. If the person has one of our magazines, get a photocopy of the person’s ID, and write down the date and item he or she tried to take out of the library. Tell the person that next time we will need to call security.
9) What if the person has one of our books? See below.
What should I do if the person has a book from the library that they claimed to have checked out?
Ask the person for his or her ID. Check their account to make sure the book is checked out. Once in the person’s account, you would click on Checked-Out Items, to see the books on the person’s account. If it is checked out to the person, desensitize the book and apologize for the inconvenience. Library Aides, if the book is not checked out, get a staff member. Staff members, make a copy of the person’s ID. Tell the person the next time we will need to call security.
What should I do if the person who set off the alarm is a faculty or staff member? Get a circulation staff member to help you.
Staff members: do your best to identify what is setting off our alarms. Faculty and staff members are allowed to check out periodicals and reference books.
