Policies

Circulation Policies

CURBSIDE PICKUP: To request a book or DVD from library’s collection for curbside pickup, please sign into UMBrella directly, search for a title, open the item's record, and click ‘REQUEST OPTIONS: Place Hold for Pickup’ link. Curbside pickup services are currently available by appointment Monday through Saturday at the ISC drop-off area. When an item is ready, patrons will receive an email including the details for booking curbside appointments. Please note that library curbside services are unavailable on days the campus is closed, including holidays, periods in which the campus is operating remotely, and inclement weather closures. See a map of the curbside location or an interactive campus map.

Eligibility for Healey Library Services

Types of Users and Eligibility

Full

UMass Boston enrolled students with an active record
Faculty, staff, retired faculty
Affiliate Users (Department Sponsored Affiliates/Contingent Workers)
Services Available: Borrowing and interlibrary loan privileges; Remote and on-campus access to Healey electronic resources (e-books, e-journals, databases and indexes);
Access: Use your UMass Boston username and password to access library resources on- and off-campus

Partial

Members of participating library consortia (Boston Library Consortium, Fenway Library Organization, Massachusetts Public Colleges and Universities members)
UMass Boston Alumni Association members
Services Available: Borrowing privileges; Onsite use of materials and electronic resources (please note that per vendor licensing agreements, some e-book platforms are available only to UMass Boston community members)
Access: Present your Alumni ID or your institution ID and consortium ID

Guest Services

Community members
Commonwealth citizens
Services Available: Onsite use of materials and electronic resources (please note that per vendor licensing agreements, some e-book platforms are available only to UMass Boston community members)
Access: Guests should present ID

Affiliate Users (Sponsored Affiliates/Contingent Workers)

Campus departments can grant Affiliate User status to individuals working as consultants, community partners, or in interinstitutional collaborations. University policies and licensing arrangements require that a Contingent Worker status be established for these individuals. The sponsoring department should arrange for this status by following the process outlined through Human Resource’s Contingent Worker Guidelines available at Human Resource’s Forms page. The Contingent Worker Status must be created for the affiliate user to appear in the library system and before a library barcode can be issued.

The use of books, journals, databases within the physical library is free for any library patron or visitor, although please note that per vendor licensing agreements, some e-book platforms are available only to UMass Boston community members. If you have any questions, please contact the Circulation Desk at 617.287.5900.

Loan Periods and Renewals

The standard loan period for circulating collections is:

Faculty and staff: 120 days
Graduate students: 60 days
Undergraduates: 30 days
Affiliates: 30 days
Reserve Items: 3 hours

Please renew items before the due date and time. Before items are due they can be renewed online, via email, telephone (617-287-5900), or in person. InterLibrary Loan items must be renewed in your ILLiad Account. Questions about ILL renewals can be directed to ILL staff at 617-287-5945.

Borrowing a Chromebook

Chromebooks are available for 24-hour checkout periods from the Healey Library Circulation Desk on the 2nd floor lobby.

Late Returns and Replacement Fees

Healey Library has eliminated overdue fines for general library materials as of January 1, 2022.

Overdue fines for physical Course Reserves and 24 hr Chromebook loans will remain in place to encourage timely return of limited materials with high patron demand.

All overdue fines existing before the adoption of this policy will be waived. Replacement charges for lost/damaged items will remain.

Details:

Healey Library issues replacement fees for items that are lost or damaged.
- Healey Library books are considered ‘Lost’ at 40 days overdue.Reserve materials and DVDs are considered ‘Lost’ at 1 day overdue.
- Replacement fees will be waived for ‘Lost’ items that are returned before library staff have withdrawn items or already purchased replacements.
- Replacement fee amounts vary depending on the cost of replacing that particular item.
- Damaged items will be assessed by library staff to determine if damage is extensive enough to require replacement.
Interlibrary Loan items should be returned or renewed by the due date on the ILL Book Band. Healey Library cannot make policies governing materials belonging to other libraries. Replacement fees may be issued by the lending library and charged to your Healey account, resulting in a WISER hold.

Our policy is in accordance with the American Library Association mission to reduce barriers and ensure free, equal, and equitable access to information.

Return Options

Healey Library Circulation Desk
Loaned items may be returned in person to the Circulation Desk on the second floor of the Healey Library during the library's open hours.

24/7 Drop Box
Loaned items may be returned at any time via the library drop box in front of the Integrated Science Center (ISC).

Contact Free Curbside Returns
All loaned items may be returned via our Curbside program.
Location: Driveway in front of the Integrated Science Center (ISC).
See a map of the curbside location or an interactive campus map.

Mail, UPS, FedEx*.
Please address packages accordingly.
We strongly recommend adding tracking to your package.
Healey Library at UMass Boston
ATTN: Circulation
100 Morrissey Blvd
Boston, MA, 02125

* If you would like to request assistance with the cost of postage, please email library.circulation@umb.edu.

InterLibrary Loan Materials

We are currently waiving all overdue fees associated with ILL items. All ILL items are due by the date noted on your ILL Book Band. While we do not charge late fines, long overdue ILL items that have not been returned to Healey Library will incur replacement costs. Questions regarding overdue and lost items from another library are handled by the Interlibrary Loan Department. Please email library.ill@umb.edu. These policies apply to books borrowed through your InterLibrary loan account as well as books borrowed through UMass Boston WorldCat.

Accessing Online Library Resources Off-Campus

Your campus username and password enables access to Healey Library's electronic resources (ebooks, articles in databases, streaming videos, etc) from off-campus.

Alumni Access to Healey Library Electronic Resources

As soon as a student graduates from UMass Boston, they no longer have off-campus access to our library’s subscription resources and databases. Due to database vendor licensing agreements, there is no grace period for this access.

However, there are some options alumni can explore to find information they need:

UMass Boston alumni may access subscription resources and databases on our library computers when the library building is open.
On the Healey Library databases list, dozens of electronic resources with an open lock icon (see the filtered list) are freely accessible to students even after they graduate. In addition, they can find free articles and books through an UMBrella search by selecting “Open Access” in the Availability filters. Scholarly books and journals are increasingly being published as open access and thus free for anyone to read; installing browser extensions like Unpaywall or Open Access Button can help you locate free versions of articles and book chapters.
Some public libraries offer remote access to subscription resources and databases, though that access may not include the same databases or content that Healey Library provides access to. The Boston Public Library offers eCards to anyone who lives or works or studies in Massachusetts and offers a rich array of popular and academic resources.

Film & Media Policies

Borrowing Policies and Procedures

Healey Library's film and media collection is findable in UMBrella. Use the Sort & Filter Results menu and select Video as the Material Type to see films, CDs, DVDs, streaming media, and other physical and digital audiovisual materials.

Faculty, staff, and students may check out a DVD and other media for seven days. Request library materials for curbside pickup through the Library Requests Form.
Renewals: Library users may renew films through UMBrella. Renewals are possible depending upon pending holds from other users.
Late fees: Healey Library is waiving all overdue fines that occurred during the COVID-19 campus closure. Please return all overdue items.
Lost/Damaged: Users will be charged the replacement cost plus a processing fee for lost or damaged films. (All patrons should be aware that many of the educational films in the Healey collection can cost anywhere from $200-$1,000 for a DVD. The average film retail price does not apply in many cases.

Recommend Films for the Collection (Faculty / Staff Only)

Faculty and staff may recommend films to be purchased for the collection using the Library Requests Form.

Place a Film on Course Reserve (Faculty Only)

Faculty may place a film on course reserves at Healey Library for student use outside of the classroom.
Faculty may place a film on course reserves with the course number and film title information by using the Library Requests Form.
If the film is not already owned by the library, the library will attempt to purchase it to be placed on course reserves.

Streaming Media Request (Faculty Only)

Faculty may request the purchase or conversion of streaming media content for instructional use by using the Library Requests Form. Copyright limitations apply.

Showing a Film to a Group Outside the Classroom Setting

Showing a film from the Healey collection to a group outside of the classroom setting requires performance rights. If the library catalog record for the film does not clearly state that public performance rights are granted, then the person or group interested in showing the film must independently contact the copyright holder to confirm, negotiate, or purchase film performance rights.

For more information about procuring performance rights, contact the Motion Picture Licensing Corporation, Movie Licensing USA, and Swank Motion Pictures, Inc.; all grant public performance rights.

InterLibrary Loan

Borrowing Materials from Other Libraries

Enter specific copy or loan requests via your ILLiad InterLibrary Loan account.
Search for and request items via Worldcat at UMass Boston.
Find out more regarding InterLibrary loan policies and procedures for faculty.

Reserves

Print reserves refers to our collection of books and videos which can be borrowed for a three-hour period and can used within and outside the library. Our circulating reserves collection of books and other media are shelved on the second floor at the Circulation Desk.

Putting Items on Reserve
Copyright Policy

Reserves Loan Periods

Course reserve materials circulate within and outside the library.
Most reserve items have a three-hour loan period—a few have a longer loan period.
There are no renewals of reserve items, though items may be checked out for another loan period based on demand and at the discretion of circulation staff.

Reserves Fines and Fees

All faculty, staff, and students are assessed overdue fines, to strongly encourage the timely return of items so that other patrons may access them. Fines for overdue reserve items are the following:

$0.10 cents per minute
maximum overdue charge: $150 per day

Replacement cost is determined by the actual cost to the library to replace the book. The processing fee is $25 for each item.

Reserves Recalls

Any book in circulation may be recalled at anytime from any user, if that book is needed to be placed on reserve. Users receive a recall notice which shortens their loan period to 10 days from the date of the notice. The standard $0.75 a day overdue fine begins accumulating (no grace period) if the book is not returned by the shortened due date.

Putting Items on Reserve

The Reserves Department handles all reserve requests, both print and electronic. We place books and films on print reserve for you.

Submitting Materials to Be Put on Reserve

New requests for library-owned content or materials that need to be purchased or placed on Reserves should be submitted via our online form listed below.

Turnaround Time for Reserves Services

Faculty are asked to submit requests to the Library Reserves team 3-4 weeks before the start of the semester, or 3-4 weeks before students need to be able to access the readings, to ensure that the readings are available when students need them. The Library Reserves staff will do their best to accommodate requests with shorter turnaround times but cannot guarantee the availability of readings by the requested deadline in some cases. Items requested that must be purchased or acquired elsewhere can take up to 3-4 weeks to be available.

Reserve requests will be processed in the order in which they were received.

Print Reserves Guidelines (for books and films)

If you're placing personal copies on reserve, please complete a drop-off form at the circulation desk anytime the library is open.
Personal copies of films must be commercially produced (no homemade video recordings).
Please write your name on your items; the Reserves staff will do this if you do not.
Dust jackets are not used and will be removed.
Books and films placed on reserve circulate for 3 hours and may be used anywhere on campus. Though most reserve items have a 3-hour loan period, faculty may also choose a one-day loan, a two-day loan, or a one-week loan period.
Complete our online Library Requests Form
Email us with questions at Library.Reserves@umb.edu.

E-Resources and Digitization Guidelines (for articles and book chapters)

Staff in the Reserves Department can assist you in locating and preparing required readings for use in Blackboard.

Request chapter scans by completing our online Library Requests Form.

Any hard copies submitted for digitization must include complete bibliographic information. Please submit digitization requests 3-4 weeks before a semester begins to ensure items will be available at the start of classes.

To comply with fair use guidelines, the following restrictions apply. You may request:
- A copy of only one article from any one journal, one periodical, or one newspaper issue (e.g. New York Times, 6/2/1953).
- A copy of only one chapter or not more than 10% from any book or other monograph (conference proceedings; miscellaneous report, unpublished paper etc.).
- A copy of only one poem, short story, or essay from a single volume whether or not from a collected work.
- A copy of only one drawing, cartoon or picture from a book, one journal, one periodical, one journal, or one newspaper issue.

For more in-depth information, continue reading our copyright policy.

Reserves Copyright Policy

Healey Library's current policy is based on the policy adopted at the W.E.B. Dubois Library at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

These polices were developed using the following guidelines and regulations:

17 USC 107: Fair use limitations on exclusive copyright right holder rights
Agreement on Guidelines for Classroom Copying in Not-For-Profit Educational Institutions with Respect to Books and Periodicals: Published in House Report 94-1476 (Legislative history)
American Library Association Model Policy Concerning College and University Photocopying for Classroom, Research and Library Reserve Use
CONFU (Conference on Fair Use) Fair-Use Guidelines for Electronic Reserve Systems

Reserve materials may include books, journal articles, audiovisual materials, electronic resources, and other non-book items chosen by the faculty to support class instruction. Electronic content is available 24/7, via Blackboard, databases, the library catalog, or other delivery methods chosen by instructors.

The purpose of a reserve collection is to:

Support the needs of a group of patrons, usually enrolled in a University of Massachusetts class, but may also be a special seminar, or department within the university.
Provide timely, convenient, and efficient access to high-demand materials.
Protect materials that are at a high risk for theft or vandalism.

Principles governing the acquisition of materials for the library and supporting the use of the material in the course reserve system include:

All collections in the library, regardless of format, are acquired by the university for nonprofit educational purposes by students, staff, faculty and authorized users.
All library materials are acquired with the understanding that there will be multiple uses made of the item.
The library frequently pays an institutional subscription price for the privilege of supporting multiple academic users.

Section 107 Fair Use

Library reserve is a traditional library service that is provided in a manner that respects the rights of copyright holders and the limitations to those rights specified in current copyright laws, specifically the fair use provisions of Title 17, Section 107 of the United States Code. The text of Section 107 is:

Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 106 and 106A, the fair use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction in copies or phonorecords or by any other means specified in 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.

Reproduction of Copyrighted Materials for Reserves
(Based on 17 USC 107, the Classroom Guidelines, and ALA's Model Policy)

Materials will only be placed on reserve at the request of faculty.
Course reserve materials are intended solely for non-commercial, educational use.
The following use of copyrighted material is permissible according to fair use guidelines:
- Books the library owns (print reserve only)
- Personal copies, e.g. textbooks, coursepacks (print copies, current semester only)
- One article from any one journal, one periodical, or one newspaper issue, e.g. New York Times, 6/2/1953
- A copy of only one chapter or not more than 10% from any book or other monograph (conference proceedings; miscellaneous report, unpublished paper, etc.)
- One poem, short story, or essay from a single volume whether or not from a collected work
- One drawing, cartoon or picture from a book, one journal, one periodical, one journal, or one newspaper issue
Repeated reserve use of copies not owned by the library for the same faculty member in the same course in subsequent semesters requires the permission of the copyright owner.
The first page on each reserve item will include either the notice of copyright that appears on the copy that is reproduced, or a legend stating that the work may be protected by copyright if no such notice can be found on the copy that is reproduced.
At the end of each semester, materials loaned by faculty to the library for Reserves will be returned to the faculty member.

Virtual Reference and Research Consultation Policies

Services | Virtual Services

Services

The Research Consultation Services of Healey Library offer personalized and in-depth support to users who are conducting research for papers, presentations, theses, dissertations, or other scholarly or creative works. The services are designed to help users develop and manage an effective research strategy, discover and access relevant sources, and provide guidance on citing sources properly.

These services are designed to assist in a variety of scenarios, whether brief, extended, or multiple consultations; virtually or in-person. Service options include:

A SERIES OF CONSULTATIONS: Scheduled Research Consultations with a Librarian for the same assignment, paper, topic, or instructional purpose are available up to 2 sessions, or 2 hours per semester.
EXTENSIVE SUPPORT: Extensive Research Consultation with a Librarian for a thesis, dissertation, capstone, or grant can be scheduled.

All services are staffing dependent and will be offered within the Reference Department’s scheduled hours.

You may sign up online for a consultation with a Librarian. Research consultations are only available by appointment. If none of the available appointment times work for you, please email library.reference@umb.edu to arrange a mutually suitable meeting time.

Requests for services outside the scope of the Library, such as writing assistance and proofreading, tutoring, and study and time management techniques, will be referred to other departments or resources on campus with staff who are experts. The Library encourages all students to take advantage of campus services such as Tutoring Programs, the Writing Center or the Ross Center when seeking assistance that falls outside the information and knowledge management professional expertise of the Library staff.

Virtual Research Services

Virtual Research Services are freely available to all users, both on and off campus, through the Healey Library Ask a Librarian service. Feel free to take advantage of whichever method best meets your needs and preferences:

Searchable knowledgebase of FAQs
Online form through which to submit your question if not found in the FAQs
Direct email message to Reference Librarians through the departmental email address
Use the chat box for research help. Staffed by librarians from UMass Boston and a nationwide cooperative.
Use the UMBrella library chatbot for research help.

Reference questions submitted virtually through email or through the Healey Library online form receive a response within 48 hours during scheduled hours: Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, excluding holiday and school closures.

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Healey Library

100 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA 02125 US
617.287.5900

UMass Boston

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