Policies

Libraries are shared resources, built upon the principle that materials belong to the library's community of users, not to any single user within the community. The College Libraries' borrowing policies and procedures are designed to support this principle, and it is expected that every user will return borrowed materials to the Libraries on time and in good condition for the next user.

If you believe a charge on your library account is unjustified, you may appeal it by filling out the form linked at the bottom of this page.

All appeals must be received within 10 business days of the assessment of charges communicated via email to the user. After 10 days, bills are sent to the Office of Student Accounts. 

Please review the College Libraries’ Borrowing Policies before you submit your appeal. 

The following reasons are not considered valid for canceling or reducing charges:  

• You were unaware of the library's fee policy. 

• You disagree with the library's fee policy. 

• You loaned the item(s) to someone else. 

• You didn't receive a reminder e-mail from the library. 

• Other users weren’t waiting for the item(s) you had checked out. 

• You forgot the due date. 

• You were out of town (due to class or semester breaks) or unable to get to campus (car problems, etc.). 

• You had exams or assignments due. 

What if I returned the book but it’s still on my account? 

If a book you have already returned is still listed as checked out on your account more than one business day after you returned it, please email the College Libraries (circ@potsdam.edu) immediately to request a search, rather than submitting an appeal. 

What To Expect When You Appeal 

Your appeal will be carefully reviewed. Most reviews are completed within 5 business days. We will email you the outcome of your appeal. If you have questions about the outcome, please email the College Libraries (circ@potsdam.edu). 

If your account has charges, a hold will be placed on your library account, and you will not be able to check out library materials. 

What Happens After Billing 

After 10 days, a bill will be placed on your college account which can be paid through the student’s Bearpaws account via the Office of Student Accounts.

Last updated August 16, 2023