Procedures and Commentary (3rd Edition May 1990)

Open Access Policy

Open Access Policy

State University of New York Policy Handbook, No. 130 (Revised Edition 1981)

Definition of Open Access
Open Access, is defined as a policy under which the library of any of the State University units will provide direct service, including in-person loan of unrestricted and available library materials to any eligible member of the State University community. Reserve collections may be considered restricted material. Library materials are defined as those materials that are under an individual library’s administration.

Eligibility
Eligible library users are those persons currently enrolled in or employed by the institutions in the State University. Members of the State University who are continuing their association with the University in the next full semester are also eligible for Open Access privileges.

Identification
Identification of the borrower will be established by the lending library. The lending library will maintain adequate records of its Open Access registrants.

Conditions of Loan
The borrower is subject to such rules and regulations as are established by a lending campus for its own community, including those rules which govern access to and the availability of library materials, loan periods, recalls, and delinquency fees.

Return of Library Materials
1. The borrower is expected to protect borrowed materials and return them directly or via the borrower’s home library, or any State University of New York library, to the lending library by the due date.

2. Notices of overdues, recalls, and unremitted charges will be sent by the lending library to the borrower. The home campus will intercede on behalf of the lending library, on request. The home library has ultimate responsibility for the return of tardy materials and for payment to the lending library of unremitted delinquency fees and lost item charges.

3. Replacement costs for library materials will be determined by the lending library in accordance with its existing policies.

4. Open Access privileges will be withdrawn from any user, given evidence of abuse.

Evaluation
Statistics will be maintained and reported by the lending library for Open Access loans indicating:

1. Number of items borrowed by users from other State University of New York libraries listed by library.

2. Status of borrowers by library.

3. Broad subject classification of items borrowed, grouped by the library of the borrower, to be collected on an occasional basis, upon request of the SUNY Office of Library Services.

These statistics will be reported to and reviewed by the Office of the Director of Library Services each month. The Office of the Director of Library Services will report on the statistics periodically.

Implementation
The Committee recommends implementation of the Open Access procedures by all State University units on February 1, 1974. The Committee will work with the Director of Library Services to design forms and to draft leaflets, etc., as are necessary for the implementation of these procedures. The Office of the Director of Library Services will distribute information and materials regarding implementation of the program.

Periodic Review
These procedures will be subject to periodical review and modification in response to changing conditions and circumstances, with an initial review to be made not later than fifteen months after implementation.