Borrowing and Renewing
Patron Types
JMU Students | Undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and continuing education students who are currently enrolled. The Libraries also offers resources for online students on our Online, Hybrid, and Distance Learning page.
JMU Faculty, Staff, and University Affiliates | Faculty and staff currently working for JMU, or those holding emeriti status. Professors have the option to set up a sponsored student proxy checkout (see the “Proxy patrons” section below). Some Affiliates accounts may require an updated ID from Card Services to function in library card swipes.
JMU Alumni | As a JMU graduate, you can still access all library spaces and some library resources and databases. Check out our Services for Visitors and Alumni and these open access databases.
Community Borrowers | Massanutten Regional Library patrons, Rockingham Memorial Hospital employees, Virginia state teachers, borrowers and emeriti from participating VIVA institutions, and borrowers with a current school ID from Bridgewater College, Blue Ridge Community College, or Eastern Mennonite University. Community borrowers must be at least 16 years of age.
Community borrower accounts can be created at a service desk at Rose Library, the Music Library, or JMU Libraries Express. You must provide the appropriate identification along with a valid photo ID.
Proxy patrons | Current JMU Libraries borrowers may authorize another person (“proxy patron”) to check out library materials for them. The materials are checked out to the library borrowers’ account and given to the proxy patron. ILL patrons may designate an “Authorized User” directly within their ILL account.
To initiate and use proxy patron status:
- Email askthelibrary@jmu.edu with the name and email address of the proxy patron you would like to authorize to check out materials for you. Please include the reason for your proxy patron request.
- When checking out materials, the proxy patron will be required to provide a valid ID and the library borrower’s name on whose account the materials will be checked out.
Details of proxy patron status:
- The library borrower remains responsible for anything checked out on their account by a proxy patron.
- By authorizing a proxy patron, the library borrower agrees that the proxy patron will have access to materials that otherwise are held as private.
- Proxy patron authorization will expire July 31 of the current year, unless an earlier date is requested. The library borrower will be notified and may request renewal at the time of expiration.
Checking Out Materials
| Item Type | Loan Period | Renewals |
|---|---|---|
| General collection items | 4 Months | Students and Community Borrowers = 2 Faculty and Staff = unlimited |
| Journals and other periodicals; Reference books; Collected edition scores | 4 Days | No Renewals |
| Audio & Video | 4 Weeks | Students and Community Borrowers = 2 Faculty and Staff = unlimited |
| Course Reserves |
4 hours or 4 days (4-hour or overnight in Music Library) |
No Renewals |
You may use your JACard (JMU Access Card) or other photo ID to check items out at a service desk in any library location.
If you need an item that is not in our collections, you can request it through Interlibrary Loan.
Returning and Renewing Items
In-person returns
Books and media may be returned to any JMU library location during operating hours. You may also return these items at any time to one of our book drops.
All equipment should be returned to the library location from which it was originally checked out.
Returns via campus mail
Books and media that fit into an interoffice mail envelope may be sent to us via campus mail. Send them to MSC 1704.
Returns via U.S. Postal Service
You may mail JMU Libraries’ books and media back to us at this address:
The Hub
MSC 1704
James Madison University
771 Duke Drive
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Items
You may return ILL items at any library location or book drop. If you would like to ask about mailing Interlibrary Loan items to us, please contact interlib@jmu.edu.
Renewing Items
You have five options when you want to renew items you have checked out from JMU Libraries:
- Log in to Library Search
- Email askthelibrary@jmu.edu
- Reply to email notices
- Call 540-568-6150 during our hours of operation
- Visit a service desk with your JACard or a valid photo ID
Library Delivery Services
Most of our books and other collections items, including those in storage, are available via our convenient delivery services. You can request items for pickup at any library location, receive items in your campus mailbox (faculty, staff, and doctoral students only), or get scanned book chapters or journal articles delivered to your email. Learn more below.
Delivery of physical items:
Any registered borrower may request that circulating books and media be delivered to any JMU Libraries location for pickup.
Faculty, staff, and graduate students may request items be delivered to their departmental mailbox.
Deliveries to library locations and departmental mailboxes are made daily, Monday through Friday. Most deliveries are processed within 2 working days. There are no deliveries on the weekend or when the University is closed.
To request items for delivery to a library location or a campus mailbox:
- Find the item you want in the Library Catalog. If you would like help searching for items, please Ask the Library.
- Select or click the title of the item you want.
- If you are not already signed in, click Sign in under the Get It heading:
- Sign in with your JMU eID or your Community Borrower* login.
- Click Request for delivery of pickup under the Get It heading.
- On the Request for Pickup screen, choose your preferred Pickup Location. For campus mailbox deliver, scroll down and select Work Address.
- Under Not needed after, choose the date by which you would no longer want this item.
- Click Send Request.
- After submitting your request, you will receive an email with information on how to pick up your materials. In most cases, you will receive this email with one working day of submitting your request (e.g. if you submit a request on Friday, you will probably receive the email on the following Monday).
Campus Mailbox Delivery
JMU faculty, staff, and doctoral students who have their campus mailbox listed in MyMadison may request items be delivered to their departmental mailbox by following the steps and screenshots above and selecting “Work Address” for the Pickup Location.
For doctoral students to receive Interlibrary Loan items, they must enter their JMU departmental mailbox as their local address in their ILL account.
Electronic Delivery
For electronic delivery of journal articles and book chapters from the JMU Libraries’ collections, use our Scan & Deliver service.
For electronic delivery of journal articles and book chapters (and some ebooks) from other institutions, submit a request through our Interlibrary Loan service.
Interlibrary Loan
To request items from other libraries, use our Interlibrary Loan service.
Delivery of Items in On-Campus or Off-Campus Storage
Some library items are held in storage and can be requested following the “Delivery of physical items” steps above. If the item you are requesting has a specific volume, year, or edition, please note that information as a comment while submitting the request. If you have any questions when requesting items, please email askthelibrary@jmu.edu.
Fines and Fees
Types of Fines and Fees
Fines on overdue items:
| Patron Type | Overdue Fine | Item | Account Blocked |
|---|---|---|---|
| JMU Students, Community borrowers | $0.25/hour or $1.00/day | Periodicals, Reference Books, Collected Edition Scores, Accessories, Kits, & CSD tests | once borrower has accrued $20.00 in fees. |
| JMU Faculty, Staff, and University Affiliates | $1.00/day | Periodicals, Reference Books, Collected Edition Scores, Accessories, Kits, & CSD tests | once borrower has accrued $200.00 in fees |
Fees for Lost Items: Items not returned before the following billing thresholds will be declared lost and a non-refundable billing fee of $10 per item will be charged in addition to any replacement fees. Borrowers will receive one email billing notice once the item has reached the billing threshold.
| Item Type | Billing Threshold |
|---|---|
| Books (4 month check out) | 40 days overdue |
| Audio Recordings and DVDs | 20 days overdue |
| Reserve items (4 hr. check out) | 10 days overdue |
Replacement Fees: Items are considered lost after the maximum number of overdue notices have been sent to the borrower. A replacement fee of $115 will be charged to the borrower’s account until replacement options have been decided upon.
Repair Fees: When materials are returned damaged, borrowers may be responsible for repair fees. These will be assessed individually by item. To discuss replacement and repair options, please email askthelibrary@jmu.edu.
Fine and Fee Payments
Fines and fees owed to the Libraries can be paid by check, cash, or Flex by appointment. Please contact askthelibrary@jmu.edu for more information.
Fee Appeals
If you have been charged for the replacement of a library book and wish to appeal the fee, please complete this form. To be considered, appeals must be submitted by the library borrower within 60 days of receiving notice of the fine. Each appeal is assessed on an individual basis. Fees that have already been submitted to the University Business Office will not be considered for appeal.
Equipment Lending
Equipment to Check Out
JMU students, faculty, staff, and affiliate borrowers can check out digital, video, and other multimedia equipment from Rose Library or the Music Library.
- To check out equipment from Rose Library, make a reservation online, then pick up the equipment at the Learning Innovations & Design Desk in Rose Library. You can also check out the equipment without an online reservation.
- To check out equipment from the Music Library, visit or contact the Music Library.
- Please return equipment to the location at which it was checked out.
Computer Accessories
The Ask the Library desk on the first floor of Rose Library has a small number of HDMI cables and disc drives available to check out.
The Music Library offers headphones, midi keyboards, computer mice, and USB Apple superdrives to check out.
All of these accessories can be checked out with a JACard for 4 hours at a time. These accessories must stay in the library from which they were checked out.
Still have questions? Ask the Library! Or fill out one of our online forms to appeal fines, report missing items, or report issues with your Library account.