Student Services

Checking out and Renewing Library Materials

As this library is primarily set up for in-house academic research, many of our materials do not circulate, or circulate only for brief periods of time. If you do want to check something out, bring it to the Circulation Desk and we will let you know the circulation period (if any). Here are our circulation, renewal, and fine/blocking policies for students:

Circulation

Most library items can be borrowed for three weeks. Books on Secured Reserve check out for three hours. Audiovisual materials (such as DVD’s) check out for 24 hours.

Renewals

Items checked out on a 14-day loan may be renewed up to two times by telephone, email, or by logging into the library catalog with your NetID and password. Renewals will be permitted unless the item has been recalled, or has a hold placed on it. If an item has been requested by another patron you will be informed that it cannot be renewed. Students who have had their library check-out privileges suspended (see below) will not be able to renew items until the suspension has been lifted.

Overdue and Lost Items

The law library does not charge overdue fines for items that are checked out for 14 day or three day periods. Items on three-hour or 24-hour check out accumulate overdue fines at 25 cents per hour, with a maximum fine of $20.
Fines and fees must be paid at the circulation desk or by mail and may only be accepted by a full time library staff member. Full time library staff are generally available to take fines/fees from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. We accept cash or check only. To pay by mail, mail your check, plus a copy of a fine/fee notice (if available) to:

Circulation Supervisor
Joel A. Katz Law Library
1505 W. Cumberland Ave.
Knoxville TN 37996-1800
We will provide you a receipt for your payment.

Having any overdue items may result in loss of library borrowing privileges until the item is returned and the account cleared.

When an item is long overdue, the Law Library declares that item lost and issues a bill for replacement and a processing fee. When the bill is issued, a hold is also placed on all of the student’s records and accounts at the campus level. If/when the item is returned in satisfactory condition, the replacement and processing fees will be waived, but any accumulated overdue fines must still be paid.

Books on three-week circulation are declared lost after 21 days overdue.

Books/periodicals on three-day circulation are declared lost after 10 days overdue.

DVD’s/books/other items on 24-hour or three-hour circulation are declared lost after five days overdue.

Books and other items that have been recalled or have a hold on them are declared lost three days after the due date/recall due date.

The library sends courtesy notices of overdue and lost items to the email address that we have on file for you. If we do not have an email address, we will send a courtesy notice to a physical address that we have on file for you. Borrowers have a responsibility to notify the library of changes to their email and physical addresses. These notices are sent as a courtesy. Failure to receive a notice does not relieve the borrower of responsibility.

Holds/Recalls

Any patron may request that the library place a hold or recall on an item that is checked out. Once done, the patron who has it checked out may not renew it. When it is returned, it will be held for you at the circulation desk and you will be sent an email notice that your item is waiting for you. Recalls must be placed in person at the circulation desk, or by email from your official UTK email account.

To place a hold by email, email Circulation at lawcirc@utk.edu. Please provide as much information as you can (title, author, volume number, call number, etc.) about the title you want held. You may also wish to provide a telephone number so that we can contact you immediately to resolve any issues that arise under the hold.

Recalled items: When an item is recalled, a new due date may be assigned (the new recall due date will vary, depending on the type of item and the patron who has it checked out).  A Recall notice will be sent to the original borrower to advise them of the new due date. Failure to return a recalled item by its new due date may result in the accumulation of overdue fines or the suspension of borrowing privileges or both. When a recalled item is returned, it will be held for the new patron at the circulation desk and an email notice will be sent to the new patron that the item is waiting at the circulation desk.