The MCU Library is committed to supporting the university’s mission as a caring student-centered community of learning by providing convenient and effective access to high quality library services and programs, collections in a variety of formats and information resources designed to meet the intellectual and professional needs of the Marymount community. In keeping with this mission, the library seeks to:

• offer a multifaceted instructional program to provide MCU students and other library users with critical information skills and competencies to assist them in their pursuit of academic achievement, successful careers, productive citizenship, and lifelong learning
• support the instructional, information, research and curriculum needs of the university through the development of a collection accessible to both on-site and remote users that is up-to-date, free of censorship and represents the diversity of the human experience
• provide a pleasant, user-oriented learning environment for intellectual discovery
• promote the innovative adoption of emerging information technologies
• develop educational programming that supports, nurtures and celebrates our users’ cultural and scholarly interests
• provide a skilled professional staff dedicated to meeting user needs with high-quality research assistance and respectful customer service

A community resource

Marymount California University library is pleased to offer its library services to our Rancho Palos Verdes neighbors and extend borrowing privileges to our circulating print collection. Residents may obtain a library card by speaking to the librarian.

Library affiliations

Marymount California University library is a member of the American Library Association, Online Computer Library Center and Statewide California Electronic Library Consortium. It offers reciprocal faculty borrowing privileges and reciprocal interlibrary loan privileges to SCELC member libraries.

• Loan period: Most items in the library can be borrowed for a period of three weeks. Faculty may borrow videos for seven days. Items on course reserve are available for either a two-hour, two-day or seven-day loan, depending on instructor preferences.
• Non-circulating: Items that cannot be borrowed include reference books, newspapers, magazines and journals. Only faculty may borrow DVDs and videos.
• Checkout limits: Students may check out up to six library items at a time. Faculty and staff may check out up to 10 books and five videos at a time.
• Renewals: Materials may be renewed online, in person or by telephone. Students may renew an item two times; faculty and staff may renew an item up to five times. Items that have been placed on hold by another person cannot be renewed and must be returned by the due date.
• Course reserves: Instructors may place items on reserve for their courses to ensure access to all students. Reserved items have either a two-hour, two-day or seven-day loan period.
• Fines: The overdue fine for reserves is $1/hour on two-hour loans or $1/day for two- or seven-day loans. Overdue fines for all other items are 25 cents per item per day. Library users with overdue items will not be permitted to borrow additional items from the library until all overdue items have been returned and any fines incurred are paid.
• Lost or damaged items: Items not returned by the end of the semester will be considered lost, and a bill for replacement will be issued. Library users will be assessed a replacement fee of $50 for each lost or damaged item. Please note this fee includes the cost of repurchasing the item, as well as the labor and materials involved in processing. In the case of students, a hold will be placed on the student’s account.

Marymount California University Library supports the American Library Association’s Library Bill of Rights. All circulation and patron records, as well as other records identifying names of users with specific materials, are considered confidential.

Library computers are provided for course-related research and study. When all
computers are in use, those conducting academic work will be given priority. The library reserves the right to reclaim workstations being used for personal purposes (i.e., social networking, chat, gaming).

• The library reserves the right to schedule workstations for instruction or for access to electronic resources or special software available only on specific machines.
• Students, faculty and staff log on to library computers by using their individual username and password. These accounts are set up by Campus Technology. Patrons should log off before leaving the workstation to protect their privacy and personal documents.
• The library does not currently provide computer access to campus guests without special permission from Campus Technology.
• Printing is available from all library computers. Users are expected to adhere to relevant copyright laws and regulations. Some digital content and materials on the Internet are protected under copyright law. Unauthorized distribution, reproduction, or transmission is illegal, and offenders may be subject to prosecution.
• Library staff is available to provide limited assistance in the use of the library’s computers. Staff may limit the amount of time spent assisting a user in order to provide adequate support for all other library services.
• For the protection of computing equipment, all drinks are prohibited near the library computers.
• To hear sounds from computers, users must plug headphones into the appropriate jack. Headphones are available for check-out at the circulation desk. Volume levels should be kept to a minimum to avoid disturbing other patrons.
• Library computers are equipped with web browsers for accessing the Internet and Microsoft Office software. The installation of any additional software must be approved by Campus Technology.
• Attempts to damage or alter library equipment or software are a violation of the library policy and will result in the loss of library computing privileges.

Although the MCU Library exists primarily to support faculty, staff and students, guest cards extending borrowing privileges may be issued to residents of neighboring Palos Verdes, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills and Rolling Hills Estates. Guests are expected to adhere to library policies as follows:

1. Guest cards are non-transferable and expire after one year. Renewal of
   expired guest cards must be made in person by library staff.
2. The individual named on the guest card is responsible for all items borrowed
   with the card and for any fines or charges incurred.
3. A picture ID must be presented by the person named on the card to check
   out materials or use other library services.
4. Audio-visual materials may not be checked out.
5. Guest card holders may borrow up to two books at a time.
6. The loan period for guest card holders is 21 days.
7. An overdue book may not be renewed.
8. Overdue charges are accrued daily excluding weekends. Current rate is
   25 cents.
9. A guest card holder’s borrowing privileges will be revoked for any of the
   following reasons:
   • Failure to respond to a recall request if books are not returned within 30 days of due date.
   • Unpaid charges.
   • More than two lost books within a calendar year period.
   • Failure to comply with library policies.

As part of its mission, the library strives to create a welcoming environment where community members can study, work on individual projects and reflect.

The library functions as a teaching space, where community members can consult a librarian to locate and use research materials, and a service location, where community members and staff conduct business typical of library operations. It is expected that the normal conduct of business in the library will produce some noise, simply due to the small size of the facility. We expect that community members are mature enough to maintain respectful behavior while in the library. In those instances where necessary, please seek out a librarian for assistance in requesting lower tones in conversation and inappropriate conduct.

Examples of inappropriate conduct include:
– Loud and obnoxious conversations in large groups.
– Loud conversations on mobile phones.
– Inappropriate and offensive language.

In an effort to reduce noise, group study is encouraged outside the library, preferably within The Commons. Students will be encouraged to use outside facilities when seeking to conduct group activity in the library.

Students who repeatedly violate the library noise policy may be:
– Asked to leave the library.
– Reported to the Student Judicial System for disorderly conduct, violation of a college policy and/or failure to cooperate.

1. Reserves are course-related materials that are kept at the circulation desk and given a shortened loan period in order to ensure equal access for all students.
2. Materials can be placed on reserve at the request of a faculty member (and may include library materials and/or personal items supplied by the faculty member) or at the discretion of a librarian.
3. Faculty who wish to have items placed on reserve (library-owned or personal) must complete and sign a reserve request form.
4. The library will replace lost or stolen items up to $50 in value. Faculty should not place rare, valuable or irreplaceable items on reserve.
5. All reserve items must be picked up from the library no later than 48 hours after the last final examination. If reserve items are not picked up within the 48 hours, all personal items will be placed in the faculty member’s campus mailbox, and the library relinquishes all liability for the items. Faculty may notify the library if the reserve items will be used for the following semester, and the library will hold those items as a courtesy.
6. Requests take two working days to process.
7. Materials in the reference collection will stay in the reference collection, since the non-circulating nature of the collection ensures equitable access for all.
8. All items placed on reserve are for library use only and are given a two-hour loan period unless otherwise specified.
9. Videos are kept in the workroom.
10. Students must check out reserves in order to use them.
11. A copier is available next to the reserve section for students to use to make copies.