The Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) Library serves a diverse community of users. The Library's administration, faculty and staff respect that diversity. Our users are defined as "any individual seeking information or a productive environment for study or research."
We affirm that all of our users are individuals who should be treated with courtesy and respect. We believe that all users are entitled to:
The students, faculty and staff of the Maricopa Community Colleges (MCCCD) may have full borrower privileges. Residents of Maricopa County who are 18 years or older may request community borrower privilege.
In order to borrow materials from the library, a library user must present a valid MCCCD photo ID, government issued photo ID, high school photo ID or credit card photo ID.
EMCC ID cards serve as Library cards. Students, faculty and staff of Estrella Mountain Community College may obtain an EMCC ID card at the student services desk in Komatke Hall.
Residents of Maricopa County who are 18 years or older may register as community borrowers in the Library by presenting government issued photo ID and proof of Maricopa County residency.
Once library users are no longer enrolled as students at a Maricopa Community College, their status changes to community borrower.
Faculty, staff and students from other Maricopa Community Colleges may check out library materials as long as they are already in the library user database and have no fines or delinquencies on their account. EMCC faculty, staff and students may check out books from other MCCCD libraries by presenting their EMCC ID card at those libraries. In all cases, the library user must abide by the guidelines and procedures of the lending institution.
Library cards are issued to individuals and cannot be transferred.
Students must notify Student Services in Komatke Hall of any address and telephone number changes. Staff, faculty and community borrowers must notify the Library of any changes.
Borrowers are responsible for all borrowed materials. Library cards and borrowed materials should never be loaned to others. A lost or stolen card should be reported to the Library at once to minimize responsibility for its unauthorized use.
It is the borrowers' responsibility to keep track of library materials borrowed.
Overdue notices are sent only as a courtesy reminder. Failure to receive notices does not absolve borrowers of their responsibilities.
Materials must be returned to the Library in the same physical condition as when they were checked out.
According to Maricopa Administrative Regulation 2.4.10, children (younger than 18) will not be allowed on campus unless participating in an authorized college program or under the supervision of an adult. Children under adult supervision are permitted in the Library provided that their behavior is appropriate for an academic library, but please be aware that the Library selects its materials for a college-age audience.
Please refer to Collection Development Guidelines.
The goal of the Library's material circulation guidelines is to give our college community first priority access to all materials and services and to provide resources to support the information needs of the local community. EMCC ID cards and community borrower cards serve as library cards. Any person with a valid library card from any Maricopa Community College may borrow materials from the Library. A valid MCCCD ID card, community borrower card or photo ID must be presented for any circulation transaction.
Requests for holds can be made if the item is not available at the time of the initial request. Holds may be requested at the Library Information Desk or can be done by the library user through the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC). Placing a hold on an item is the equivalent of being placed on the waiting list for that item. A limit of 5 hold requests may be pending at one time.
Reference items, periodicals and some reserve items are for use in the library only.
Material that is placed on reserve follows the circulation guidelines requested by the faculty member who places the material on reserve. Refer to the Reserve Materials section of this page for information on the overdue fine rates for reserve materials.
Loan periods and requirements are dependent upon the library user's status. The normal circulation periods appear below, although specific items may be handled differently.
| Material | Student/Faculty/Staff | Community Borrower |
| Book | 28 days | 28 days |
| Audiocassette/CD | 7 days | N/A |
| DVD/Video | 7 days | N/A |
| Periodical | Does not circulate | Does not circulate |
Students, faculty and staff may borrow up to 20 items at a time. Within those 20 items, a maximum of 5 of those items may be media items.
Community borrowers are limited to borrowing books and may borrow up to 5 books at a time.
Reserve items are not eligible for renewal. For other items, one renewal is allowed unless a hold request has been placed on the item.
Per the tuition and fee schedule set by the Governing Board of the Maricopa Community Colleges, borrowers are responsible for the list price of lost items. Books 28 days overdue and non-books 14 days overdue will be considered lost. Damaged items will be treated as lost.
The Information Resources Chair or designee may waive the cost of non-reserve items which are returned in good condition within 90 days of the due date.
Once the replacement cost has been paid, no refunds will be granted after 90 days. The Information Resources Chair or designee will determine if a refund is to be granted.
Per the tuition and fee schedule set by the Governing Board of the Maricopa Community Colleges, borrowers are responsible for the list price of lost items. Items 2 days overdue will be considered lost. Damaged items will be treated as lost.
If reserve materials are not returned within 7 days of due date, the cost of the lost items will be required to be paid, whether returned or not.
Overdue reserve items also accrue late fines. Please refer to the Reserve Materials section of this document for details.
Debts are posted in SIS for MCCCD students and community borrowers. Payment may be made using cash, check, or credit card at the Cashiers Office in Komatke or may be paid online through the my.maricopa.edu website.
The Library adheres to the MCCCD Computer Resources Standards.
The primary use of computers in the Library is to provide access to information and research. Top priority is given to users who are performing class related assignments and research.
Computers are provided for library users to access electronic resources available both in the Library and through the Internet. Computer access is provided to community members who are 18 years of age or older.
As with printed materials, the Library endorses the Library Bill of Rights and the Freedom to Read statement of the American Library Association and, in doing so, does not practice censorship.
No sites are intentionally blocked. Users should be aware that the Internet is an unregulated information source. The Library does not monitor and has no control over the information accessed and cannot be held responsible for the content, quality or accuracy of the information retrieved.
The Library is not responsible for the accuracy or reliability of material found in library resources especially on the Internet, nor for the occurrence of information that might be considered offensive. As with any information resource, library users should approach the information critically. Users are responsible for determining that the information they access is acceptable, reliable, suitable to their needs and complies with the guidelines established in this document. Internet access is a privilege, not a right, and as such can be withdrawn from those who use it irresponsibly.
The Library will provide library users with starting points for exploring the Internet including resources that are appropriate to the Library Use mission and procedures. However, staff time is limited since we must continue to provide services to others as well as other services within the Computer Commons.
Use of Library public computer resources signifies that the user understands this guideline and will comply with it in all respects.
Computing resources shall be used in a manner consistent with the instructional, research and administrative objectives of the academic community in general and with the purpose for which such resources and facilities are intended.
Users are expected to use headphones when accessing computer programs that have sound components in order to avoid disturbing other library users.
Users are expected to use computer resources in an effective, efficient, appropriate, ethical and legal manner.
Users are prohibited from any activity that violates local, state or federal laws, including copyright laws.
Users may not attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Library's network or computer systems or to any other network or computer system.
Unauthorized use of another's account(s), as well as presenting false or misleading information for the purpose of obtaining access to computing facilities or accounts is prohibited and may be regarded as a criminal act.
Users may not grant the use of their accounts to another person for any reason.
The Library does not provide wired network connectivity for laptop computers. Electrical outlets are available throughout the library for laptop use. Estrella does provide wireless network access for its students and faculty.
Personal or entertainment uses that are non-academic will be restricted depending on academic use demands.
Users are totally responsible for anything done with their accounts. Users must take all reasonable precautions, including responsible password maintenance and file access protection measures to prevent use by unauthorized persons.
Users may not attempt to change or modify hardware or software configurations or install software on the Library's workstations.
Users may not attempt to damage computer equipment or software or cause degradation of system performance.
Upon completion of their session users are expected to logout of the programs they were using and remove extraneous materials and papers before departing.
Users may not send, receive or display inappropriate materials which may reasonably be defined as obscene. Library users performing scholarly research on subjects that may be offensive to nearby persons or that may violate these rules need to consult with Library staff before beginning such research.
Users may download or print pages or send the information via email from the Internet and/or other computer resources. Downloading to removable media or email is highly recommended. (Anything saved to the hard drive, including World Wide Web bookmarks, will be deleted.)
Violations of these Conditions of Use may result in loss of Library use and/or computer access privileges. Serious violations will be handled in accordance with appropriate disciplinary codes, laws and regulations.
The following Arizona Statutes are applicable to the above Conditions of Use:
ARS 13-2316
Damaging, destroying or altering without authorization any computer or electronic equipment, software or data belonging to the Library, others persons or other organizations.
ARS 13-3501, 13-3506, 13-3508
Using the Library's electronic information resources for the public display of explicit sexual materials or to view, access, download or copy items that are obscene or "harmful to minors."
The following also are applicable to the above Conditions of Use:
The American Library Association Guidelines for Development of Policies and Procedures Regarding User Behavior and Library Usage.
MCCCD Technology Resource Standards
Borrower records are protected by the Family Educational Right to Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) and Arizona State Revised Statute (ASRS) 41-151.22, which provide for the privacy of educational records and library user records.
ASRS 41-151.22 states:
A. Except as provided in subsection B, a library or library system supported by public monies shall not allow disclosure of any record or information which identifies a user of library services as requesting or obtaining specific materials or services or as otherwise using the library.
B. Records may be disclosed:
The Library's general practice is to protect the library user's right to privacy. It is the Library's practice to maintain the confidentiality of borrowers' records. An exception to this rule exists for delinquent reserve materials. Reserve materials are assigned for use by a a specific group of users in a limited time frame. If reserve items are overdue, the Library may be required to invoke ASRS 41-151.22 B.1 to disclose borrower information to the faculty member who placed the items on reserve, to enlist the faculty member's assistance in recovering the items more quickly. This is not a confidentiality issue, as there is an expectation that all members of the class will use the materials in question.
To protect the confidentiality of borrower records and to conform with MCCCD, state and federal legal requirements to privacy, the Library will not release borrower records to third-parties other than the borrower. In this context, third-parties include but are not limited to parents, guardians, spouses and domestic partners.
The Library guideline regarding confidentiality of library records is designed to be consistent with this law and the "Policy on Confidentiality of Library Records" as put forth by the Council of the American Library Association.
Violation of this law constitutes a class 3 misdemeanor.
A photocopy machine is located in the Library. The cost is $.10 per exposure for 8 1/2 x 11 inches. Machine accepts bills or change. Photocopying is also available in the Komatke Building.
Change is available in the fiscal office.
A public facsimiles machine (FAX) for sending to local numbers is available in Student Life.
Refunds are handled by the fiscal office.
Nearly every form of tangible expression (books, drawings, software, etc.) is subject to some sort of copyright protection. The Legal Department of the Maricopa Community Colleges provides the website Intellectual Property that offers legal and District-wide guidelines on copyright protection, including direction on when (under the Fair Use Doctrine) copyrighted materials may be duplicated.
In support of disabled students, staff and faculty, the Library is committed to providing services to meet their needs. The Library faculty and staff shall make a reasonable effort to provide assistance to disabled students as needed to ensure equal access to the Library's resources and services. Reasonable accommodations are to be made for library users with disabilities on an individualized and flexible basis. It is, however, incumbent upon the individual to seek assistance and make his/her needs known. Assistance using any of the Library's facilities, research assistance and retrieval of materials from stacks, shelves, files, etc. by library staff will be provided upon request. Help of this type is available at all times that the Library is open.
The emergency exits are clearly marked. In case of a fire alarm, please evacuate the building immediately using the nearest exit. All emergency exits are equipped with automatic alarms which will sound when the door is opened.
Call 911 from any public telephone or service desk. Library staff can contact Security to assist with accidents, emergencies and disturbances within the building.
Report incident (i.e. theft, sexual harassment, vandalism, etc.) to the nearest service desk. Staff at any service desk can contact Security personnel when needed.
Group study rooms can be scheduled online at https://estrellamountain.craniumcafe.com/group/study-room-reservations/scheduler
The Library is dedicated to ensure free and open access to information for all members of our community. The nature of library materials is constantly changing. The Library is committed to providing access to information in a variety of formats.
We subscribe to and support the principles of intellectual freedom embodied in the American Library Association's Library Bill of Rights and Freedom to Read statements. To the extent possible, the Library does not restrict access to any resources including the Internet.
The Library reserves the right to give priority for the use of Internet to our students and faculty. In addition, Internet users should be aware that any illegal use may result in criminal prosecution.
The Internet provides information that can be educational, entertaining and informative. The value of this information can be subjective to each library user. The Internet contains material of controversial and extreme nature. While EMCC generally does not monitor and has no control over the content of the material accessed, some material is not appropriate in the public setting. Use of the computer work stations to disseminate offensive material is prohibited. Violators may lose their access privileges.
Internet access is driven by the MCCCD Computer Resource Standards.
The Library accesses resources available on local, regional and national levels to obtain materials for students and faculty. Any current student, faculty or staff member of EMCC will be entitled to IDL/ILL services unless the person has had borrowing privileges suspended. IDL/ILL requests will not be processed for items the Library already owns unless it is missing.
Intra-District Loans (IDL) involve obtaining library materials from other MCCCD Libraries. Guidelines for IDLs are covered in the MCCCD Resource Sharing Guidelines.
Library users may locate materials owned by other MCCCD Libraries in the online catalog and may initiate requests for these items by entering their library card number.
Requests for books listed in the online catalog that are located at campuses other than EMCC may be requested at the computer by either the library user or a staff member. Upon initiating the request the screen will prompt the library user for his/her MEID and password.
There is a limit of 5 requests per library user at one time. Assuming the book is available, delivery usually takes between three and five business days. If the book is checked out, the request goes on a waiting list and will take effect when the book is returned. Requests are valid for 30 days, however, a staff member may extend the expiration date if needed. Materials may be picked up at the Library Information desk. If not picked up items will be returned to the lending library after 10 days.
Some materials are not available through IDL. Consult with the ILL staff person or a librarian if you need to use materials that the owning library has listed as non-request on the system.
Requests for copies of articles must be submitted on an Interlibrary Loan Request Form obtained from the Library Information desk or you may use the electronic request form. Please use one form for each item you are requesting and provide as much information as possible.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) refers to borrowing materials from libraries other that the MCCCD Libraries.
All ILL requests must be verified by a staff member. Inaccuracies may result in the cancellation of the request. Delivery of successfully requested items is generally three to six weeks.
Services are offered free of charge unless the library from which the item is obtained imposes a service charge or a photocopying fee. You must pay these charges before receiving the requested items. If items are not picked up you are still responsible for these charges.
Time needed to obtain the requested material varies greatly depending on the location of the lending library. Library users must allow at least 3 - 4 weeks or more for the material to arrive. Books are on loan from the lending library and are subject to any restrictions imposed by that library (including the due date). Photocopies of articles do not have to be returned.
Request materials through ILL here.
Library users have the responsibility of keeping themselves informed of the status of their requests.
Any requests for renewal of ILL material should be made prior to date due. This must be done in person. The lending library may or may not grant the request.
If the item is lost, the library user is responsible for the replacement cost of the book.
IDL/ILL is not offered for Community Borrowers. ILL requests for these library users should be made through their local public library.
The Library subscribes to about 30 magazines, journals and newspapers. Articles from periodicals not available at EMCC may be available in online databases or can be requested through Interlibrary Loan Services.
Theft and mutilation of materials are problems that affect all Library users. The unauthorized removal, mutilation or abuse of library materials is prohibited. If you come across a damaged or mutilated journal, please bring it to the Library Information desk so that the necessary pages or issues may be ordered and repairs may be performed.
Personal belongings should not be left unattended.
Refer to the EMCC printing guidelines.
Materials placed on reserve in the Library are those items identified by faculty for use by their students. Checkout periods for items on reserve will vary as they are designated by the faculty placing the item on reserve.
Students may check to see if their instructor has placed items on reserve by searching the Course Reserves section of the Online Catalog. This feature allows users to search by the title of the course or the instructor's name.
Reserve items are not eligible for renewal and must be returned by their due dates and times.
Fines will be charged on reserve items that are returned late. In-house items are due three hours after they are checked out after three hours, they incur fines at the rate of 50¢ per hour. Other overdue reserve items incur fines at the rate of $2.50 per day.
In-house items that are seven days overdue and other reserve items that are thirty days overdue become non-returnable with their replacement cost posted to the student account.
Library fines are posted directly to student accounts and may be paid online here, by phone at 623 935 8888 or on-campus at Cashiers.
The Learning Centers including the Library, Computer Commons, Academic Success/Tutoring and Southwest Skill Center Computer Lab are shared areas for study, research, learning assistance and computer use. Please treat staff and fellow users with respect and courtesy. Ensuring a pleasant and productive environment for all users requires that each user of the facility follow these guidelines:
Anyone who fails to comply with the Code of Conduct may be asked to provide some form of proper identification which will be copied for documentation. Failure to cooperate with the direction of the staff regarding disruptions of any kind or knowingly giving false information will result in referring to the appropriate college personnel. Anyone who violates the Code is subject to removal from the building, restriction of privileges or other appropriate actions as outlined in the Maricopa Code of conduct.
If you feel you have been treated unfairly or unjustly, please refer to the Non-Instructional Complaint Resolution Process for the steps to file a formal complaint.
