Schedule Carefully

The IMC schedules hundreds of equipment checkouts each week. We try to be as flexible as possible concerning the checkout procedures. So, if a situation comes up which requires us to bend our "rules", PLEASE let us know.

The principle that has always guided us in the past is to try to always have the equipment available that people want to use, when they want to use it.

What we really want to avoid is a situation where someone checks out something for an extended period of many hours or even days, but instead of it being used during all or most of that time, the equipment instead sits in someone’s office or apartment just waiting to be used.

PLEASE, ONLY RESERVE EQUIPMENT FOR THE PERIOD OF TIME YOU ACTUALLY INTEND ON USING IT. This will allow equipment to be available for the maximum number of different people to use during each day.

Renewing Reservations

Extending reservations is possible, but it must be done IN PERSON, and CAN NOT be done over the phone or in WEBCHECKOUT. Bring back the equipment you have checked out by the original return time, and we can see at that point whether it is possible to check it out to you again.

We want to help you. We always want to get you the equipment you need, but because we know equipment availability can be a problem, we ask you try and be fair as you can to all the other faculty and students. PLEASE be considerate when asking for any exceptions and please bring the equipment back on time Thanks!

Losing IMC Privileges

It is our responsibility, here in the IMC, to have the equipment available for people at the time they reserved it and that it be working. As a result, we have penalties in place to help make sure that is the case.

For Lateness - If an item is returned late, the person who had it checked out is given an explanation of the checkout procedures. In addition, that person is advised that while they can continue to checkout equipment, THE NEXT TIME that they return something late, broken, or incomplete they will lose their checkout privileges for the rest of the semester. If the 2nd infraction takes place during the last 4 weeks of the semester, they lose their privileges for the rest of that semester and the following semester.

If circumstances beyond your control arise which will keep you from returning something on time you must notify the IMC as soon as possible. We understand sometimes things like that happen and we want to help you, but you must notify the IMC as soon as possible. When you notify us, we can try and extend your reservation or try to change other people’s reservations if a conflict exists.

Lost or broken – Some of the equipment is quite expensive and we consider damage to it a serious matter. If an item is lost or broken, the patron’s checkout privileges are immediately suspended until the patron finds, replaces, or has the equipment repaired.

For faculty and staff members, your department will be asked to pay for the repair. If an item is unrepairable then your department will be asked to replace it.

For undergraduate students, a financial and registration bar will be placed on you if compensation has not been made BEFORE the start of the next semester.

Undergraduate Use

Our computer system requires that anyone, whether its a single student or a whole class, have some contact information entered about them (see checkout policies for details.) If you teach an undergraduate class and it will involve heavy equipment use all during the semester, please give us that information on all of your students.

This same process applies to undergraduate media duplication requests of videotapes, DVDs, audiotapes, and CDs.

As the teacher, you in essence are taking responsibility for the equipment, just as if it were in your own possession. Please make it clear to all undergraduates that both you and they are responsible for the equipment’s safe and PROMPT return to the media center. The equipment must be returned on time, in working order, and with all the parts and accessories it came with.

If you do not think you can depend on your students to return things on time and in working order, please think again as to whether they should check out anything at all. Some of the equipment is quite expensive and we consider damage to it a serious matter.

Should the needs of your undergraduates fall outside these guidelines we may have to adapt these checkout procedures to better fulfill their needs. PLEASE do not hesitate to call us if you have any questions!