Borrowing from CSN Libraries

To check out materials, make use of InterLibrary Loan, or use a study room you will need a CSN library card.

Getting a CSN Library Card

You may obtain a library card at any campus library circulation desk.

Current CSN student, faculty and staff will need to show a current picture ID to obtain their library card.

Students affiliated with the University of Nevada Las Vegas or Nevada State University should show their library card from their home institution.

Members of the local community and members of the military can obtain a community borrower's library card. To obtain a card, you need to complete a Library Registration form, show driver's license, state ID or military ID.

CSN Students, faculty and staff’s cards expire after you are no longer affiliated with CSN. Library cards will automatically renew as long as you hold a CSN affiliated status.

Community borrower's library cards expire 1 year after the date the card is issued. You can renew your card by showing a valid photo ID at the circulation desk of any CSN library.

Online or distance education students and faculty who want to use the libraries' print collection should request the item through our online InterLibrary Loan System.

Borrowing Privileges for CSN students, staff and faculty

CSN students, staff and faculty can borrow materials from any CSN library, UNLV library, Nevada State University library or the Desert Research Institute using their library card.

* Renewals are only available if there are no holds on the item.

Items in the reserves collection (including textbooks, models and equipment) circulate for 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 7 days or 30 days depending on the item. Only one or two of these items can be checked out at a time. These items are only available to current CSN students, staff and faculty.

Students, staff or faculty members from UNLV or Nevada State University, can check out CSN materials using their UNLV or Nevada State University library card. You have the same borrowing privileges as CSN students, staff or faculty members.

Borrower's responsibilities:

You are responsible for all materials checked out on your library card and any fees incurred for loss or damage of checked out items. Report a stolen or lost card immediately to the library by calling (702) 651-5723.

If you receive overdue notices for materials that you believe have been returned, contact the CSN campus library specified on the notice.

Checking out, renewing and returning items

Materials may be renewed in person at any circulation desk, by telephone or online through your account in the library catalog. Checked out items that have been requested by another user may not be renewed.

You may return borrowed items to any CSN campus library. Book drops are located outside each library for your convenience when the libraries are closed. You can also return items to UNLV or Nevada State University libraries.

Overdue and billed materials

Patrons are expected to return all CSN Libraries materials by the due date listed on their library account. Patrons can view the due dates for items they have checked out by logging into their library account. If unable to return items, please contact the circulation department at your campus library before the items become overdue to discuss options, including possible renewal.

Items not returned after 90 days overdue (30 days for short term loan items) are considered LOST and are automatically removed from the CSN Libraries’ system. When an item becomes 90 days overdue (30 days for short term loan items), the item can no longer be returned to the library and the patron is charged for the replacement cost of the item, plus a $5 processing fee. This is charged to the patron’s MyCSN account, and at this point the replacement cost and processing fee is now a CSN bill and outside the library’s control. Items billed in MyCSN can be sent to collections if left unpaid. If the patron does not have a MyCSN account, the fine will remain on their library account until it is paid through the CSN Cashier’s office.

Lost items cannot be returned to the library. Therefore, it is imperative that patrons contact the library to work out any issues before an item becomes 90 days overdue (30 days for short term loan items).

In an effort to avoid items becoming 90 days overdue (30 days for short term loan items), marked lost, and billed, CSN Libraries will send patrons with overdue items four overdue notices by email and one overdue notice by mail, sent to their email or address listed in MyCSN. All of these notices have a list of the overdue item(s), cost(s) for replacement, and each notice states:

Any items 90 days overdue (30 days for short term loan items) will be considered lost and the replacement cost will be charged to your MyCSN account. Once the replacement cost has been charged to your MyCSN account, the items cannot be returned and you will be responsible for the cost of the item regardless of whether or not you return the item. Any billed items returned to the library will be considered a donation. Items billed in MyCSN may be sent to collections.

If a patron believes they have been billed for an item in error (i.e. they have been billed for an item that was returned to CSN Libraries), or have an extenuating legal circumstance (e.g. documented theft, sudden deployment, etc.), they should contact the library director.

Please note, these policies only apply to CSN Libraries owned materials. Any items from other NSHE institutions, or items borrowed via InterLibrary Loan, will fall under the policies of the respective lending institution.

Overdue Notices

To allow you to return library materials on time, overdue notices are emailed out as a courtesy to your preferred email address as listed in MyCSN for students, Workday for faculty and staff, or for community borrowers your email address on record with the library. It is the responsibility of student, faculty and staff to keep their MyCSN or Workday information, whichever is applicable, up to date. It is a community borrower’s responsibility to notify the library of any address changes so that you may receive notifications of overdue materials.

You are still responsible for items, even if you do not receive the overdue notices.

Policy updated as of December 2024