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Here's everything you need to know about borrowing materials from Decker Library.

Find out what kind of items you can borrow and for how long, as well as how to renew, pay fines, place materials on hold, and what to do if you cannot locate an item in our library.

Questions? Contact Access Services at 410-225-2272 or at circ@mica.edu.

General Borrowing Information:

You'll be asked to present either a MICARD, Current Baltimore Academic Libraries Consortium (BALC) card (see below), Alumni card, or Johns Hopkins University ID card.

The Film & Video Collection includes movies and television on DVD or Blu-Ray.

Using and Borrowing from Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University (JHU) is not a BALC member, but current students, staff, and faculty may enter and borrow material from the Eisenhower Library, and JHU users may do the same at Decker Library. Borrowers have to present a valid institution ID card to visit each library and login to their home institution's account (e.g. email or portal) for authentication. Basic borrowing privileges apply.

Undergraduates can borrow up to 55 items total

Undergrad Students

Books: 50 books total for up to 6 weeks
Film & Video Colleciton: 5 items total for up to 2 weeks

Items can be renewed 3 times. If more renewals are needed, items will need to be brought into the library in order to renew.

Graduate students can borrow up to 55 items total

Graduate Students

Books: 50 books total for 1 semester
Film & Video Collection: 5 items total for 2 weeks and can be renewed 3 times

If a book is needed longer than the length of a semester, please contact Access Services at circ@mica.edu or stop by the library.

MICA faculty members can borrow up to 50 items, regardless of item type

Faculty

Books: 50 items (regardless of type) for 1 semester
Film and Video Check Out Period: 2 weeks and 3 renewals

If you need to renew books, please contact Access Services at circ@mica.edu or stop by the library. If you need more time with film and video, items will need to be brought into the library in order to renew.

MICA staff can borrow 50 items total, regardless of type

MICA Staff

Books: 50 items total (regardless of type) for 6 weeks
Film & Video Collection: 50 items total (regardless of type) for 2 weeks

Items can be renewed 3 times. If more renewals are needed, items will need to be brought into the library in order to renew.

Open Studies students may borrow up to 55 items total

Open Studies Students

Books: 50 books total for 3 weeks
Film and Video Collection: 5 items total for 1 week

Items can be renewed 3 times. If more renewals are needed, items will need to be brought into the library in order to renew.

Alumni may purchase an Alumni Library Card for $25 per year to borrow up to 15 items

Alumni (Alumni Card Necessary)

Alumni are welcome to continue using Decker Library. Purchase an alumni card by visiting the library service desk.

Books: 5 total for 3 weeks and 2 renewals
Film and Video Collection: 5 items total for 2 weeks and 3 renewals

If more renewals are needed, items will need to be brought into the library in order to renew.

Alumni can still access Decker Library databases, ebooks, image assets, or streaming video on-site, but due to contract restrictions you will no longer be able to view them off-site. Alumni are also not eligible for interlibrary loan, BALC or JHU borrowing privileges.



Pre-College students can borrow up to 20 items total

Pre-College Students

Books: 20 books for 35 days
Film & Video Collection: Not available for Pre-College Students (sorry!)

Books cannot be renewed

Baltimore Academic Library Consortium (BALC)

Libraries that are part of the Baltimore Academic Library Consortium (BALC) offer borrowing privileges to users of other libraries. MICA students can utilize and borrow from libraries that are part of BALC and vice versa.

Borrowers have to present a MICA ID to enter BALC libraries. Each library has its own borrowing policies, so please contact the library you're interested in visiting to learn more about borrowing.

The following libraries are part of BALC:

Goucher College
Loyola/Notre Dame Library
McDaniel College
Morgan State University
Towson University
University of Baltimore
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
Stevenson University