Checkout Policies

The OLRC has a circulating collection of approximately 13,000 items in over 60 languages. Our complete holdings can viewed by accessing our Online Catalog.

While most of these items are available for checkout, it is becoming increasingly rare for patrons to have the equipment necessary to play them.  We can provide equipment for items to be viewed within our Center, and are willing to explore other options for providing access.

We have a wide range of equipment, including legacy A/V equipment, available for use and possible checkout. Please contact us for questions concerning availability and support.  Items include:

  • Computer and a/v adapters
  • Digital cameras
  • Digital voice recorders
  • Foot pedal audio transcription equipment
  • USB-powered microphones
  • Wireless microphones
  • PowerPoint presenters
  • Slide projector, light box and scanner
  • USB record player
  • Audio cassette players
  • Audio cassette duplicators
  • VCRs (US and multiregion)
  • Laserdisc player
  • USB drives for 3.5" floppy disks and Zip disks
  • USB optical drives for playing CDs and DVDs

Policies

All KU faculty, staff, students, and authorized affiliates are eligible for borrowing privileges upon presentation of a currently valid KU Card. Those not eligible for a KU Card should inquire about a KU Library Borrower Card at the circulation desk in Watson Library; borrowers in this category will have the same checkout privileges as students at KU.

The Open Language Resource Center is not part of the KU Libraries system. All items checked out from us must be returned directly to us. Items turned in to branches of the KU libraries will be considered overdue until they have been recovered from the library. There is a drop slot located outside of the main entrance to 4070 Wescoe for those wishing to return items when the Center is closed. Items placed in the drop slot after hours will be considered as having been returned the next day that the Center is open.

Checkout Periods

Students may check out two items at a time, not including headphones and audio splitters checked out to watch videos within the Center.  The standard checkout period for students is one week.  Students may check out reserved items for two hours or the length of the film, and must remain within the Center while using them. Students can checkout tech items (voice recorders, PowerPoint presenters, etc.) for one day. All items except for reserved items can be renewed once.

Faculty, staff and GTAs may check out up to three non-DVD items at a time and up to six DVDs at a time. The standard checkout period for instructors is one week for films and textbooks. Technology items may be checked out for three days. Instructors may check out any item reserved by another instructor for a maximum of four hours.  Although there are restrictions during certain times during the academic year, some of our equipment can be checked out for extended periods away from campus to be used for research. Please contact the Director for more details.

Fines, Overdue Items and Holds

The late fee for standard items is $3.00/day. Fines for reserved items accrue at the rate of $1.00/hour. The maximum fine for any returned item is $20.00. An item that is damaged or not returned will accrue a fine will be equal to the replacement cost of the item, the total accrued fine, and a $20.00 processing fee. Notices of fines are sent out every other week using the official e-mail address listed in the KU on-line directory.

A fine will show up as an NPY hold on the patron’s account. That hold will remain on the account until the amount is paid in full, blocking initial enrollment and issuance of a transcript or diploma. Information on paying NPY holds can be found on the Student Accounts and Receivables website. All holds and fines must be paid online.

All overdue materials must be returned and fines paid before a patron can check out additional materials. There is often a slight delay in our unit receiving notice of fines being paid, so you may need to show proof of payment, which can be obtained through Enroll & Pay.