IDeATe Lending Collection Circulation Policy

The IDeATe Lending collection, located at the IDeATe Lending Office in Hunt A29, consists of resources designed to support IDeATe classes and that may be borrowed by IDeATe students and faculty. We think of these resources as a way of sharing to encourage collaboration and creative thinking across disciplines. To strengthen this idea-sharing culture, it is important that our resources are readily available for student use per the policy below.

Becoming a member of the IDeATe community comes with the responsibility to respect these resources, and an understanding that the equipment you are using now may be of great importance to whomever is waiting to use it next. When you borrow items from IDeATe Lending, you are accepting the borrowing responsibilities outlined below. Please be kind and mindful when borrowing from IDeATe Lending.

Note that all CMU students, faculty, and staff also have access to the University Multimedia Equipment Collection (UMEC), which is subject to the UMEC Circulation Policy and is collocated with the IDeATe Lending collection in Hunt A29. Although the two collections are collocated, they are currently operated separately.

It’s expected that you read any borrower notifications sent to your Andrew email. When you borrow an item, you’ll be notified of pending due dates and overdue notices via automatic emails to your Andrew email account. Because these notifications contain time-sensitive material, it’s important to read and be aware of your due dates to avoid potential late return fees. If you are not receiving these emails, notify help@ideate.cmu.edu immediately.

Once you borrow an item, you are responsible for its safe-keeping until you return it. Do not leave borrowed equipment unattended. Leaving an item out in the open increases the risk of misplacement or theft. If an IDeATe staff member finds an item unattended in an IDeATe classroom, library space, or elsewhere, the borrower will be notified. The act of leaving an item unattended could be considered an infraction of the IDeATe Lending Policy and can result in late fees and/or suspension of borrowing privileges.

Return borrowed items by the time the Lending Office closes on the day the items are due. When you borrow an item, the details of that transaction will automatically be sent to your Andrew email. Details include the item description, the due date, and a link to the Lending Office’s hours of operation. If you missed the email, or find anything in the email that you do not understand, did not borrow, etc., ask a Lending Office attendant or email help@ideate.cmu.edu.

If you need to request an extension of your due date, we’d like to help. A limited number of online renewals are available using the self-service links provided with each transaction confirmation email. Online renewals can be made 24/7, beginning as early as the day before an item’s due date, and are subject to availability. Late items cannot be renewed. A normal extension is the same additional length as the original borrowing period, as long as there are no reserves or holds on the items (in which case the original due date still applies).

If you have an exceptional circumstance, please plan ahead. For renewal requests beyond our standard online renewal procedures, email help@ideate.cmu.edu at least one business day prior to your due date (Monday–Friday before 3pm) to request a longer extension. All requests are subject to approval and availability.

An overdue item incurs a daily late fee. The late fee amounts vary based on the value of the equipment. Expensive equipment will have a higher daily late fee than less expensive items. An automatic alert will be sent to your Andrew email when your item becomes overdue and starts incurring a fee. It is best to take action right away if you get such a notice. You will continue to get notifications until the item is returned, or, after an item is 14 days overdue, a replacement fee is assessed. Note that, for some items, particularly low-value items and electronic prototyping items that are due at the end of the semester, there is no grace period, and replacement fees are immediately assessed.

We will submit late fees to student accounts on a regular basis. Late fees will appear on your statement as “IDeATe late return fee.” Again, it is your responsibility to be mindful of the due dates and to check your Andrew email.

A replacement fee will be charged if an item is not returned at all and/or an item is returned broken or missing parts. When you borrow equipment or supplies from IDeATe Lending, you are responsible for taking care of it. If you have lost or broken a piece of equipment, you will be responsible for the cost of repairs or replacement. However, we understand that sometimes accidents happen, in which case we ask that you promptly write to help@ideate.cmu.edu to explain the situation. Depending on the circumstance and level of damage, we may be able to work on a solution with you.

If you fail to return an item within 14 days of its due date, and you take no other action to resolve the issue with IDeATe, we may charge a replacement fee which will appear on your student account statement as “IDeATe replacement fee.” This fee reflects IDeATe’s cost of replacing the missing item. Please understand that when something doesn’t come back, IDeATe needs to buy a replacement so other students can use that item.

Borrowing an item for another person under your Andrew ID is not permitted. We understand that in the spirit of collaboration, it’s compelling to want to help other students. Please know that it is solely your responsibility to make sure any item borrowed under your Andrew ID is returned safely on time. Any late fees or replacement costs incurred on an item while checked out under your Andrew ID will be billed to your student account, regardless of who is in possession of it at the time. Note that, in compliance with the ID Card Terms of Use, borrowers must have their own Carnegie Mellon ID card ready to present when borrowing items.

IDeATe equipment is primarily for IDeATe student use related to IDeATe classes held in Hunt Library. All of the equipment must be on-hand and reasonably available for these educational needs. Therefore, we do not condone nor do we support the loan of equipment for personal, off-campus projects. There are risks of late return, physical damage and total loss when equipment leaves Hunt Library, and these risks are even greater when it leaves campus for parts unknown.

You are responsible for your own data. Any media, data, and/or documents that you create or save to our equipment or removable media storage devices may be permanently erased without notice after the equipment has been returned to us.

Infractions of the IDeATe Lending Policy can result in a prolonged suspension of borrowing privileges. We will notify borrowers of such suspensions via a notice from help@ideate.cmu.edu. If your IDeATe Lending access has been suspended and you wish to reactivate it, please reply to the notice to submit a written petition. In your petition, please explain the circumstances leading up to your suspension and indicate that you have reviewed and understand the relevant policy. The IDeATe staff will meet to review your petition and will reply with a resolution.

If you have questions about the IDeATe Lending Policy or about any IDeATe charge on your student account, please email help@ideate.cmu.edu.