Starting Monday, books and journals at the UCLA Library will each have uniform loan periods.
Before the change, the amount of time students and faculty could check out library materials varied from item to item, even if materials were categorized together.
The policy change is meant to make borrowing materials and managing checked-out items at eight UCLA libraries easier for faculty, staff and students at UCLA and University of California schools, said Ginny Steel, university librarian, in a press release Thursday. In many cases, loan periods for items will be extended to make sure they are standardized.
Reserve materials, reference materials and other non-circulating items will not be affected by the change.
Carlo Medina, director of access services at UCLA, said the largest libraries with the largest circulating collections, such as Powell Library and Charles E. Young Research Library, will have the matrix in their computer systems updated first on Sunday, followed by other libraries.
Because each library contains hundreds of items that are classified within the library’s computer system, each individual category needs to be manually changed for the new circulation policy to take effect, Medina said. Each library will be closed while the updates take place.
The process might last an extra week if all eight scheduled libraries cannot be changed Sunday since the libraries are only closed one day a week, Medina said.
Members of the UCLA and UC communities will be able to check out items under the new policy by July 14.
Compiled by Samantha Tomilowitz, Bruin senior staff.