Mission and Policies

The James P. Adams Library is part of the HELIN Consortium which is composed of academic libraries. RIC students, faculty and staff with a valid college ID can use any of the libraries in HELIN. HELIN libraries have varying access policies.

All patrons are required to return items on time or renew or be subject to fines and/or lost item fee.

Due dates are stamped on all materials. All patrons can verify due dates or renew by contacting the Borrowing Services Department at 401-456-8126 or 401-456-9617. RIC students, faculty and staff can check their accounts in logging into your Library Account. Courtesy and overdue notices are emailed to patrons. You should check your email for correspondence from the Library.

Borrowing privileges for all patrons may be suspended if items are long overdue.

Current RIC students/alumni will not be able to receive grades and transcript until all your library materials have been returned and fines/fees have been paid.

PLEASE NOTE: LIBRARY MATERIALS ARE PROTECTED UNDER CH. 11-14 OF THE GENERAL LAWS OF RHODE ISLAND.

Lost or damaged HELIN items are billed at $75 per item.

Lost or damaged interlibrary loan items are billed per lending library’s policy. Cost will vary.

All items are subject to recall.

For more information, please call the Access Services Department at 401-456-8126 or 401-456-9617.

Any Rhode Island resident over the age of 18, whether a RIC alumnus or not, can receive a special borrowers card with limited borrowing privileges of physical materials at Rhode Island College and the Community College of RI libraries. Please apply at the library Borrowing Services desk. Alumni and RI residents do not have access to library databases off campus, but may use them in the library.

Database Alternatives:

A lost book or other library item may qualify for replacement by the library patron. Library patrons interested in replacing lost or damaged library material should consult with Brian Baker, Library Supervisor in Access Services, for approval before taking any replacement action. Library patrons should follow the following guidelines when purchasing a replacement copy:

• The ISBN and the copyright date of the purchased copy must be identical to the ISBN and copyright date of the lost library item. The ISBN and copyright date will be listed in the item record in the HELIN catalog. The Access Services staff can also help identify the correct ISBN and date.
• Only new items can be considered. Used copies are not acceptable.
• The replacement copy should be brought to the Borrowing Services Desk and be requested for review by Brian Baker. Replacement copies can also be mailed to the address below. The patron’s full contact information (name, phone number, college ID number) should be included:

Borrowing Services Department, Adams Library
Attn: Brian Baker
Rhode Island College
600 Mt. Pleasant Ave.
Providence, RI 02908

• If a replacement copy cannot be located with an identical ISBN and copyright date to purchase, patrons should consult with a subject librarian/selector to determine if an alternative may be found.
• There is a $10.00 fee to cover processing costs in addition to any existing overdue fines and/or billing fees.
• Questions should be directed to Brian Baker by calling 401-456-8182.

Replacement items will not be accepted or payment reimbursed if:

• The item has been declared lost for more than 12 months from its original due date.
• Item has been withdrawn from the collection.
• Item has been replaced.