Faculty Carrel Policy

Updated: 10-21-2024 (Updated text and format to meet new library policy standards)

The Libraries’ has carrels in Founders Memorial Library available to Northern Illinois University (NIU) faculty, emeritus faculty and graduate students. The Facilities office and Security office are responsible for carrel assignment and renewal notifications. The Dean of the Libraries has final approval on the assignment or renewal of the carrels.

Carrel Assignment

• Faculty and emeritus faculty may receive a carrel assignment for approximately (1) year, from August 15th to the following August 1st.
• Visiting scholars, with their department chair’s permission, may request a carrel. Length of carrel assignment will be dependent upon the visiting scholar’s contract time (e.g. an academic semester, a summer session).
• Graduate students, with their department chair’s permission, may request a carrel. For graduate students the length of carrel assignment will be dependent upon the proposed use (e.g. creating a bibliography, dissertation research, comprehensive examination reviews, etc.).
• Undergraduate students are not eligible for carrel assignments.
• The use of the carrel is assigned to one (1) person. No other person(s) may use the space.
• If the carrel is not renewed before August 1st, the carrel will be labeled as vacant and prepared for reassignment.
• If necessary, a carrel assignment waiting list will be developed, and arranged in chronological order by faculty, emeritus faculty and graduate students. When a carrel becomes available, the first individual on the appropriate list will be assigned to it.
• All carrel doors are to be locked when the individual leaves the space. The Libraries’ are not responsible for the loss of personal property or library collection materials. Please see “Collection Materials” concerning the loss of materials.
• The University Libraries reserve the right to inspect carrels as needed.
• All personal belongings and library materials must be removed from the assigned carrel at the end of the assignment so that the carrel may be cleaned and inspected.
• Any items remaining in the carrel after the end of the assignment will be removed by the Library Security staff. Personal items will be boxed and held in the Library Security office for 2 weeks, and then delivered to the NIU Public Safety (Police) department. Library materials will be returned to the appropriate library.
• In addition to this policy, the carrels are subject to the Libraries’ other policies regarding use of the library facilities.

Keys

• The Libraries’ Facilities and Security offices will assign carrels and distribute keys, including keys for renewed carrel assignments.
• When the carrel assignment has ended, the key should be returned to the Security office no later than the last day of the carrel assignment.
• Lost keys or keys not returned by the end of the carrel assignment period will result in the department being billed for a key replacement fee, lock changing fee, and processing fee. The sponsoring department for faculty, emeritus faculty, graduate students and visiting scholars will be responsible for covering the cost of replacement.
• Carrels will only be accessible during Founders Memorial Library regular hours. Use of a carrel outside of Founders Memorial Library hours will result in forfeiture of carrel privileges.

Collection Materials

• Library materials left in a carrel must be checked out to the patron assigned to the carrel.
• The University Libraries reserve the right to randomly inspect carrels to verify that collection materials have been checked out.
• If the collection materials have not been checked out, the materials will be returned to the re-shelving area of Founders Memorial Library and a note indicating this action will be left in the carrel. After the third incident, the individual will lose the carrel space.
• Collection materials that are overdue will also be removed from the carrel and returned to the Checkout Desk.