Policies & Access

MATAS BORROWING PRIVILEGES

Tulane Health Sciences faculty, students and staff have borrowing privileges. These privileges also extend to the faculty, students and staff of the university (uptown campus), and LSU Medical Center faculty and graduate level students. Loan periods are the same for all users.

MATAS BORROWING PERIODS

• Journals: 7 days
• Study Guides / Matas Commons: 7 days
• Reserve Materials: 2 hours; overnight 2 hours before closing, due 1 hour after opening the next day
• Stacks Books: 28 days; 3 renewals allowed
• Laptops, Headphones, Portable Standing Desks: 6 hours
• CDs & DVDs: 28 days, unless specified on reserve (2 hours) or high use (2 hours)

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR BORROWING

A valid Tulane University ID (Splash card) is required to check out any items or request other library services. Only the personal owner of an ID may use that ID to check-out materials. New users may be asked to register and all users must present a current ID (Splash Card) and complete a registration form. LSU Health Sciences Center students must be registered with the LSUHSC’s Isché Library and have their current LSU ID in order to register with the Matas Library as "special medical patrons" (Library privileges for “special medical” users do not transfer to other Tulane Libraries).

DELIVERY BETWEEN MATAS LIBRARY AND HOWARD-TILTON/OFFSITE DEPOSITORY

Certain materials may be available for delivery service from uptown and from the off-site depository. The book must be neither checked out, nor on Hold or Reserve, and then it may be eligible for request via the Library Catalog for delivery from the Howard-Tilton Library or from the Offsite Depository. Some types of materials may not be requested for delivery, such as DVDs or materials from any of the Special Collections. Make sure to designate Matas Library as your pick-up location. Borrowing periods are dependent on the library loaning the specific item.

MORE INFORMATION

Matas Books may be borrowed for a loan period to 28 days or one month, and print volumes of journals circulate for two days. Study guides or some special texts in the Matas Commons Area have two-day check out. Renewals are available as long as Holds or Recalls have not been requested. If materials become overdue, the renewals may be restricted, as well. Please contact the information desk if your materials become overdue. Selected textbooks and other course-related materials are kept on reserve behind the circulation desk. They may be checked out for two hours for library use only. Most reserve materials may also be checked out of the library two hours before closing and are due one hour after opening the next day. Fines of $1.00/hour are charged for overdue reserve items. Holds may not be placed on Reserve items, however users waiting for a book to return may request that the library page them when that book is returned to the desk. Paging is done on a first come, first serve basis, but requesters must remain in the Matas library for this service. Study Guides are purchased for study use. These books have a two day, limited checkout period. The Commons books may be renewed. Suggestions for purchase for the study collection are accepted and these books are purchased if readily available as funds exist.

RETURNING

Materials should be returned to the Matas Library Desk during the library's open hours. There is a book slot available after the desk is closed. Please use that slot only when the Library is closed. Materials may also be returned to the Howard-Tilton Library for delivery to Matas. Items are checked-in at whatever desk receives the materials and show "In transit" until they are received at the owning Library.

RENEWALS

Books and Journals may be renewed three times, provided that no other users have placed a hold or recall for the material. Materials that are not already overdue may be renewed online via the Library Catalog after signing into "My Account". Books and journals may also be renewed in person or by phone Monday thru Friday, from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm. Please note that materials placed on Reserve for class use may be recalled at anytime from users. Renew your checked out items from the Library Catalog by signing into your Library Account. Users may also contact the Library Information Desk for assistance at (504) 988-2403 or medcirc@tulane.edu.

RESERVE MATERIALS

Selected textbooks and other course-related materials are kept on reserve behind the circulation desk. They may be checked out for two hours for library use only. Most reserve materials may also be checked out of the library two hours before closing and are due one hour after opening the next day. Fines of $1.00/hour are charged for overdue reserve items. Holds may not be placed on Reserve items, however users waiting for a book to return may request that the library page them when that book is returned to the desk. Paging is done on a first come, first serve basis. Users must remain in the library for this service. Please notify your instructor, as well as the Matas Library, if materials you require for class assignments are not readily available. There is an online form for adding items to Matas Course Reserves. Reserve placement may also be requested by phone or email. Please contact us with changes in texts, or new editions of the texts used in the past. For assistance, e-mail medcirc@tulane.edu or call (504) 988-2404, Monday-Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm.

Holds are special requests to have materials held for individuals when they become available to use. Holds can be placed on materials that are currently checked out.

When are HOLDS available?

A Hold may be placed on any circulating item that is checked-out. The requester of the hold will be notified as soon as the current user returns the item. There is no penalty to the current user if they do not return the item until the original due date. A hold does mean that no one else may check out the specific item once it is available in the library for a designated period. If you request a hold please come promptly to pick up the returned materials.

When are RECALLS available?

A Recall may be placed once a book has been checked out to a user for at least two weeks. The current user may have their loan period shortened to accommodate the person requesting the item. Fines are charged to users that do not return recalled items. The requester of the RECALLED item will be notified as soon as the current user returns the item.

TIMELY PICK-UP

If you request a hold or recall please come promptly to pick up the returned materials. The returned item will be held for the user who has initiated the recall or hold for five days. If the patron does not pick up the material in that period, it will be sent back to the stacks or to the loaning library.

The library does not charge overdue fines with the exception of reserve materials; however, if items are not returned within a prescribed period of time after the due date, a $10.00 per item late fee will be charged and all library privileges suspended until materials are returned and the fee is paid. Users may be blocked from Library privileges when they incur a total fine at the Matas Library of $30.00. Users with fines above this amount may be blocked from interlibrary loan, as well as circulation of print materials from the Tulane Libraries. General & Course Reserve materials may also be checked out of the library two hours before closing and are due one hour after opening the next day. Fines of $1.00/hour are charged for overdue reserve items. Library fines can be paid by cash or check (payable to Tulane University). For assistance, contact the Matas Library Information Services Desk at medcirc@tulane.edu or (504) 988-2403.

Rudolph Matas Library offers fax service as a convenience to the Tulane Downtown Community. A valid Tulane I.D. is required. Forms and information are available at the Matas Library Information Services Desk. The service is available from 9:00am-5:00pm on weekdays.

Cost: A Library cover sheet is required with a $1.00 charge for each cover and transmittal sheet ($2.00 minimum charge). Cash and checks are accepted as payment, and there are no refunds.

The Library can send faxes to local or long distance numbers, but not to international numbers. Materials related to educational purposes may be faxed. Library usage of the fax equipment takes precedence over community fax usage; so some delay in transmittal may be necessary. The Library accepts no responsibility for damage to materials during the fax process, so it is suggested that delicate originals first be photocopied and the copies sent as a fax transmission. Originals may be held for pickup at the Library Desk. A fax confirmation will be presented as a confirmation of successful transmission; the Library can only guarantee that the fax was sent. To confirm that a fax was received, it is the responsibility of the user to contact the site for verification. The Library is not able to receive faxes for individuals.

The Tulane University Libraries follow the principles of borrower confidentiality. The staff in Information Services will not divulge any details of a patron's library record to other patrons or agencies unless required to do by law. The library follows the Code of Ethics of the American Library Association. "We protect each library user's right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted." Physicians and medical students utilizing integrated delivery systems or networks should carefully handle access to the confidential information of patients when utilizing hospital systems within the Library. Confidential information also is disseminated through clinical repositories and shared databases and care should be taken to respect the patient's confidential and privileged information. Students should strive to follow the Patient Confidentiality Guidelines described by the AMA Code of Medical Ethics while they utilize medical information technologies.

Rudolph Matas Library has two Dell PC laptops and two Apple laptops available for checkout at the circulation desk. A valid Tulane ID is required.

• The loan period for a laptop is six (6) hours.
• Laptops may not be removed from the library for any reason.
• The laptops are configured to connect to the wireless network.
• Laptops must be returned in person to the circulation desk. Failure to return a laptop on time will result in a fine of $1 per hour.
• Laptops may be renewed when there is no waiting list.
• If a laptop is lost, stolen, or damaged while checked out, the patron will be billed for replacement or repair cost.

Do not leave valuables unattended in the Matas Library, especially in the stacks and group study rooms. Theft of property should be immediately reported to the Tulane University Police Department. In the event that a phone, laptop, or other personal property is left in the library and a name or other indication of ownership is known, you will contacted via email or phone and the item will be kept for 24 hours. USB flash drives will be kept for seven (7) days before destruction. Valuable items are turned into the Tulane Security Desk on the first floor of the Hutchinson Building. Contact the Information Services Desk if you think you have left personal property in the library.

Rudolph Matas Library offers white paper recycling bins near the printers. Only white paper may be recycled within the library. There is also a receptacle for plastic and aluminum materials in the lobby area. Recycling bins are located throughout the hallways of the School of Medicine Building as well. For more information about Tulane's recycling program, visit recycle.tulane.edu. Thank you for being Green and keeping Rudolph Matas Library clean.

Food is permitted in the Matas Library. Drinks should only be in covered cups, spill-proof mugs, or similar containers. No canned beverages or open cups are allowed. Please place your trash in trash receptacles. If you observe a spill, please notify a staff member right away. Thank you for helping to preserve your resources.

Many people come to the library to find a quiet place to read and to study. Please respect others' need for quiet and observe these guidelines for mobile phone use in the library. Please turn ringer off or switch to vibrate mode upon entering the library. When discussing a medical case please consider the privacy of the patient and their family when in an public area or elevator. Please use a low voice when using a mobile phone in the acceptable areas of the Matas Library (the information desk area or in the Library Commons). The library reserves the right to ask patrons to move to a more acceptable place in the building if they are using mobile phones in restricted areas or disturbing others in any area of the library. Please refrain from making mobile phone calls in the 24/7 Quiet Area. There are three house phones in the Matas Library: one in the Commons area near the magazine rack, one in the 24/7 area near the after-hours entrance/exit (available at all hours), and one in the Mezzanine Computer Lab. Please follow the same guidelines as for mobile phone use. The Library house phones do not allow calling outside of the 504 area code. The 24/7 Quiet Area phone available for emergencies; but as this is also a quiet study area, please be considerate and use this phone sparingly and in a considerate manner. The Library desk will also page physicians and students as needed. Please call the desk at (504) 988-2403.

PRINTING Rudolph Matas Library has a University-wide networked printing system (PHAROS). Problems with the printer should be reported to the Library Desk. Paper jams and printing problems are handled by the Matas Library Desk. Problems with access with Splash Cards (university ids) or purchased cards should be reported to Card Services (504) 865-5629. PRINTING INSTRUCTIONS ■ When you are ready to print, proceed to the Print Station in the 24/7 Quiet Area. ■ At the Print Station, run your card through the card reader and select your print job. That's it. Note that the system tells you how much each print job will cost as well as how much value is available on your card. COST Print costs are kept to a minimum at 10 cents per page for black and white printers. The color printer is 50 cents per page. WHO CAN PRINT Tulane Students, Faculty, and Staff can use the printing system with their University IDs (Splash cards). Some departments may have a print credit, but the Library does not control the print credit process. Contact your home department is you think you may have a problem with a print credit. Funds may be added with cash at vend stations (black box) in the library (24/7 area between the double glass doors). Visitors to the library may purchase a card at the vend station ($1.00 for the card which may be reused). ALTERNATIVES TO PRINTING ■ Scan documents ■ Save documents to a flash drive or cloud storage ■ E-mail documents to yourself. ■ Citations and call numbers can still be easily written with free pens and scrap paper provided in the library

Library computer users must abide by Technology Services' university-wide policy on computer and network use and other applicable Technology Services policies. The following list characterizes some, but not all, unacceptable uses of computers in the Library: ■ Repeated use for non-academic purposes ■ Attempting to install software on Library computers ■ Attempting to alter files or modify the configuration of any Library workstation or peripheral ■ Violations of the Library computer security or network integrity, including attempts to bypass network security, obtain passwords, share passwords with others, or the unauthorized use of passwords ■ Destruction or damage of computer equipment, or the removal of any part of the Library computer workstations ■ Use of two or more library computers simultaneously ■ Copying any copyright-protected digital content ■ Any illegal activity Anyone using the computers inappropriately will be required to cease the activity. Repeated violations by students, staff or faculty will be referred to the appropriate campus disciplinary body. Violations by non-affiliated users will be referred to the Department of Public Safety. Violators may be removed from the campus. Guests (Non-Tulane Library Users) A limited number of computers are available for guest use in the Commons area. We ask that visitors bring a letter stating their need to pursue academic research on letterhead from the business, firm or from their library. The School of Medicine Building is not open to the public, therefore prior arrangement may be required with Security, especially on nights and weekends. We reserve the right to limit guests' computer time. Visitors using online resources should be able to handle their own research, email or printing process and not require staff assistance. Rudolph Matas Library offers document delivery service for fee with a contract. Food and Drink Drinks in covered containers are allowed, but please be careful near computer equipment. Users are responsible for damage from spills. Food is not allowed in the Matas Library. See the food and drink policy above for more information.

The library should be a place conducive to study, but its space limitations and lack of study rooms often make it difficult to find a quiet spot to study. Therefore the Mezzanine Level of Rudolph Matas Library is designated as a quiet study area. The 24/7 Quiet Area is also intended to be a quiet study area. Groups may meet in the group study areas, but still need to be considerate of those studying nearby and sound carries outside of the group meeting areas. Basic Guidelines: ■ Patrons should refrain from talking or working in groups in 24/7 area or in the stack area on the Mezzanine. ■ Students who wish to work in groups should use the designated group study rooms available. Groups of three or more take precedence in the study rooms. The rooms may be reserved for groups of three or more 24 hours in advance by using the online form. ■ Please refrain from disrupting others with mobile phone rings or by talking on the phone in the quiet areas. ■ Library patrons who fail to abide by the quiet study policy will be asked to leave the quiet area. Please be considerate of those studying.

Public Access Policy Rudolph Matas Library is a private library in a restricted-access building, whose primary mission is to serve the students, faculty and staff of Tulane University Health Sciences programs. Rudolph Matas Library does welcome those with a specific need related to the library holdings and collections. We ask that a letter stating the need and purpose be provided from the business, firm or library referring the user. Researchers should contact the Library Services Desk for an appointment, especially when planning a research trip from out of town. Researchers planning to work in the Matas Library on nights and weekends should also plan in advance so that the security desk will allow them entrance to the building. A related Computer Use Policy (see above) applies to the computers provided for library research and as a means of access to the Library's online catalog and digital resources. Other User Groups The Matas Library welcomes LSU Health Sciences Center graduate students and faculty with valid LSUHSC IDs. We have reciprocal borrowing agreement with John P. Ische Library at LSU Health Sciences Center. LSUHSC users must be registered users of the Ische Library and must register with the Matas Library to charge materials (and vice versa). Physicians and health practitioners may check out materials by registering with the Matas Library and providing a copy of their medical license. Tulane Affiliates Tulane students, faculty, and staff are given priority assistance. Tulane students, faculty and staff affiliated with programs supported by the Tulane libraries on the uptown campus, such as undergraduate programs, business and law are entitled to all services and privileges except Interlibrary Loan. Tulane health sciences alumni in health sciences practices are entitled to most services except Interlibrary Loan, document delivery, and off-campus access to research databases. Visiting Researchers For use of the Matas print collections, visitors and special borrowers may expect basic assistance that includes a brief introduction to searching the local catalog and/or another resource most appropriate to the visitor's needs. For use of the unique materials at Special Collections, visitors and special borrowers should pre-arrange a visit. Contact Rudolph Matas Library so that needed assistance with materials in the historic collections may be scheduled as staff time permits. Visitors and special borrowers served by other local libraries are expected to use their home library for in-depth instruction or detailed help with research topics. LoansomeDoc and Research Services for Outside Patrons LoansomeDoc is an available document delivery service for unaffiliated physicians or other outside patrons, including alumni that do not have a library needing PubMed journal articles or searches. A contract with the Matas Library is required and there is a fee per request. Use of the Library by minors below the age of 14 unaccompanied by an adult is not permitted at any time.

In an emergency call 55555 from any Health Sciences Center campus phone. From phones not on the Tulane University Health Sciences Center system, you must call (504) 988-5555 (911 is also an option off-campus). For non-emergencies call (504) 988-5331. There is 24-hour Security Desk on the first floor of 1430 Tulane Avenue near the main entrance of the Hutchinson Building/School of Medicine. All visitors must check in with Security upon arrival. Access to the building is by Tulane ID card. Tulane uptown campus library users who wish to use the Matas Library should make prior arrangements with Card Services to insure access to the building. Please call the Matas Library at (504) 988-2405 if you have questions or to make arrangements to enter the Library. Upon request at all hours, TUHSCPD officers provide foot and/or vehicle personal safety escorts within the New Orleans Regional Medical Center (NORMC) area for anyone associated with Tulane. Please consider contacting Safe Ride at (504) 314-7233 (SAFE) when leaving Rudolph Matas Library after dark. Click here for the Tulane University Police Department's recommended walking paths between primary Tulane downtown locations. Click here for the Tulane University Health Sciences Center Police Department web page.

A valid Tulane University ID (Splash Card) is required to enter the 24/7 Quiet Area of the library after normal business hours. Simply swipe your Splash Card at the entrance/exit. The Library study space, computers, printing, scanning and VTS system (to purchase or add money to a print card) are available after hours. Problems with your Tulane Spash Cards should be reported to Card Services at (504) 865-5629 or go to the Security Desk on the first floor of the Hutchinson Building/School of Medicine.

There are five group study rooms and one computer lab/classroom that are available for group or class use in Rudolph Matas Library. Library seminars or curriculum-related events receive scheduling priority. Each group study room is equipped with a whiteboard, network connections, power outlets, and a table and chairs. Two of the group study rooms are located on the 2nd floor of the Library in the 24/7 area: Room 2228 (6-8 people) and Room 2230 (10-12 people). Three additional group study rooms are located on the Mezzanine Level: Rooms M201 (4-6 people), Room M203 (4-6 people) and Room M205 (4-6 people). The Mezzanine Computer Lab/Classroom (M207) is for hands-on computer usage and accommodates up to 18 people with individual desktop computer access. Library Classes and Seminars take precedence over other classroom use. To reserve a room 24 hours in advance you may: ■ Use the online form ■ Call the Matas Information Services Desk at (504) 988-2403 ■ Stop by the Information Services Desk in person Please abide by the room use and reservation policies: ■ Rooms may be scheduled for groups of three (3) or more, at the Information Services Desk at least a day prior to the requested time. ■ Curriculum-related events take precedence over individual use of the conference rooms. ■ Groups always take precedence over individual use of the conference rooms. ■ Groups with reservations take precedence over groups without. ■ Unreserved conference conference rooms are available on a first come first serve basis. ■ If a group fails to show up within fifteen minutes of its reservation or leaves the room unattended for more than fifteen minutes, use of the room is forfeited. ■ Do not leave personal items in a group study area when you leave the room. Your items may be moved if others need this area. It is risky to leave laptops and bags in an unsupervised area for even a short period. The Library is not responsible for personal items left unmonitored anywhere within the Library.

The Matas Library appreciates the offer of Tulane memorabilia, photographs of Louisiana physicians, health science institutional information and photographs from Louisiana, historic and rare medical books, especially those authored or published in 19th century Louisiana and early works on yellow fever or tropical medicine. Please provide a listing of the books, (include the title, editor/author and the date of publication for each item) to the library staff so that we may check to determine if the content is appropriate for our historical collection. We also appreciate the offer of current medical books and texts not currently owned by the library, especially those that were Tulane authored or have Tulane contributors. We are not able to accept the medical supplies and instruments at the current time. We are in the process of determining the future direction of the Matas Library which includes the archives and historical collections with the guidance of our Director, Neville Prendergast. Our space is very limited at present and we do not have an archivist or librarian to manage our historical materials. We prefer not to accept materials that we are not in a good position to care for properly. We wish we had the resources and space to maintain a larger collection of textual materials from the 19th- 20th century. We are hoping that funding for an archivist position along with more suitable archival storage, will be available sometime in the near future. Donors are requested to sign a copy of the Matas Gift Policy prior to delivery of books or other gifts in kind. Donors may also be interested in the information regarding IRS substantiation. Records of all gifts to the Matas Library are reported to the Tulane Office of Development. We appreciate your interest in Tulane and especially for your interest in the historical collections of the Rudolph Matas Library. Rudolph Matas Library Gift Policy (for donor signature) IRS Substantiation Requirements