Borrowing Privileges

Borrowing - Public

All residents of Somerset and Hunterdon counties are eligible for a library card. Privileges are also extended to those working in either county, including employees who work at the college but are not employed by the college. Public patron accounts remain active for three (3) years.

A public patron library card can be obtained at the Check Out Desk upon presenting a valid driver’s license or another type of picture ID that lists a current address. An RVCC library card will then be issued for use at the Evelyn S. Field Library, which includes the collections in the Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and the Robeson Institute for Ethics, Leadership, and Social Justice. This card must be presented to checkout library materials. This is to ensure prompt and accurate service. In addition, only the owner of the card will be allowed to make library transactions.

The library does not accept local branch library cards, even if they are from a Somerset or Hunterdon county library.

Minors, with parental approval, can be given borrowing privileges. An application form must be completed which requires a parental signature.

The RVCC library card cannot be used to access RVCC library electronic databases or ebooks. You may visit the library in-person if you wish to access any electronic content.

Loan Periods

¹Cost stated is the default cost.  Actual cost may vary by item and does not include mandatory $15 processing fee.

²Interlibrary loan period and fees are determined by the lending library and will vary by item.

Overdue Charges

Late fines will only be applied to items returned late if they have been requested by another library user, which is known as a "recall." When a checked out item is requested by another library user, the current user will receive a notice and a reminder, indicating which of the items they checked out have been recalled.

For all checked out items, library users will receive five overdue notices, indicating which items are past due. If the item(s) are not returned by the fifth notice, the book will be marked "lost," replacement and processing fees will be applied, and the user will receive a bill. A hold will be placed on the user's library account, which suspends their borrowing privileges. The user can still return the book at any time and the hold will be removed.

If a library user has fees which have been left unpaid for over a year, or are in excess of $5.00, or has a lost book, they must pay the fines and/or return the book(s) before borrowing additional items.

Interlibrary Loan Materials

Public patrons may borrow books from other libraries through the Interlibrary Loan Service. This is a free-of-charge service which allows library users to request books and articles from other libraries. Visit the library’s Interlibrary Loan page for complete details.

Allow at least two (2) weeks for delivery of material. Requests are limited to five (5) items a day. Requested material follows the borrowing policies of the lending library. To renew Interlibrary Loan material, contact the Interlibrary Loan Desk (908) 526-1200 x8224 or x8558 five (5) days before the material is due.

Non-Circulating Items

The library owns several collections that may only be used within the library, including periodicals, newspapers, and reference books.

A selection of periodicals are located behind the Check Out Desk. To obtain one of these periodicals or newspapers, make a request at the Check Out Desk. An RVCC library card will be required. Current popular periodicals and newspapers are on display on the main floor of the library.