Currently viewing the tag: "blocking"
Solaten omnes saculorem tuba nriirum est – If lit by a patron, despite knowing that checkouts are for four hours only, this black flame candle will resurrect… A Block!
When you come to the desk to check out chargers, beware! Returning the item on time is the only wa
y to save you from the curse of the block.
The first time you keep an item late, you cannot checkout items for 24 hours once you’ve returned it. The second time lasts a week; the third, a month and a note to the dean. The fourth time results in another note to the dean and a block for the rest of the academic year. Plus, every day you keep the item late beyond the original due date, we shall add another day to your curse.
We urge you to take these matters seriously, and remember to return or renew your reserve item before your four hours are up. Perhaps you are worried you will not be able to return the item before the sun rises (and the item is due). In that case, give us a call or send us a chat saying you’ll be late. We understand life happens.
These curses accumulate during the academic year, so be sure to set yourself a timer.
For the facts behind this ancient curse, please visit our Reserve Policy page.
As we enter into another exam block, we wanted to provide you with a friendly reminder about borrowing items. Unfortunately, circulation staff can no longer send out notices to remind patrons when reserve items are due. Please pay attention to when you are told the item is due (4 hours after you check it out). Set an alarm, write yourself a note etc.
Remember, signing the equipment agreement means that you understand and will abide by all the loan policies. Avoid the block! Bring it back on time!
For more information, please visit our Policy for Overdue Items page.
Well, hello there boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen. Back from Thanksgiving break so soon, are we?
What’s that you say? Exams a’ comin’? Already? Boy howdy.
Why don’t you join me for a moment. I’ll tell you a tale as old as the print journals on the 7th Floor. The story of a creature most hideous, most foul, and most dangerous. Of course, I speak of THE BLOCK.
AHHH! Thar he scowls! Be careful, don’t look into his eyes! How does one summon THE BLOCK? Let me share the lore with you.
Now, some say that if you return a reserve item (like a laptop, phone charger, skull, or reserve book) late once, THE BLOCK will follow you for 24 hours after you return the item, and you will be mysteriously unable to check out items from the Library. If you return an item late a second time, THE BLOCK will haunt your nightmares for 7 days, impeding your ability to study and borrow headphones (and other things).
Now, many have tempted fate and survived the wrath of THE BLOCK once, even twice. But beware, should you return a third reserve item late, the foul beast will cast his sharp, cubic shadow over your life for two fortnights!
(You know, you won’t be able to check anything out for one month after you return the delinquent item)
AND THAT’S NOT ALL. If you summon THE BLOCK three times, he will, like Marley’s Ghost, visit your Dean and share tales of your misdeeds.
And finally, if you are one of the foolish few who learns nothing of your third encounter with this reviled, hideous hexahedron, and you dare invite his wrath again, THE BLOCK will rob you of your borrowing privileges for the rest of the semester, and he will darken the doorstep of your Dean again.
And the most TERRIFYING thing of all? Every time you summon THE BLOCK, you wear his mark for the remainder of the academic year. So remember, a late return in September will follow you all the way to next July.
So take heed, as exams approach:
- Try to get some sleep
- Stay hydrated
- Return your reserve items on time, and
- DON’T MOCK THE BLOCK
(The Hirsh Health Sciences Library blocking policy can be found in its entirety here: http://hirshlibrary.tufts.edu/about-us/policies/overdue-items)
Now that the semester has begun, we expect to be seeing a lot of you at our Service Desk on the 4th floor of Sackler! Of course, we expect to be seeing a lot of everyone at the desk, which means that we have to ask you to be punctual about getting Reserve books, models, and equipment back to us when it’s due, so that your fellow students can have a shot at using them as well. To this end, we created a Late Return Policy and put it into effect a year ago.
The basic idea is that you have 4 hours with the material (unless otherwise stated). If you do not return the material within the designated time, then you run the risk of losing all borrowing privileges. On your first offense, they will be reinstated 24 hours after you return everything, but on the second offense it’s a full 7 days. If you’d like to read the full policy, you can do so here.
If you think you’ll need to keep your books or equipment longer, just come back to the desk and check with us! If no one else is waiting, we can most likely renew it for you, and give you another 4 hours.
If you have any questions about the policy (or about your current status), you can call us at 617-636-6706, or just come visit us on Sackler 4.
Happy Borrowing!
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