Library staff recognize and protect the rights of library users, including the rights to privacy and confidentiality as established by New York State law (CPLR § 4509).

All current students, faculty, and staff may borrow library material for free.

SUNY students at all campuses, and online students at the 64 SUNY institutions, can borrow and return library material at any SUNY library.

In addition, area college students may borrow Poly materials as community borrowers. Interested parties must have proper identification and proof of current registration.

• Colgate University
• Empire State College
• Hamilton College
• Herkimer County Community College
• Mohawk Valley Community College
• Rome Labs
• St. Elizabeth College of Nursing
• Utica College

Residents of Oneida, Herkimer and Madison Counties who wish to borrow material must obtain a Community Borrower’s card from the library service desk. Photo identification with proof of current address is required to establish an account.  Community Borrowers may check out a total of ten books.

Immediate Family of SUNY Polytechnic Institute Faculty and Staff have the following borrowing privileges:

• Circulation of SUNY Poly library material such as books (16 weeks) and DVDs (4 days) with the same loan periods and privileges as faculty, for up to 30 items.
• Upon request, Interlibrary Loan services will be provided. However, Interlibrary Loan (ILL) article and book requests will not be processed if the family member accumulates overdue or lost items. 

Your SUNY Poly ID is your library card. If you are not a student and do not have a SUNY Poly ID, a library card will be provided at the library service desk. See the 'Obtaining a Library Card' section for further information.

Your SUNY Poly ID is your library card. If you are not a student and do not have a SUNY Poly ID, a library card will be provided at the library service desk.

Anyone registering or updating borrowing privileges will be asked to produce either proof of registration or some sort of identification with their name, picture and current address, for example, tuition receipt, parking receipt, alumni association card, registration receipt, course schedule, or driver’s license.

To borrow material, present a valid SUNY Poly ID or library card at the library service desk.

Any material charged to your account is your responsibility. Please notify the library and University Police if your card is lost or stolen.

Items available for borrowing are located in the circulating stacks on the second floor, and New Books and Study Guides collections on the first floor. Journals, newspapers, reference books, microfilm and most reserve materials may be used only in the library. Selected reserve material may leave the library for limited periods (See Reserves Policies & Procedures)

Borrowers are encouraged to return their books to the library service desk when the library is open.  There is a book return available in the lobby for after hour returns as well.

The standard loan period for books is for 16 weeks from the date of checkout.

A total of 30 books may be checked out to any SUNY Poly student, faculty, or staff member.  All other users may check out up to 10 books.

If the book that you want shows as available in the catalog, then please email library@sunypoly.edu and we will contact you when we are ready for you to pick it up. If you are an online or Albany student, we will arrange to ship it to you.

If the book you need is checked out, an Interlibrary Loan (ILL) request is recommended. Please ask the staff at the library service desk for assistance, or send an email to ill@sunypoly.edu.

There are no overdue fines.

If books are not returned by students by the last day of finals of the current semester, then a hold will be placed on their Banner account resulting in the inability to see grades, receive a transcript or a diploma until the items have been returned.

Library users are responsible for all material checked out on their library accounts. Should an item become damaged or lost, users will be billed a replacement cost plus a $10.00 processing fee.

If a user arranges to provide a replacement copy, the user is still responsible for paying a processing fee for that item. If a lost item is found within one year and is returned with a receipt, the library will refund the replacement cost of the item but not the processing fee.