Ladd for Alumni

Access to our Collections

Bates Alumni have walk-in borrowing privileges to Bates materials.

Borrowing privileges require Alumni to present their Bates Alumni ID card with a valid nine digit Alumni ID number at checkout.  

Bates Alumni ID numbers are provided by the Office of Alumni and Family Engagement via the Alumni ID Number Request Form.

Alumni cards are issued at the Access Control Office located in the Campus Safety Building, 245 College Street.

Privileges are limited to Bates materials and do not extend to MaineCat or Interlibrary Loan items or to materials located at Bowdoin or Colby Colleges.

Unfortunately, we do not have licensing to allow alumni off-campus access our online resources, e.g., JSTOR, but there are alternative strategies you could consider.

Some of our most popular services include:

  • Batesiana section. A collection of The Mirror, the Bates Alumnus, the Bates Student, and the Bates Directory located on the main floor of Ladd Library.
  • CD and DVD collections. Browse the most recently cataloged offerings on the display racks in the Audio/Video Area located on the ground floor, search in LibrarySearch for your favorites.
  • Featured Books. Located on the main floor opposite the Reserve desk. These books are selected from the New York Times Bestseller List, or have received reviews in other notable publications. The titles in the collection change constantly. New titles are added as they are received.
  • New Books. Displayed for one week on the New Books Shelf. The display is located on the main floor of Ladd as you approach the Instruction Room. Feel free to browse the display and check out the titles that are of interest. The display is changed weekly.

Also of special interest to Alumni are the collections at the Edmund S. Muskie Archives and Special Collections Library.

Loan Periods and Renewals

Material Type Loan Period
Ladd Books, Scores, Maps 28 days, 4 renewals
Ladd Featured Works 28 days, 4 renewal
Ladd Kindles 28 days, 1 renewal
Ladd Movies 7 days, 1 renewal
Ladd Sound Recordings 7 days, 1 renewal
Ladd Children’s books 28 days, 4 renewal
 
Note: All materials are subject to recall.
 

Renewing Material

You are encouraged to track due dates online from the Accounts tab on each library web page navigation bar.

If you are still entitled to a renewal for your material type (see above) and the item is NOT overdue or requested by another patron, you can renew materials by using the LibrarySearch Login 

Library materials that are overdue and billed for replacement may not be renewed online. In this case please call the Circulation Desk at 207-786-6263 for assistance.

Material that has been recalled for another patron or course reserve may not be renewed. We may be able to help you source another copy.

You may also always walk up to the Circulation Desk for one on one assistance with renewing. Your Bates Card is required as the items are checked in and then checked out again.

Overdue Notices and Reminders

Automated overdue notices are sent to patrons as a courtesy. The library does not assume responsibility for fees resulting from un-received or un-read mail.

Patrons can elect to receive notices by post or email. Patrons must assure that email from bates.edu addresses are not diverted to spam quarantine files and that it is an e-mail account that you read regularly. Alumni must report changes in e-mail and postal address through Alumni Engagement.

The notice schedule varies by material type and loan period. The notice schedule for a regular book is listed below.

  • A courtesy reminder is sent two days before the due date
  • The first overdue notice is sent one day after the due date has passed
  • The second overdue notice is sent one week later
  • Materials that are more than three weeks overdue are considered lost. The third overdue notice is a bill for replacement of the item.
  • Credit is issued when billed materials are returned.

Holds and Recalls

Library patrons may place a hold on a title that is checked out.

When a copy is not available, complete the information on the Hold Form. The option “Notify me when a copy is returned” does not change the due date for the original patron, it simply ensures that the item may not be renewed by the original borrower and adds you to the queue. 

Recalled Material
All library materials are subject to recall (forced early return dates) for course reserve. Recalled items must be returned promptly. Materials may be recalled while the college is on an academic break, during exam periods, summer break, and from faculty on sabbatical. To avoid recall fees please consider returning any non-critical material before leaving campus.

Patrons with overdue recalled items are blocked from library borrowing until the recalled item is returned.

Replacement Costs

Patrons are liable for the price of replacing library material that is lost, damaged or stolen. Patrons may not replace library material with an independently purchased copy.
Material Type Replacement Cost
refunded if item returned
Processing Fee
refunded if item returned
Books, Scores, Maps, Govt Docs Market Price
or $50.00
$25.00
Circulating DVDs, Videos, and CDs Market Price
or $50.00
$25.00
 
Note: Patrons with overdue recalled items are blocked from library borrowing until the recalled item is returned.
 
 

We do not accept patron purchased replacement copies. Replacement charges must be payed at the Circulation Desk located on the Main Floor of the library. Please pay by check or exact cash amount. Checks should be made payable to Bates College. Change is not available at library.