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About

The Mastodon card serves as the official school ID for Purdue University Fort Wayne students, faculty, and staff. It also serves as a library borrower's card. The card may be picked up at the Walb Union Campus Credentials and Transportation office, telephone 260-481-6611.

Indiana residents who are not part of the Purdue University Fort Wayne or the Indiana University Fort Wayne community are eligible for a special library borrower's card. Applicants must present an Indiana driver's license or Indiana state identification card and a second ID that has a current address. Applicants under age 18 will be asked to present one ID and a consent form signed by a parent or guardian.

Proxy Request

By filling out the Request for Proxy Services form, a patron authorizes another patron to check out items on their account and accepts responsibility for those items. Proxies are used mainly for the convenience of faculty members so that graduate students or other assistants can pick up items from the library using their own Purdue Fort Wayne ID to charge it to the faculty member's account..

Confidentiality of Library Circulation Records

The library does not reveal the titles or nature of the materials checked out by any library patron. The library does not knowingly issue materials to anyone but the card owner. See the library's Privacy Policy for further information.

How Long Can You Borrow?

Circulation records are confidential. General Collection items are due in 16 weeks for faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students.
Loan Periods for non-General Collection items are:

  • Books and Government Documents: 16 weeks
  • Media: 6 weeks
  • Serials and Journals: 2 days
  • Course Reserves: Instructor Preference
  • Reference Books: 1 day
  • Equipment: 1 day
  • Recalled Materials: Due 4 weeks or less after a Recall is placed

Indiana Residents are Limited to Ten Items

Returning Library Material

You will be responsible for paying any fines or fees for late return or non-return of library materials checked out on your Purdue Fort Wayne ID. For all billing inquiries, contact Circulation Services at (260) 481-6505 or circ@pfw.edu. Details about fines and fees are shown in the table below:

General Collections

  • 1 Day Overdue: Patron May Be Blocked upon overdue
  • 31 Days Overdue: $15 processing fee and replacement cost
     

Media Items

  • 1 Day Overdue: Patron may be blocked on overdue
  • 31 Days Overdue: $15 processing fee and replacement cost

 

Recalled Items

  • 1 Day after the Recall Due Date: Patron may be blocked upon overdue with a $10 fine per day
  • 11 Days After the Recall Due Date: $15 processing fee and replacement cost charged at 11 days overdue.  Max per item is $85 plus the replacement cost

 

Periodicals, Two Day Loans

  • 1 day overdue: Patron may be blocked upon overdue with a $10 fine per day

 

One Week Loans

  • 7 Days Overdue: $15 dollar processing fee and replacement cost

 

Reserves, 2 hour checkout

  • One Hour After Due Time
    • Patron May Be Blocked upon over due with a $5 overdue per hour up to $24.
    • $15 processing fee and replacement cost charged at 48 hours overdue
  • Forty Eight hours after Due Date 
    • After the item is 48 hours overdue, the library can determine that it is necessary to order a replacement copy, the processing fee, overdue fee, and replacement cost will be assessed when the item is reordered. Replacement cost for the reordered items are not refundable
    • Max Cost Per Item is $135 plus the replacement cost. 

Renewals

You may Renew the material you borrowed before the due date to extend the loan period. General Collection Materials may be renewed until someone else places a request. Limited Loan materials, with the exception of media, are not renewable.
  • Online in My Account
  • By phone (260) 481-6505
  • In person at the Service Desk of Helmke Library

Visitor Information

Who may obtain a library guest borrower card?

Library guest cards only provide on-site check-out privileges; they do not include access to licensed databases. With the exception of proxies, patrons may only have one active library card at a time. The patron to whom a card is issued is the only person authorized to use it; patrons should not lend their cards to others.

  • Indiana residents
  • Spouses of Purdue University Fort Wayne faculty, staff or students
  • Faculty, staff and students from members of Academic Libraries of Indiana institutions.
  • Faculty, staff, or students from other Purdue campuses
  • Purdue continuing education students
  • Alumni from Purdue University Fort Wayne campus
  • Corporations located in Indiana (proxy) with a letter from the corporation stating that they will be responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged materials. (See the Service Desk management for details)

Where can I apply for a card?

Obtain your library guest card at Service Desk in the on the first floor of the Library. Cards are valid for one year and may be renewed upon request by borrowers in good standing.
Patrons are responsible for:
  • Having an active guest card to check out any material.
  • Renewing or returning all material by the due date.
  • Reading and responding to all library notices promptly.
  • Notifying the Libraries if their guest card is lost or stolen.
  • Paying any fines or fees for late return or non-return of library materials checked out on their guest card.
  • Notifying the Libraries of a change in address, including e-mail.
  • Contacting the libraries if material charged on their guest card is lost or stolen.

Loan period

Guests are eligible to check out most books in the general circulating collection. Other material such as reference books, and journals may be consulted on site.
  • General collection items are due back in three weeks
  • Media may be checked out for 7 days.
  • Recalled material: due 10 days after a recall is placed

Renewals

General collection materials may be renewed four times. How to renew:
  • Online in My Account
  • By phone (260) 481-6505
  • In person at the Service Desk of Helmke Library

Returning library materials

Books can be returned to the Purdue University Fort Wayne library’s Service Desk or the book drops on first or second floors. Items may also returned by U.S. mail to:
Walter E. Helmke Library
2101 E Coliseum Blvd
Fort Wayne, IN 46805
 
An overdue notice will be sent one day after the due date. Failure to return or renew materials within 7 days of the due date will result in the assessment of a $15 processing fee per item plus the replacement cost for each item.
For billing inquiries, contact the Service Desk at (260) 481-6505 or circ@pfw.edu