Music Library Carrels and Guidelines

About the Music Library Graduate Carrels

Who qualifies for a carrel?

Carrel assignments are given with the following order of priority:

• Doctoral students in music education, musicology, and music theory, as well as JSOM faculty who do not have offices. Ethnomusicology may ask for this tier, but will require an individual consultation with library staff.
• Masters students in music education, musicology, music theory, and music librarianship, as well as doctoral students writing a dissertation.
• Doctoral students in performance, composition, or other areas of music study
• All other JSOM graduate students and faculty

Within this structure, carrels are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Questions about and exceptions to this priority list can be directed to Misti Shaw, Associate Director of Access and Learning for the Cook Music Library. Library staff will confirm your status by contacting the JSOM graduate office. If you want to request a carrel for reasons related to accessibility or disability, please contact Misti Shaw directly. 

Residency requirements for carrels

Carrels may only be assigned to students who live in Bloomington (or nearby in counties including Monroe, Morgan, Marion, Owen, and Brown), and regularly visit their carrel. Students who relocate off campus for a semester or more should not retain their carrel even if there are many books checked out to the carrel. Carrels are intended for local, regularly recurring use.

Duration of carrel assignments

For patrons who fit in priority list numbers 1 and 2, carrels are assigned for a full semester, including fall, spring, and summer. Upon the semester’s end, a patron may renew their carrel for the next semester as long as the patron fulfills the criteria for having one. At the end of the spring semester, a patron may renew a carrel for summer without taking summer courses as long as they’re enrolled in fall courses.

For patrons who fit into priority list numbers 3 and 4, you may keep your carrel until the end of the semester, at which point you must check in Stacks Coordinator, Richard Marshall to see if you can keep your carrel for another semester.

Low-use carrels

After a period of several weeks, if library staff observe that a carrel is not being used, staff may ask the patron to surrender their carrel. 

Instructions for Maintaining Your Carrel Assignment

How to check items out to your carrel

• Bring your items to the circulation desk.
• Inform the circulation assistant of your carrel number and your name. 
• Write your carrel number on the carrel slip, staple the printed receipt to the back of the carrel slip, and place the slip in the item so that it is easily visible.

Items that CAN be stored at a carrel

• Normal music library items that are checked out to your carrel and have their carrel slip visible.
• Items from other libraries, so long as they are checked out to your personal account
• Basic school supplies, personal books, and a jacket/throw blanket. Please keep such items folded and underneath your carrel when not in use.

Materials that CANNOT be stored at a carrel

• Music library items that are checked out to your personal account. Remember, music library items must be checked out to your carrel.
• Reference books, journals, M2-M3s, microforms, audio-visual materials, frontlog materials, and any other music library items that have non-standard checkout periods. 
• Live plants, perishable foods, anything that can rot and/or attract pests.
• Items that do not adhere to these guidlines will be removed. 

Carrel space

• Feel free to decorate your carrel.
• Keep your carrel neat and do not store perishable items or garbage behind. 
• Music library-owned items must be easily identifiable. Please make sure the spine/call number is visible for each music library-owned item. 
• The library reserves the right to remove personal items from carrels. If we remove personal items from your carrel, we will notify the carrel owner so they can retrieve those items from the music library circulation desk. 
• The library cannot accept liability for theft or loss of personal items.

Carrel renewals

• At the end of each semester, you will receive an email with instructions to renew your carrel for the upcoming semester.

Books needed from your carrel

• Books needed for Reserves will be removed from your carrel. An email will be sent notifying you of this action. 
• Patrons are permitted to use books at your carrel in your absence. However, these books may not leave the library.
• Books from your carrel may be recalled. the carrel holder is responsible for returning recalled items to the circulation desk. 

Failure to observe these policies may result in the revocation of carrel privileges.