Skip to Main Content

Equipment

Digital Scholarship at UCSC Libraries

Checkout Policies

Borrowing Eligibility

Equipment is available to all current campus affiliates (current students, staff, and faculty).

Equipment Location

The equipment is located at the Media Desk in the David Kirk Digital Scholarship Commons on the Ground Floor of McHenry Library. This is also the only location to return DSC equipment, never in any outside drop slot.

Checkout Period & Overdue Fines

The default checkout periods for take-home equipment is 72 hours depending on the equipment type. ​You can also request a future or extended checkout through our booking calendar.

Please be advised if equipment is returned late:

  • You will be charged a flat fee of $50 on each equipment kit that is returned 12 or more hours late.
  • You will be charged the replacement cost of each equipment kit that is 72 hours or more overdue after the due date.

We thank you in advance for adhering to our checkout policies for DSC shared equipment so that other users are not negatively impacted.

Batteries

We cannot guarantee that batteries will be charged. Dead AA and AAA batteries can be replaced by staff at the Media Desk upon request.

External Media

Be sure to back up and delete your data from any removable SD cards prior to returning the equipment. In the event that you do not save your data before returning the equipment, we cannot guarantee that you will be able to recover it at a later date.

Renewal Requests

  • In person: At the Media Desk for the standard 72-hour checkout time as long as there is no existing future reservation on the kit.
  • Online booking calendar: Find your kit on the booking calendar and check to make sure it is available. If it is, create a request until the date you would like to return the equipment. If the date is within the next 4 days (those squares will be white), choose the first available "green square" on the calendar. You will be asked if this is a kit you have checked out—answer yes, and it will be submitted for us to review.

Please note that renewal requests are not guaranteed to be approved if there is an existing future reservation.

Reservations

You can reserve any of our equipment in advance through our booking calendar. Extended bookings are limited to 2 weeks.

Please be advised if equipment is returned late:

  • You will be charged a flat fee of $50 on each equipment kits that is returned 12 or more hours late.
  • You will be charged the replacement cost of each equipment kit that is 72 hours or more overdue after the due date.

Returning Equipment

The pickup and return location for all equipment is the DSC Media Desk only in person during open hours—never to the drop box outside the DSC nor to any outside library drop box—thank you!

Equipment Billing

If you have received a bill for equipment you have borrowed and you wish to request a review, please visit our Billing Appeal Form and choose "Digital Scholarship Commons" under "Type of Equipment Billed." Please note that requesting an appeal does not guarantee waiving of fees or fines.

Updated 1/22/25 LM