Access and borrowing

Who can borrow

Senior Members and students of the University may register to borrow.  Please bring your University Card to the library between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday; registrations are also carried out between 9am and 12 noon on Saturdays during full term.  Non-members of the University may be admitted for reading only, on application to the Librarian.

Access for disabled students

A wheelchair lift gives disabled students access to the lower ground floor reading area where the majority of desks and book stacks are located.  Staff can retrieve items from the mezzanine level as needed.

Borrowing and returning

To borrow, please take your University Card and books to the issue terminal near the exit barrier.  Please note that items cannot be issued or returned in the last fifteen minutes before closing time.  Half an hour before closing, a bell will ring twice to signal the last fifteen minutes of this service.

When returning loans, please wait while each book is checked in and then take them to the returned book shelves.  Never return books directly to the shelves as they will remain registered as on loan to your account and you will be fined if they become overdue or lost.

No book or DVD can be renewed immediately on its return, as many are in great demand. (Because of the short loan period, the library does not operate a reserve/recall system).

If you need to return books outside library opening hours you can use the letterbox book-drop in the faculty lobby, or, when the building is closed, post them through the external letterbox.

Fines

Overdue items incur fines at the rate of £1.00 per item per day and these continue to accrue until the item is returned (and will include vacations and closed days) – see above for advice on how to return material out of hours.

Special Subject material will be charged at 30 pence for each hour it is overdue (again, including closed periods and vacations).

A fine of £30.00 is charged for a lost loan and is not refundable if the item is subsequently returned. Outstanding fines must also be paid (they continue to accrue until the lost item charge is paid).

While you have outstanding fines on your account you will not be able to borrow books. Fines still outstanding at graduation will be treated as debts to the University and affect the award of a degree.

Borrowing rights

Staff, graduates and undergraduates have the same borrowing rights:

Blue label items may be borrowed at any time during the day and are due back by closing time the next day, or by closing time on Monday if taken out on Friday.

Yellow label items can be borrowed for one week.

Red label books, journals, pamphlets, theses and microfilms are for reference only and may not be borrowed.

Special Subject material can only be borrowed from 2.30pm until 10.30am the next day (or Friday afternoon to Monday morning).

There is extended borrowing over the vacations, but please note that Special Subject material cannot be borrowed until the day before the library closes for Christmas, Easter or summer, and must be returned on the day the library reopens.