Borrowing Policies


Borrowing Material

To borrow library material, you will need to present the following at a Circulation Desk at **most University of Minnesota Libraries.

U of M Faculty, Staff, Students, Retirees
Special Privilege cardholders Valid Borrower's Card

Minnesota State Students

 Valid Borrower's Card

Friends of the Library cardholders

Valid Borrower's Card

Unregistered Graduate Students

 Click here for details...
Attorneys (Minnesota) ** Current Minnesota Attorney Registration License or Photo ID
Law Firms ** By prior arrangement
Law Students** (William Mitchell & Hamline) College picture ID card

** Attorneys, law firms, and law students may only borrow materials at the University of Minnesota Law Library and must arrange borrowing privileges with them.

For information on how to obtain borrowing privileges (with the exception of attorneys, law firms and law students), click here!

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Loan Periods

Loan Periods vary according to library, patron status, demand, and type of item charged. Patrons are responsible for knowing their due dates. NOTE: The following information applies to all University Libraries with the exception of Bio-Med, Law, and the Libraries Media Services.


Books
U of M Faculty, Staff, and Retirees 13 weeks, unlimited renewals up to 5 years

Graduate, IT/CLA Honors, Honorary Fellow, Post-Doctoral

 13 weeks, unlimited renewals up to 1 year

Undergraduate, and Adult Special

 6 weeks, unlimited renewals up to 6 months
Special Privilege, and Friends of the Library 6 weeks, 2 renewals

Periodicals (Bound Volumes)
All borrowers 1 day, 3 renewals

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Requests

University Libraries' policy for requested material is to facilitate access of library material to users in the order in which items are requested (see Get It for more information on requesting). Users retrieving items from the stacks before staff has had time to pull a requested item may have a staff person put them in the request queue or initiate the hold/recall themselves from MNCAT.

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Recalls

Patrons can keep most materials they have checked out for at least 2 weeks; after that time, a book is subject to recall. Items that have been recalled are due in 7 days. Recall dates supersede all previous due dates.

Library patrons are notified by e-mail or U.S. mail when a material is recalled. Patrons needing to update their e-mail or U.S. mailing address may download our Change of Address form and return it to Borrowing Privileges & Fines Department, 110 Wilson Library, 309 19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455 or by FAX at (612) 626-8968. Recalled materials not returned will result in blocked borrowing privileges and may incur substantial fines.

To place recalls:

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Renewals

Any patron with an active library card may request to have their library materials renewed. Books may be renewed in any of the following ways:

  1. Renew On-line
    University Faculty, Staff, and Students may renew items via Your Account through MNCAT: The University Libraries Catalog.
    All other borrowers may renew items by using the renew form, or emailing renew@umn.edu.

    Interlibrary Loan material cannot be renewed via Your Account. Renew ILL items in your ILLiad Account: https://umn.illiad.oclc.org/illiad/logon.html.

  2. Renew by Email

    Bio-Medical Library
    Law Library

    Magrath Library

    Walter Library

    Wilson Library

    ALL LIBRARY RENEWALS

  3. Renew by Fax

    Bio-Medical Library
    		 (612) 626-2454
    Law Library (612) 625-3478

    Magrath Library

    		(612) 625-3134

    Walter Library

    		(612) 624-4312

    Wilson Library

    		(612) 626-8968
    ALL LIBRARY RENEWALS (612) 626-8968

  4. Bring your books and your valid borrowing card to any of the Libraries Circulation desks.

  5. Complete a Renewal Request form and drop it off at any Libraries Circulation desks.

  6. Mail Renewal Requests to any Libraries Circulation Unit.

Sorry, renewal requests are NOT accepted over the telephone.

 

Number of Renewals*
U of M Faculty, Staff , and Retirees unlimited renewals up to 5 years

U of M Graduate

unlimited renewals up to 1 year

U of M Undergraduate

unlimited renewals up to 6 months

Special Privileges, and Friends of the Library

2 renewals

Periodicals for ALL Borrowers

3 renewals

*The renewal policy does not apply to the following items: maps, reserve materials, music recordings and scores, 3-day loans, Learning Resources Center materials, and BioMed and Law materials.

Please note that renewals are credited on the day they are received. Patrons are responsible for knowing their due dates. Renewal Request forms must be filled out completely and legibly. Renewal requests must include the patron's name, library barcode number, the book's title and the book's barcode.

To avoid late fees, materials must be renewed or returned on or before the due date. Patrons are responsible for knowing their due dates. For requests submitted electronically, failure to read electronic mail or inability to access e-mail will not be grounds for canceling overdue fines resulting from late reading of e-mail from the Libraries. If a renewal request cannot be processed, the patron will be notified.

Books cannot be renewed if:

  1. The books have reached their renewal limit. Bring them back to any University Libraries location and recheck them out before or on the due date. Bringing items back after the due date may result in overdue fines.
  2. A recall or hold has been placed by another patron.
  3. The patron's borrowing privileges have expired.

To contact a specific Circulation desk or Fines unit, click here.

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Returning Material

Books may be returned to any University Libraries location. Receipts can be requested for material returned to the front desk.

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