Borrowing

Student returning book at Ask Library
  • How to borrow

    Use your University ID card or library membership card to borrow books and other items. You can:

    • Borrow the item yourself using any of the self-check machines located at each library, or
    • Take the item to the nearest Ask Library service point.

    When you borrow an item you can choose to have a loan receipt emailed to you. To see what you have out on loan, login to MyLibrary.

    How to borrow using the self-check machines

  • How many items can you borrow

    University of Adelaide staff and Postgraduate students can borrow an unlimited amount of items.

    Undergraduate students and Alumni can borrow up to 50 items at a time.

    Community members can borrow up to 20 items at a time.

    Reciprocal members and Year 11 and 12 students can borrow up to 20 items at a time.

  • Loan periods (what you can borrow and for how long)

    The library uses dynamic loan periods: while each item has a standard loan period, this may be changed should another library member request the item. If an item you have borrowed is requested by another library member, the loan period is shortened to 1 week (you will receive an SMS and email to let you know the new due date). The good news? Should you need an item that is out on loan you can request it and get access to it sooner.

    All standard loans are also automatically renewed, with the exemption of High Use Collection items and iPads. This means you may not need to return the item by its original due date unless you receive an SMS saying the due date has shortened. Please remember to always keep an eye on your MyLibrary account.

    University of Adelaide staff and students:

    Item type  Standard loan period*
    Main collection, books and journals 12 weeks
    DVDs, CDs and kits 12 weeks
    iPads 12 weeks
    High Use Collection items 3 hours or overnight

    *All items (with the exception of High Use Collection items and iPads) will automatically renew unless requested by another library member.

    • Requesting

      The requesting service is available to University of Adelaide students and staff, Alumni, and community borrowers.

      • Requests can be placed when the item is located at a different campus to your pickup location, including Joint Store (our offsite storage facility)
      • High Use items cannot be requested
      • It is possible to request items not held within the University Library collections, via our interlibrary loans service (eligibility rules may apply)

      The library will notify you when the item is available for collection. You can also check the status of your requests by logging into MyLibrary. Learn more about requesting.

    • Renewing a book when you need it longer

      Most books and other library items are automatically renewed unless another library member has requested the item. To find out when you need to return your books simply login to MyLibrary. You will usually receive an SMS or email to let you know when a book needs to be returned.

    • Returning items

      You can return library items to any of the library locations. Each library location has return chutes, with the Barr Smith Library, Waite Library and Roseworthy Library offering 24-hour return chutes.

    • Library notifications

      The library will send you a notification via SMS and email if there are any changes to items you have requested or borrowed.
      These notices include:

      • If the due date changes for any reason, ie requested by another user, needed for the High Use Collection.
      • If a loan cannot be renewed. Eligible loans are automatically renewed two days before the due date.
      • If a non-renewable item has not been returned by its due date.
      • Once an item is very overdue we will notify you that you're about to be invoiced.
      • Once a month you will be emailed a Borrowing Activity Statement, which is a full record of all your current loans and their due dates.
      • Request available notices are sent to you via SMS when a mobile number is registered in your staff or student record.  University staff who wish to receive SMS notifications should register their mobile number in SSO.
    • Overdue items, fees and access restrictions

      • Failure to return overdue items will result in you being invoiced a non-refundable administration fee. The administration fee is $150 per item.
      • If this fee is not paid it may affect your ability to graduate. You will also be blocked from borrowing and electronic access until overdue items have been resolved. If there are extenuating circumstances preventing you from returning items, please contact Ask Library.
      • Invoice timing varies, with High Use items being invoiced very quickly. You will also be blocked from borrowing for one week if you fail to return one of these items.
      • If you are experiencing problems with returning your items on time, please contact Ask Library.
    • Joining and borrowing from other university libraries

      Reciprocal borrowing

      University of Adelaide staff and students can sign up to borrow books from the University of South Australia Library and the Flinders University Library.  

      Borrowing at other university libraries

      Many Australian and New Zealand university libraries will let University of Adelaide staff and students borrow from their collections. Some, but not all, may charge a small fee to register. To register you will need to contact and apply directly to the host library.

      View participating institutions.