Borrowing

Overview

About flexible loans

Your Library account

Log in to YorSearch to access your Library account and:

• check what you have on loan
• check due dates
• renew items
• pay fines

You can borrow most Library items for eight weeks unless they are requested. External members may borrow items for four weeks unless requested.

If the item is requested, then the length of its loan then adjusts depending on:

• Demand, with requested items issued for less time, and those which have been out the longest adjusted to shorter loans first,
• Your status (full time, part time student etc).

We'll email you weekly to remind you of the items you have on loan, and to ask you to either:

• Return the items if you have finished with them
• Renew the items if you need them for longer

If an item you need is on loan, you won't have to wait very long for it to be returned - simply place a request.

We don't charge fines for late items 

If you have over-due items requested by another user, you won't be able to borrow any more items until they're returned - but you won't be charged late fees. The main reason libraries charge fines is to give people a good reason to bring books back on time, so other users can borrow them. Our York community has shown that we don’t need to charge people money in order to make the loan system work - you’ve all done your bit, bringing items back promptly and ensuring everyone has access to the books they need.

For this system to continue to work, we need you all to continue to play your part, and make our library work for the whole community. As a library we believe our role is to empower our communities to be knowledgeable, active, global citizens through learning, discovery, and research. Staying fine-free will help us achieve these aims. Thank you for helping us save farewell to fines forever... 

More about fines and lost item charges:

• Fines and charges

How to borrow

How to borrow items from the Library

Our print and audio visual items can be borrowed by anyone with a University Card or Library Card.

Exceptions are journals and items marked as 'Use in library only', which can't be borrowed, and items including York theses, which are not available on open shelves. See the How long? tab for more information.

For information about our ebooks and ejournals, see the E-resources Guide.

Library membership

• How to join the Library

On this page:

• Bring your University or Library Card
• Use the self-issue machines
• Return dates
• Postal Loans Service

Bring your University or Library Card

You need your University Card or Library Card to enter the Library and to borrow items.

You're responsible for everything borrowed on your card and for any fines incurred.

Use the self-issue machines

Use the self-issue machines to borrow and renew items.

Note: you won't be able to borrow items if you owe £50 or more in fines and/or charges.

Return dates

To see when your items are due for return, check your Library Account on YorSearch. A summary will also be emailed to you each week.

Remember that others can request an item you have on loan and this may change how long you can keep it.

If this happens we'll email you with the new return date.

Scan and send

Books can be sent via postal delivery using our Scan and Send Service. 

For more information, please see:

• Scan and Send Service

How many?

How many items can I borrow?

The number of items you can borrow depends on your University status.

The total number applies across the JB Morrell Library, King's Manor Library and York Minster Library.

How long?

How long can I borrow items for?

All flexible loan items are issued for eight weeks unless they are requested (see table below).

A number of collections are 'Use in Library Only'.

Every Monday we'll email you with a reminder of the items you have on loan. Renew the items if they're close to their due date, or return them if you have finished with them.

If an item has been requested and you are late returning it, your account will be blocked until it is returned.

We will mark items as lost either if they are requested but not returned within the required period (see table below), or if they are not renewed or returned within 56 days of the due date. In both of these situations, we will automatically apply a Lost Item Charge.

Requested items

If items are requested, the following table applies:

* This is the number of days loan if the item has a queue of requests at point of pick up, and applies when picking up items from the hold shelf.

Use in library only items

Renewing

How do I renew items?

Unlimited renewals

You can renew an item as many times as you need, as long as it hasn't been requested by another user.

Renew your items using:

• Your Library account
  • Log in to YorSearch and go to Library Account
• Self-issue machines in the Library
  • You'll need your University/Library Card
  • You don't need to have the books with you to renew them

You will not be able to renew if:

• the item was requested by another user at the time you borrowed it
• the item has been requested since you borrowed it and you have received an Item Requested notice
• the item is in demand. It may not have been requested as another copy was due back before yours, but it will help another user if you return this item promptly
• charges on your account exceed the allowed limit.

Please note:

• If an item has not been renewed after two months you will be billed for the item

Returning

Campus East book collection

A book collection service is available in the Ron Cooke Hub.

Items left will not be removed from your Library account until they arrive at the JB Morrell Library.

Any item recorded as returned late will be charged a fine.

Books are collected once a day at 10.00am, Monday to Friday.

If the box is full, please contact Hub Reception staff.

Returning books to the JB Morrell Library

Use the self-service return machine to return items in the JB Morrell Library.

You can return books from the King's Manor Library and York Minster Library.

Returning books to the King's Manor Library

Books can be returned to King's Manor when it is open, or returned via the bookdrop beside the Library entrance when the Library is closed but the building is open.

You can return books from the JB Morrell Library and York Minster Library.

Hospital libraries

Health Sciences and HYMS students on placement can return items at York, Harrogate, Northallerton and Scarborough hospital libraries.

Please make sure you:

• Hand the items to a member of staff in the hospital library
• Keep the receipt given to you. This will list the items you have returned.

The hospital library staff will contact the University Library to arrange for the items returned to be removed from your Library account. This is usually done on the day that you hand them in at the hospital library.

Postal returns

If you are having difficulty getting to the Library to return books, you can post them to us at:

Help Desk
JB Morrell Library
University of York
Heslington
York
YO10 5DD

You are responsible for the book until it is returned so we recommend that you get proof of postage.

We will take the return date as being the date your parcel was date stamped by the postal service.

You may be eligible for a refund of postal charges if you’re currently on placement and have had to return a book by post as it was requested by another user.

If you think you may qualify, complete the form to request a postal charge refund. You will need to be logged in to your University Google account to access this form. 

Problems returning an item

If you are unable to return an item for any reason, please see:

• What to do if you have a problem

Requesting

Please note, you do NOT need to request items if they're on the shelves and available to borrow. You can find the book and issue it your account using our self-issue machines, without any need to request items. 

How do I request or book items?

• Requesting items on loan
• Collecting requested items
• Requesting Closed Stack items (including Theses)
• Booking Rare Books Collection items
• Cancel a request or booking
• Request an item from another University of York library
• Request an item from another library
• Tell us what you need

Requesting items on loan

You can request items that are currently out on loan.

To request an item:

You can request up to 10 items at any one time.

1. Login to YorSearch
2. Find the item you require
3. Click on Get It
4. Click Place a request or booking
5. Select the pick up location
6. Click Submit

When the item is returned, we'll email you with details of where to pick it up and how long it will be reserved for you.

If you no longer need an item you have requested:

• Please cancel your request
• If the item is waiting for you to collect it, please let us know you no longer need it

Things to note:

• You can only request an item if all copies are on loan
• It doesn't matter which copy you request - the first copy returned will be kept for you
• If other people have already requested the same item you will join the queue. You can see how many requests have already been made by looking at the No. of requests column next to the Request link on the Library Catalogue
• You can't request an item if:
  • it's not on loan
  • you already have a copy on loan or requested
  • there is a problem with your Library record (an error message will appear)

Collecting an item from the hold shelf.

You'll need your University Card or Library Card to collect your item from the hold shelf on the ground floor of Morrell. You can find your item by the code on the slip inside the book.

Your code will be made up of:

• the first three letters of your last name (or two letters if your last name is two letters long).
• and the last three digits of your card number. This is printed on the reverse of your University card.

Eg For John Smith with a card number of 1234567, the code would be SMI-567.

Requesting Closed Stack items (including theses)

Closed Stack items are kept in store. You can request these items online so that they can be collected for you.

To request a Closed Stack item:

1. Login to YorSearch
2. Find the item you require
3. Click on Get It
4. Click Place a request or booking
5. Click Submit

Staff collect Closed Stack items regularly throughout the day.

When your item has been retrieved from the Closed Stack, we'll email you with the details of where to pick it up and how long it will be held for you.

 Things to note:

• Closed stack items can only be collected during full service hours
• If you need to use an item again the following day, please tell the Help Desk staff when you hand it in
• If you no longer need an item you have requested, please cancel your request
• If the unwanted requested item is waiting for you to collect it, please let us know you no longer need it

Booking Rare Books Collection items

We have a large collection of rare and valuable items which are kept in a secure store.

You must book these in advance via the Borthwick Institute for Archives and consult them in their Search Room. For more information see our   pages.

Cancelling a request or booking

Please cancel your request or booking if you decide you don't need the item, so that someone else can use it

• Log in to YorSearch and go to Library Account 
• Select Requests
• Click Cancel next to the relevant item
• Select Yes

Request an item from another University of York library

We run a delivery service between the University Library, King's Manor Library and York Minster Library:

• Book Delivery Service

Request an item from another library

If we don't have the item you need, you can request it through our Interlending and Document Supply Service.

We will try to get the item from another library as a loan, a photocopy for you to keep, or as an electronic document.

Tell us what you need

• Please use our Purchase Request Form to request items for the Library to consider purchasing for stock.

• If you need material urgently, please let us know on the Purchase Request Form to allow us to prioritise, but please use this responsibly. You will be notified when we have placed the order, and again when it’s available. Ebooks are usually available within a few days of purchase but delivery times for physical items can vary.

For information on other types of request, please visit our Tell Us What You Need page.