Borrowing
All junior members are issued with a University Card, which enables you to borrow items from the College Library. You are responsible for any items issued on your card. Readers can borrow items from the issue desk during staffed hours, or by using the self-issue system at any time.
Loan allowances
- Undergraduates, Postgraduates, Post-Doctoral Researchers, Research Associates and Teaching Associates can borrow up to fourteen items (comprising a maximum of eight books, two CDs, two DVDs and two maps) at any one time.
- Fellows of the College may borrow up to fifty-five items (comprising a maximum of forty books, five CDs, five DVDs and five maps) at any one time.
Loan period
- Undergraduates and Postgraduates: two weeks (except AV items – see below).
- Post-Doctoral Researchers, Research Associates and Teaching Associates: four weeks (except AV items and maps – see below).
- Fellows of the College: four weeks (except AV items – see below).
- Audio-visual items are issued for one week.
- Maps are issued for two weeks.
Renewals
- Undergraduates and Postgraduates may renew books and maps for a maximum of eight weeks; AV items for a maximum of four weeks.
- Post-Doctoral Researchers, Research Associates and Teaching Associates may not renew books; however, they may renew AV items for a maximum of four weeks and maps for eight weeks.
- Fellows of the College may renew AV items for a maximum of four weeks.
Items may be renewed at the Issue Desk, online via iDiscover (see below) or using the self-check machine, provided no other reader has recalled the items.
Requesting items
Items that are on loan to another reader can be recalled for you.
Returns
During staffed hours please bring all borrowed items to the Issue Desk to be checked in.
Outside staffed hours you can use the self-check machine to return items, and drop the items into the Book Returns Box or AV Returns Box (located in and to the left of the self-check machine alcove respectively). Maps must be returned to the Issue Desk during staffed hours, and should not left in a returns box.
Fines
- Books, maps, CDs and DVDs: 25p per day per item, or 50p per day per item if recalled by another reader.
Fines can be paid in cash at the Issue Desk or online via iDiscover (see below), or can be added to your College bill.
For items reported as lost, readers will normally be charged the full replacement cost of the item, including a £5 administrative cost.
Vacation borrowing
All readers with borrowing privileges may borrow up to their quota during the Christmas, Easter and Long Vacations.
Vacation borrowing starts on the last Wednesday of Full Term.
Items borrowed over vacations are to be returned by the first Wednesday of the following Full Term.
Your account
To access your Library account online, simply log in to ‘My Library Account’ from the iDiscover homepage and enter your University Card barcode and surname.
From here you can view the items you currently have on loan from each library you belong to within Cambridge. You can also renew items and pay fines online.
Please remember to logout afterwards.
Self-issue
The self-issue machine (for borrowing and returning items) is located on the Ground Floor of the Working Library.