- Borrowing and Returning Materials
- Renewal Policy
- Disclosure of Borrower Names
- Library cards
- Fees and Fines
- Searches and Recalls
- Library Notices via E-mail
- Appeal fines or claim material that has been returned
- View your Account (for patrons with current library privileges)
- Circulation Desk Contact Information
Borrowing and Returning Materials
Borrowing: Library staff check out books to you by scanning the barcode on your Chicago Card (or library card) and the barcode on the material you are borrowing. For most borrowers, materials are due on the Friday of the first week of the following quarter. Information on due dates is available here.
Returns: You may return stacks material to any University of Chicago
library. Please return reserve and recalled items to the locations from which
you borrowed them. You will be responsible for overdue fines if reserve or recalled
material is returned to the wrong location. Interlibrary Loan items may be returned
to the circulation desks in Regenstein, Crerar and/or the D'Angelo Law Library.
Renewal Policy
You may renew your books without actually bringing them to the library. This type of renewal is called a comprehensive renewal. You can renew a book out on general loan three consecutive times using comprehensive renewals. (The three renewal limit does not apply to students enrolled in a Ph.D. or J.S.D. program.) If you still would like to renew the book after the third renewal, you must bring the book to any Library circulation desk, where circulation staff will renew the book for you.
There are three ways to do a comprehensive renewal of your books:
- Go to the "My Account" page within the online catalog. Enter in your barcode and PIN. Click on "Items Out."
- Bring your Chicago Card or library card to the circulation desk at any library and circulation staff will do a comprehensive renewal for you.
- Email renewals@lib.uchicago.edu with your renewal request. You will need to include your name, your library barcode or student ID. You will receive an email reply confirming that your books were renewed.
Interlibrary loan items may be renewed by calling Interlibrary Loan at (773)
702-8706; by sending e-mail to Interlibrary-Loan@lib.uchicago.edu;
or by visiting the Customer Service assistant at Regenstein Circulation. Comprehensive
renewals will not renew interlibrary loan material, nor reserve or recalled
items. The library will reply to confirm your request.
The Specifics
- You will be able to renew any renewable University of Chicago Library loan charged to your account three times before you must return that item to the Library. Students enrolled in Ph.D. or J.S.D. programs do not have a renewal limit.
- Reserve and recalled loans are not renewable.
- You can view and print a list of items you have checked out through the Online Catalog's "My Account" function. This list shows the number of times each item has been renewed.
- When you bring back items which have reached their comprehensive renewal limit, you can either return them or, as long as you have current Library borrowing privileges, recharge them in person.
- If unrenewable loans become overdue, we will send you an overdue notice. If there is no response your borrowing privileges will be blocked. You will be sent additional notices concerning replacement costs and a $25 restriction fee.
Why?
We have established this policy to encourage borrowers to return books that they are no longer actively using. Having more books on the Library's shelves increases the ability of borrowers to browse the collection and provides more immediate access to materials than our recall system provides. We can also ensure a controlled physical environment for our books, thus aiding in their preservation. As a result of periodic review of loan records, we have fewer missing books when borrowers leave the University.Return to Circulation Services
Disclosure of Borrower Names
In accordance with Illinois law, the American Library Association's Code of Ethics, and Library policies, borrower records are treated as confidential information. Although Library staff sometimes need to consult the names of borrowers when conducting library operations, they will not disclose this information to others without the borrower's explicit permission, unless required to do so by law or by University policies.
Those who need material that has been checked out from the Library's collections are encouraged to recall the material from the borrower.
(Policy approved by Library Board, February 21, 2008)
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Library Cards
For information on Library cards and access to the Library, please follow this link.
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Fees and Fines
Finding out what you owe: You may view your fines and other library charges via the "My Account" function in the Online Catalog or consult staff at any circulation desk. The Library also mails a quarterly reminder of outstanding fines and fees in advance of each late payment date (the Monday of sixth week.) If you do not pay the current charges on your account by this date, the charges become delinquent, and your Library borrowing privileges will be restricted. In addition if applicable, a restriction (and corresponding $25 fee) will be placed on your university records. For more information, see "Restriction Fees" below.
Paying Library fees: You may pay current and delinquent charges for any Library material with cash or check (made payable to The University of Chicago Library) at any circulation desk or at the Privileges Office. Credit cards are not accepted. You may also mail your payment to the Circulation Department, University of Chicago Library, 1100 E. 57th St., Chicago, IL, 60637.
For more information on how fines accumulate, please follow this link.
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Searches and Recalls
Searches: If you cannot find an item you need on the shelf, you can submit a Search/Recall form at the appropriate circulation desk. Library staff will attempt to locate the material for you. Searches normally take anywhere from 1-5 working days. You will be notified when the item is found or a search is completed.
Recalls: If you need an item charged to another borrower, you may use the recall option in the online catalog. Recalls usually take from 10 to 14 days, depending on how soon the borrower who has the item returns it. Library staff will notify you when the item is returned. You may also view the status of your requests in the "My Account" feature of the Online Catalog.
Since anyone may recall books from you at any time, if you are away from the University, please make arrangements for someone else to receive your library notices and return recalled books. Also remember to make sure that the Library has a current address on file for you. Fines for overdue recalls are high, since another borrower is inconvenienced by the delay.
Library Notices via E-Mail
All students in the University receive their Library notices electronically. Other users may ask to receive notices via email by writing email-notices@lib.uchicago.edu or by notifying a Circulation Supervisor.
If you are currently receiving Library notices via email, you can also use the above procedure to ask that notices be sent to you via standard mail (U.S. Mail or Faculty Exchange). At this time, we can send notices via email or standard mail, but not both.
Regardless of the notification method chosen, please be sure to keep a current address on file with the Library. You can change your address at any Library circulation desk or by completing our online address change form.
Circulation Desk Contact Information
Crerar Library and Yerkes Library Circulation
webpage · (773) 702-0409 ·
email
D'Angelo Law Library Circulation
webpage · (773) 702-0213
Eckhart Library Circulation
webpage · (773) 702-8778
Harper Library Circulation
webpage · (773) 702-7960
Regenstein Library Circulation
(773) 702-8781 · email
SSA Library Circulation
(773) 702-1199 · email
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