To borrow most library items, bring them to the circulation desk in each library and present your UChicago Card or other library card. For detailed due date information, see Due Dates and Loan Periods on this page.
To renew your items online, log in to My Account and select Items Out. Items can also be renewed at any Circulation desk.
Most Library users may renew regular loan items online three times. Once you reach that limit, you must bring the items back to a Circulation desk to be renewed.
Our renewals policy is intended to encourage users to return items they are no longer actively using. This makes more books immediately available for browsing and research by other Library users and also protects the library's collection from damage and loss.
Any of the following infractions will result in the temporary suspension of borrowing and renewing privileges:
In addition, users with $100 or more in outstanding library charges by the 6th week of a quarter will be restricted at the University Registrar (see Overdue Notices Schedule).
Upcoming quarterly due date: Friday, June 28, 2013.
Quarterly loans due June 28, 2013 can be renewed starting: Monday, June 3, 2013.
Items on quarterly loan borrowed or renewed after June 3, 2013 will be due: Friday, October 4, 2013.
To see the current due dates for all your items, log-in to My Account and select Items Out.
| Borrower Type | Loan Period (Unless Recalled) | Online Renewal Limit | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty | Indefinite | n/a | n/a, unless recalled |
| Ph.D and J.S.D. Students | Quarterly | none | Friday, First week of every quarter |
| Undergraduate and Graduate Students, Staff | Quarterly | 3 | Friday, First week of every quarter |
| Alumni with purchased borrowing privileges | Quarterly | 3 | Friday, First week of every quarter |
| Northwestern Users | 12 weeks | 3 | Check My Account |
| UIC Faculty | Crerar - 28 days / All other libraries - 16 weeks | 3 | Check My Account |
If you are a borrower not listed above, please visit our Access and Privileges page for more information.
You must return recalled items 7 days after the library sends notice. If an item has been recalled from you, please return it by the date given in the recall notice to avoid fines or suspension of borrowing privileges, regardless of the original loan period or due date.
Please note that regular items may be recalled from you at any time. This policy applies to all Library users, including faculty with indefinite borrowing privileges. It also applies year-round; holidays and interim periods are not excepted. If you are going to be away from the Chicago area for more than 7 days, you may wish to return items before departing or arrange a means of returning recalled items while you are away.
Reserves items, such as 2, 4, and 24 hour loans, as well as other short term loans have specific due times as well as due dates. If you do not return these items by the exact due time, fines accrue the minute the book is overdue, at the rate of $1/hour. Circulation staff will inform you of an item's due time upon check out, or you can access My Account to see when your items are due.
Users may only borrow 2 reserves items at a time. This policy does not apply to D'Angelo Law Library reserves. For more information, please read the Library Course Reserves policies.
Other short term loans include 14 day loans for DVDs at D'Angelo Law Library, and 7 day loans for bound Mathematics journals in Eckhart and Crerar.
Video games may be borrowed for the same length of time as regular items, but users may only borrow 3 video game items at a time. The Library does not provide equipment on which to play video games; users may borrow consoles from the Digital Media Center's equipment cage, located in the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts.
Regenstein Recordings Collection items circulate for either 7 days or 28 days. Further policies and procedures apply for borrowing items from the Regenstein Recordings Collection .
To recall an item that is currently checked out, click the "Recall Item" link next to the item status in the Library Catalog or Lens. The current borrower will be required to return it within 7 days.You will receive an email notice when it is available.
Items that cannot be recalled:
To view the status of your recall requests, go to My Account and select Requests.
To view your outstanding fines, log into My Account and select Blocks. You will receive a quarterly reminder of all outstanding fines via email.
| Fine Type | Rate | Maximum | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular Loan | n/a | No fine until item is declared lost | Declared lost 3 weeks after first overdue notice. See Overdue Notices Schedule. |
| Interlibrary Loan and Recall* | $3/day | $75 | Declared lost 2 weeks after first overdue notice |
| Reserves and Short Loans | $1/hour | $75 | Declared lost 2 weeks after first overdue notice |
| Damaged items | varies | Replacement Cost | The fine will be determined by library staff up to the full replacement cost of the item, depending on the damage. Fines for damaged Interlibrary Loan items are determined by the lending library, not University of Chicago Library staff. |
| Lost items | n/a | Replacement Cost | Returning a lost item will result in a waiver of lost book charges, however recall or reserves fines will remain. |
*Recalled items and Interlibrary Loan items are due before midnight on the specified due date. Items returned after midnight will be assessed overdue fines.
You may pay fines in person by cash, check, or university interdepartmental order (Comptroller Form No. 62) at the Circulation desks at Regenstein, Crerar, D'Angelo, and SSA libraries or at the ID and Privileges Office.
You may also pay with a Visa Card or MasterCard in person or by telephone at the Circulation desks at Regenstein, Crerar, and D'Angelo libraries or at the ID & Privileges Office.
Fines cannot be accepted at Eckhart or Mansueto libraries at this time.
For telephone numbers and hours of operation, see Contact Us below.
To pay by mail, send a check to our address at the bottom of this page.
Checks should be made payable to "The University of Chicago Library." If a payment by check does not clear due to insufficient funds or a stop payment request, the original fee will be reinstated and a $50 returned check fee will be added to your account.
Please use the Fine Appeal and Claim Form to appeal any fines you feel were assessed in error, to claim that you've already returned, or never borrowed, an item checked out to your account, or to report a lost or damaged item. Library staff will review your appeal/claim and grant or deny it based on surrounding circumstances, including your overall library record. Items claimed returned will be searched for by library staff twice over a 4-6 week period; if not found, library staff will bill you for replacement or declare the item missing.
Minimum replacement costs for lost or heavily damaged items are as follows:
Replacement costs may be increased at the discretion of Library staff for items whose value exceeds the minimum replacement cost.
The Library will also accept a replacement copy of a lost item. The copy offered for replacement must meet the specific criteria described below. In lieu of the $100-$150 lost-item charge, a $25 processing fee, which covers the costs of cataloging and (if applicable) binding, will be assessed.
Replacement copies must be new or used in Very Good condition (clean, unmarked, and untorn with an intact spine and binding) or better. Replacement copies must also match the lost item to the satisfaction of the subject librarian, based on the following criteria: title; author; editor; translator; edition; pagination; ISBN
If you are unsure whether a particular item will be acceptable as a replacement, please contact the appropriate person from our list of subject specialists. If you need to know which librarian to contact or want more information about the lost item, contact Circulation .
Not all lost Interlibrary Loan items are eligible for replacement. If you've lost an Interlibrary Loan item and would like to provide a replacement copy, contact Interlibrary Loan at interlibrary-loan@lib.uchicago.edu.
Replacement copies should be brought to a Circulation supervisor or sent to our address at the bottom of this page.
When mailing a replacement copy to the library, please include your name and contact information, as well as something that identifies the item as a replacement, so we can process the book correctly and credit your account.
If you find and return an item after paying for its replacement, contact Circulation to request a refund of the replacement cost. If you have already provided a replacement copy, the Library will return either the replacement copy that you had provided or will return the original lost (then found) library book. It will be at the Library's discretion which copy is retained by the Library.
The library uses the most current email address on file to contact you about recalls, due dates, fines, and other notices, and library users are responsible for keeping their contact information up to date. To verify or update your email address, log into My Account and choose Profile. You can also manage your contact information by visiting a Circulation Desk supervisor at any of the libraries or the ID and Privileges Office in the lobby of the Regenstein Library.
Users with quarterly loan periods receive the following notices at the end of each loan period.
| Date | Notice |
|---|---|
| Monday, week before quarter | Pre-overdue notice; items with quarterly due dates can be renewed online |
| Friday, 1st week of quarter | Quarterly due date |
| Monday, 2nd week of quarter | First overdue notice; three weeks to renew/return before billing |
| Monday, 3rd week of quarter | Second overdue notice; two weeks to renew/return before billing |
| Monday, 4th week of quarter | Third and final notice; one week to return/renew before billing |
| Monday, 5th week of quarter | Overdue items declared lost, billed for replacement; borrowing and renewing privileges are suspended |
| Thursday, 5th week of quarter | Summary notice listing all lost items and other charges owed |
| Monday, 6th week of quarter | Library Charges Due; users who owe the library $100 or more will be restricted at the University Registrar, preventing enrollment and access to other University services |
In accordance with the University of Chicago Library Privacy Statement, borrower records are treated as confidential information. Library staff will not disclose a Library user's borrowing record or personal information to others without the user's explicit permission, unless required to do so by law or by University policies.
Please contact Circulation using our online form if you have a question or comment about your account or Circulation policies and procedures. We will attempt to reply to all inquiries within one business day.
We can also be reached by phone at the following numbers:
|
John Crerar Library |
773-702-7409 |
|
D'Angelo Law Library |
773-702-0213 |
|
Eckhart Library |
773-702-8778 |
|
Joseph Regenstein Library |
773-702-8781 |
|
Social Service Administration (SSA) Library |
773-702-1199 |
Library hours vary; see our detailed library hours for more information.
For correspondence via mail or to ship library items, please use the address:
ATTN Circulation
Regenstein Library
1100 E. 57th St.
Chicago, IL 60637-1502
When mailing a library item or replacement copy, we strongly suggest selecting a shipping method that allows you to track and confirm package delivery. When returning an item with a due date, take into account shipping time when selecting a shipping method.
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1100 East 57th Street Chicago Illinois 60637
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