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Borrowing, renewals, fines and Interlibrary loans

You can borrow books, videos, DVDs and CDs, usually for three weeks. Some items are available for one-week, one-day or two-hour loan, while reference material can only be viewed in the Library. 

Using the collection

Borrowing 

  • Undergraduate/certificate/short course students can borrow up to 20 items (one-week, three-week loan and Short Loan Collection) and two one-day loan items. 
  • Postgraduate students and can borrow up to 25 items (one-week, three-week loan and Short Loan Collection) and two one-day loan items.
  • Staff (including teaching/scholarship staff) can borrow up to 30 items (one-week, three-week loan and Short Loan Collection) and two one-day loan items.
  • Visiting borrowers can usually borrow five items (excluding one-day loans and Short Loan Collection items). 
  • Alumni can access the Library free of charge for reference only or, for an annual fee of £70, you can borrow five items (one-week or three-week loan). 
    • If you have a membership or a one-day pass, you can also get a guest photocopying account, a guest wi-fi account and access to certain digital resources via the walk-in computer near the helpdesk on level one. 
    • Alumni membership does not include access to printing, computers, one-day loans, Interlibrary loans, requests for items out on loan or remote access to digital resources. 
  • Governors, fellows and life members of Birkbeck can borrow five items (one-week or three-week loan). 
    • You can also get a guest photocopying account and a guest wi-fi account. 
    • Membership does not include access to printing, some digital resources, computers, one-day loans, Interlibrary loans or requests for items out on loan.
  • Fetching Service all library users are entitled to use our fetching service for items kept in storage. The Store Request Form can be found on the bottom right of the Library catalogue page.

Renewing 

  • All items on loan are automatically renewed.
  • After the pandemic is over, automatic renewal will not include Short Loan Collection items, one-day loan items or any item requested by another Library user.
  • Interlibrary loans are not automatically renewed. If you have borrowed items using the Interlibrary loans service you can request a renewal.

EMAIL REMINDERS 

Fines - currently suspended during the pandemic

  • One-week and three-week loan items: fines are 25p per day for each late three-week loan item and 50p per day for each late one-week loan item. For current Birkbeck staff and students, there is a grace period of one week before you are charged, which includes the seventh day. On the eighth day, fines on items returned or renewed are £2 for three-week loan items and £4 for one-week loan items. 
  • One-day loans: fines are £5 per day and there is no grace period. These items cannot be renewed. 
  • Short Loan Collection (two-hour loans): fines are 50p per hour or part hour and there is a grace period of 10 minutes. These items cannot be renewed. 
  • If you owe more than £25 in fines, you will not be able to borrow or renew until you have paid some of this amount back.
  • If you are a third-party user/visitor and owe more than £10 in fines, you will not be able to borrow or renew until you have paid some of this amount back.

Interlibrary loans