Borrowing books

To borrow books, you need a valid University card / library card.
Books that are in the closed stacks can be requested using our catalogue SmartCat, and collected at the Self Service point.

If you want to request a book in Smartcat, but the book is lost in our collection, you can request it from another library. Within the Netherlands, this is free of charge. You have to submit a new request yourself:

• Log into Smartcat, under the ‘Sign in’ button at the top right.
• After logging in, find ‘My account’ > ‘Requests’> ‘Create request’ and choose ‘Loan’.
• Fill in as many details as possible in the form; preferably also the ‘OCLC’ number that the UG title displays in Smartcat.

As soon as the book has arrived (about a week), we will notify you. You can then pick up your book at the UB City Centre Library Support Desk.

The loan period is four weeks, or 10 day in case of short-term loans. This period will be extended automatically (a maximum of 24 times for staff and 12 times for students and other borrowers), unless another borrower reserves the publication. The publication must be returned at the end of the loan period or when someone reserves the publication.

The loan period will be extended automatically (a maximum of 24 times for staff and 12 times for students and other borrowers), unless the publication is reserved by another borrower. If you fail to return a book after the maximum loan period has expired or in case of a reservation a replacement fee will be charged. Further information: Request, pick up, return

You will receive a ready-for-collection message stating the location where you can pick up the book.

By clicking on the title you want in SmartCat, you can look under 'Availability’ to see the collection in which the book is kept and its call number. If the book is in the closed stacks, you can request it.

See: information ILL

Click on the title you want and then click the Request button. UG students and staff can login with their P or S number, other borrowers use the 04 number next to the barcode on their library card, and the associated password. You will be notified by email when the book is ready for you to collect.

When you request books from the closed stacks, you can often collect them the same day. You will be notified when the requested material is ready for you.

If a book is currently on loan, you can reserve it. As soon as the current borrower returns the book, you will be informed that you can pick it up.

You will receive a message stating that you can collect the book when it has been returned by the previous borrower. We do not know in advance how long this will take.

See: Journals and newspapers

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