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How to Borrow

Learn how to borrow and return books at UEA Library. Plus, learn about our High Demand collection and how call numbers work.

A student browses the shelves with a text overlay that reads 'How to Borrow'

Borrowing and Returning

The Library has self-service borrowing and book return machines on Floor 0.  

To borrow a book from the Library building, you just need to have your campus card on hand and to follow the instructions on your self-service machine screen.  

To return a book, you can use the returns sorter on Floor 0 or drop your book off in our book return boxes outside the building. Not able to get to campus? You can use our Free Postal Loan and Free Collect From Home services.

 

Book Loans and Renewals

Normal book loans are for 7 days and renew automatically, so you only need to return your book if someone else requests it (in which case, we’ll email you and you’ll have 7 days to return the item). Items in the High Demand collection have 3-day loans, and there are also clearly labelled ‘reference only’ items in the Library which cannot be borrowed - look for the sticker on the spine which says "REF".

 

My Account

You can access your Library account through Library Search and by using your campus card with the self-service kiosks on Floor 0 of the Library.  

In Library Search, select ‘Sign In’ and use your UEA IT username and password. In your account you can check: 

  • Current items on loan and their return dates  
  • Outstanding requests  
  • Requests waiting to be collected and date to collect by 

Please keep an eye on your UEA email, this is how you will be contacted if an item you have on loan has an outstanding request on it.  

If a request is made on an item you have and you fail to return it within 7 days, your account will be frozen. This will stop you from borrowing any new items until you have returned your overdue books. This will also stop any other books you have on loan from auto-renewing. Your account will un-freeze once you return your overdue items.  

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

External borrowers: 20 items (no DVDs).

All other borrowers: 50 items.

Locker Keys: UEA Students may borrow 1 locker key at a time (this applies to UEA Staff who are also students). City College students, INTO students, Visitors, External Borrowers and Associate Staff may use a daily visitor locker.

Please note that the CLRC (Curriculum Learning Resources Collection) on Floor 1 is restricted to EDU Students and Staff only.

Only 6 DVDs may be borrowed at a time.

Due to licensing restrictions, UEA-purchased e-resources are only available to current UEA Students and Staff.

Use Library Search to request a book that is on loan. Unless you request an item, it will continue to auto-renew and not come back to the Library shelf.

Find the item you want in Library Search, click on it, and then click request. Select the location you would like to collect the item from, and submit.

We will email you once an item is ready to collect. Items will be reserved for 3 days (including weekends).

In order to collect your item, you will need your Pick Up ID. This is the first two letters of your family name and the last three letters of your UEA IT username. For example, if your family name is Smith and your IT username is abc19def your Pick Up ID will be SM - DEF.

If you have issues returning an item, or it is lost, please get in touch with our Helpdesk team.

We do not charge fines for late or lost items. However, we may ask you to conduct a search for the item before we replace it.

If you are certain you returned an item to the Library but it is still on your account, please email us and your account status will be updated to ‘Claimed Returned’.

If Library staff cannot find the book after a period of 4 weeks, you may be asked to conduct a final search for the item before a replacement is bought.

Help

Need help with finding your books on Library shelves? Speak to our friendly Helpdesk team.

Need help finding quality resources? Contact your Academic Librarian.