Using the Library

Library members may borrow from any library.

The Sir Duncan Rice Library

Self-service kiosks for borrowing library material can be found on the Ground Floor, in the Heavy Demand area on Floor 1, and on Floors 3 - 7.

Other Site Libraries

Take the items you wish to borrow to the nearest Issue Desk together with your ID card.

You are responsible for all books issued on your card. Do not pass them on to other people or lend your card to others.

How many items can I borrow?

Information on borrowing for other libraries

We can provide loans and photocopies from our collections to libraries in the UK and abroad through the Inter Library Loans Service.

Returning loans

All types of library material, except Heavy Demand items, can be returned to any University library site. Secure boxes are placed outside the doors of the Taylor and Medical Libraries for returning Heavy Demand items before opening time.

The Sir Duncan Rice Library: use the Returns Room self-return machines. There are two internal drop points (like letter boxes) that allow you to return books one by one through a slot. Books are automatically discharged from your borrower record and routed by conveyer belts to sorting bins allocated to each floor or collection. Books are then collected by library staff and taken up to the relevant floors for fast reshelving. See Using the Returns machine video

On the outside wall of the Returns Room is an external book drop slot where you can make returns even when the library building is closed. This allows return of books, when the Library building itself is open or closed, 24 hours and 7 days per week.

Please take the receipt as this is your proof that the item has been returned.

Site Libraries: when returning loans during library opening hours, please give the material to a member of staff at the issue desk. Library material remains your responsibility while it is issued to you so please wait until it is discharged.

Heavy Demand material must be returned to the site where you borrowed it.

Annual Return of Books in June

Prior to the Annual return of Books in June items can be renewed via the library catalogue or in person. Fines for late returns are charged at a daily rate per item. The fine rate, for items overdue at the Annual Return, is 20p per day, if the item was not requested - if recalled or on hold, the fine rate is the normal £1.00 per day.

Self-renewal can be done from the library catalogue for 4-week, 3-day and 24-hour loans:

• log on to the library catalogue by entering your University computer username and password or your ID number and PIN number. If you log on with your ID number a PIN number is required for this, please ask at any Help Desk for this
• select Borrower Record
• select Loans to view the list of items you have on loan
• select the item you wish to renew then click on the Renew button

You can use self-renewal to renew your loans if the item is not required by anyone else.

• Long Loan items can be renewed twice in succession.
• 4 Week Loan items can be renewed twice.
• 3 day loans can be renewed 9 times or over a total period of 30 days if not requested.

Thereafter, the item must be brought in to the Library and the renewal done at the Information Centre or Issue Desk.

If you have any problems, ask at the Issue Desk in the relevant site library.

Fines Summary

Please return items requested from you by the due date given - someone else is waiting. If items are not returned by their due date, other users, who have recalled or placed holds on these items, are inconvenienced. To discourage this, the Library levies fines.

If you have outstanding fines on your record, you will not be allowed to borrow until these are cleared. Students in their final year will not be able to graduate until all debts to the library have been cleared.

All library notifications (Recalls, Overdues and Collects) are sent to your University email address, and are not sent on paper via the Royal Mail or University internal mail unless you write to the Head of Library Services, Mr Laurence Bebbington.

Remember: you need never pay a library fine if you return your loans on time!

You can request material that is out on loan, make an advanced booking for an item in Heavy Demand or request an item from another site or store using the Availability tab and Request option in Primo or the Request function from the Holdings screen in the Library Catalogue.

If the item you require is on loan to someone else then, depending on the loan period, the Library will ensure that it is returned and/or reserved for you.

If the item is in a closed access store or at a library on a different University of Aberdeen campus, you can place a request for the material to be delivered to your site library for collection.

You will be notified via your University email account when an item is available for you to collect. Only your University email account will be used. If you do not want to be notified by email you must apply in writing to the Head of Library Services Mr Laurence Bebbington.

Collecting requested items

At the Sir Duncan Rice Library items are self-collection and can be collected and issued via the self service kiosks within the Heavy Demand area on Floor 1. Items are shelved alphabetically using the first 4 letters of your surname and last 4 numbers on you ID card. Long loan books will be held for for 5 days, 3 days for a 3-day-loan item and 24 hours for restricted loan journals.

At other site libraries requested items are held for collection at the Issue Desk.

Request a long loan or 4-week loan item

In Primo, if the item is currently out on loan or in a closed access store, it will say Request from in red. If you are a member of the University, you can place a request in Primo. If you are an external member, click on Details and click on the Library Catalogue link.

You can request anything that is out on loan to another reader yourself from the Library Catalogue. When you have located the item you want:

• click on the Request link on the left of the Holdings screen in the library catalogue
• enter your ID number + card issue number, followed by your PIN number

We email the person who has the item out and ask them to bring it back promptly, within 5 days. When it has come back to the library we let you know via your University email account and keep the item for you for a week.

If you have any problems placing a request take a note of the barcode which you will find on the catalogue record, take your ID card to an Issue Desk and ask staff to request the item for you. If the item has already been requested for someone else, we can add your name to the waiting list.

Request a short-loan item

Do this yourself from Primo or the Library Catalogue. When you have located the item you want, if it is on loan, you can request to see it when it is returned:

• click on the Request link on the left of the Holdings screen in the library catalogue
• enter your ID number + card issue number, followed by your PIN number

You will be notified via your University email account when the item has been returned. You can also check your borrower Record on the catalogue to see if the item has been returned.

Request a Heavy Demand item

Do this yourself from Primo or the Library Catalogue. When you have located the item you want:

• log in using your computer username and password, or your ID number + card issue number, followed by your PIN number
• click on the Availability tab, then the Heavy Demand Booking link.   Select the date you wish to reserve the item for. 

You may book items up to 3 weeks in advance.  Up to 14 items may be reserved over that period - please note that you may not book an item for consecutive days, or reserve more than 2 items per day. 

On the day of your booking, fetch the item from the shelf in the Heavy Demand area – you will need a note of the shelfmark in order to find the item.

Take the item(s) to a Self Service kiosk and issue them.  Please check the due date on the receipt carefully – late returns are charged at a rate of 75p per hour.

Please ask staff if you need any assistance with making bookings or finding reserved items.

Intercampus and Closed Access Store Requests

You can request items located in site libraries on different University of Aberdeen campuses or from library stores using Primo or the Library Catalogue.

When you have located the item you want,

• click on the Request link on the left of the Holdings screen in the library catalogue
• enter your ID number + card issue number, followed by your PIN number

Staff will fetch the material for you and send it to the appropriate site library the next working day (Monday to Friday only). For collection times, please ask at the site where you collect the material.

Further information on requesting print journal parts from store can be found in the Fact Sheet Journals - How Do I Find a Journal?

24-hour Loan Periodicals will be kept for one day before being returned to their home site library. Other Intercampus and Store material will be held for you for up to 5 days.

Daily delivery of Store material to the Sir Duncan Rice Library is by approximately 16:00, Monday to Friday.

Please note: We do not transfer requested items within the Old Aberdeen campus between the Sir Duncan Rice Library and Taylor Library.