Are you unsure about how many books you can borrow from our Libraries at any one time? Are you a little confused about how long you can keep them to study, use for research, or read for pleasure? Please read on to learn more about borrowing from the hundreds of thousands of high-quality books available on our miles and miles of Library shelves.
How many books can I borrow?
The table below shows you how many books you are able to borrow from our Libraries at any one time, depending on the type of Library Account you have.
| Type of Library Account | Number of books you can borrow |
| Undergraduate Student | 20 |
| Taught Postgraduate Student | 20 |
| Research Postgraduate Student | 30 |
| University Staff | 50 |
| NHS Grampian Staff | 10 |
| External Members | 10 |
| SCONUL Access Students | 5 |
How long can I borrow the books for?
The hundreds of thousands of books available in all of our Libraries can be borrowed for different lengths of time, depending on how much they are expected to be used for teaching or research. The tables below explain the different loan types available and how you can easily identify them on the shelves.
Heavy Demand |
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| How can I tell if a book is Heavy Demand?
There will be Blue tape on the book’s spine, as well as the shelfmark. These books are core reading materials across all courses and therefore have the shortest loan periods in our collection. |
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| How long for? | Can I renew the Loan? | Fines, if late back? |
| 1 day, due back 10.30am the next day – or Monday if borrowed on a Friday or over the weekend.
If borrowing before 10.30am please check the due date and time carefully – if the item is booked it will be due back at 10.30am that day. Check the screen and your receipt for the due date and time. A few items are on 3 hour reference. You may borrow the item using the self service kiosks in Heavy Demand but must return it within 3 hours. |
No phone renewals are allowed.
Renewals must be done in person, with the item present. This is because items must be returned by a specific time during the day and very often the item has already been reserved for another reader.
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Please note: there is a steep scale of fines for late returns of Heavy Demand books!
75 pence per hour if returned after 10.30am The fine increases hourly every hour the library is open
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Three Day Loan
How can I tell if a book is Three Day Loan?
There will be yellow tape on the book’s spine, as well as the shelfmark. These books have been recommended for reading on different courses.
How Long for?
Return within 3 days, weekends included e.g. borrowed Wednesday, due back on Saturday. Holds may be placed to reserve these.
Can I renew the loan?
Items may be renewed as long as no-one else has placed a hold on the item.
Items will be renewed automatically for you if not requested by another reader.
You can renew 4 Week Loan items yourself via MyAccount in Primo, or in person at one of our libraries up to 9 times.
Fines, if late back?
£1.00 per day for recalled items.
See also Annual Return of books in May. Contact library staff for details.
Four Week Loan
How can I tell if a book is Four Week Loan?
There will be white tape on the book’s spine, as well as the shelfmark.
How Long for?
Four weeks from date of borrowing, but they can always be recalled at any time by another user of the library, including over holidays.
If the book is recalled an email will be sent to your University account telling you when to return it.
Can I renew the loan?
Items may be renewed unless recalled or on hold by another reader.
Items will be renewed automatically for you if not requested by another reader (Aberdeen University students and staff).
You can renew 4 Week Loan items yourself via MyAccount in Primo, or in person at one of our libraries up to 9 times.
Fines, if late back?
20p per day, for items that have not been requested by another reader. Overdue recalled or on hold 4 Week Loan items are fined at the normal £1 per day rate.
Long Loan
How can I tell if a book is Long Loan?
There will be no coloured tape on the book’s spine, only the shelfmark.
How long for?
Until the end of the Summer term, but they can always be recalled at any time by another user of the library, including over holidays. If the book is recalled an email will be sent to your University account telling you when to return it.
Can I renew the loan?
Recalled items cannot be renewed. Before the annual return of books in May items can be renewed via MyAccount in Primo or in person at one of our libraries.
Fines, if late back?
£1.00 per day for recalled items. See also Annual Return of books in May. Contact library staff for details.
24-hour Restricted Loan
How can I tell if a book is 24-hour Restricted Loan ?
There will be a 24 Hour Loan label on the first page of the book. There will be no coloured tape on the book’s spine, only the shelfmark. Very few books have 24 hour loan periods.
How long for?
Return within 24 hours from the time of issue, weekends included, e.g. issued 4.45pm Tuesday, due back by 4.45pm Wednesday.
Can I renew the loan?
Restricted loans may be renewed as long as no-one else has placed a hold on the item.
You can renew 24-Hour Loan items on loan to yourself via MyAccount in Primo or in person at one of our libraries.
Fines, if late back?
50p for the first hour overdue. 5p per hour thereafter for every hour the Library is open.
Self Issue Machines and PINs
Set up your PIN now to access the self-check machines in our libraries!
Did you know that there is an automated system for issuing and returning books in both the Sir Duncan Rice and the Taylor (Law) libraries? Once you have set up your PIN you will be able to use your student ID card and issue books to your library account without requiring the assistance of a staff member!
How to set up your PIN:
You can either follow the instructions and the link sent to you by email shortly after you’ve registered, or you can visit any of our libraries (Sir Duncan Rice, Taylor (Law), Medical) and ask a member of staff to do that for you at one of the Information Points or Help Desks – don’t worry, it only takes a few seconds!
Happy borrowing!
Ewan Grant, e.grant@abdn.ac.uk; Eleni Papadakou, e.papadakou@abdn.ac.uk; Olivia McIntosh, olivia.mcintosh@abdn.ac.uk
InfoLinks 