Borrowing

All current UVic students, staff, and faculty can borrow materials from the library.

Most loans, excluding equipment, are valid until the end of the term and will automatically renew up to 5 times.
We don’t charge overdue fines for most of our items.
Undergraduate students can borrow up to 75 items at once. Graduate students, staff, and faculty can borrow up to 200 items.

We also lend laptops, cables, cameras, and more. Learn more about laptop and equipment borrowing.

Loans

Detailed information about loan periods and renewals.

Loan type	Loan period	Maximum renewals	Maximum items
Undergraduate (regular items)	Term loans	5	75
Graduate, faculty, staff, or affiliate (regular items)	Term loans	5	200
Course reserves items (short-term)	2 hours or 1 day (as marked)	N/A	2
Course reserves items (long-term)	3 days (as marked)	5	2
Video recordings	3 days	N/A	N/A

Loan details

Regular items are books, air photos, maps, kits, scores, and sound recordings.

The term loan period depends on when you borrow an item:

Items borrowed between September 1–April 30 are due April 30.
Items borrowed between May 1–September 30 are due September 30.
Term loan items will automatically renew up to 5 times.

Please note that any borrowed item may be recalled.

Find out more about fines and what to do if an item is late or lost.

Read the UVic Libraries loan policy for more information.

Borrow other materials

Journals, periodicals, and reference items: contact the Ask Us Desk.
Special Collections & University Archives materials: in-library use only.
Microforms: in-library use only.
Laptop and equipment borrowing.

Regular items: 28 days, up to 25 items, up to 5 renewals.
Sound recordings: 28 days, up to 5 of each type, up to 5 renewals.
Course reserves: in-library use only.
Video recordings: not available.

Read the alumni & community page for more information about how to use the library.

Contact askus@uvic.ca or call 250-721-8230 to get access to library materials.

Read the researchers page for more information about the research supports we provide.

Unable to visit the UVic campus? We can send materials to distance students and faculty members living outside Victoria, free of charge.

Borrowing from outside Victoria

Library cards

Your UVic ONECard also acts as your library card. Visit the ONECard Office to get your ONECard.
Did you know you can set up a mobile ONECard? This digital ONECard on your phone will also work as a library card.

Visit the Ask Us Desk or contact us for help getting a library card if you are not a UVic student, staff, or faculty member. Learn more about what you can do with a community and alumni library card.

Returns

We assign each item you sign out its own return date and time. These dates can change due to renewals and recalls.

You can log into your Library Account to check your return dates. We will also send you an email 3 days before your item is due back.

You can return most items to the book return chutes in the lobby of the Mearns – McPherson Library.

There is also a chute outside for when the library is closed.

Some special items must be returned to the staff at the Ask Us Desk:

laptops, cables and other technology
CDs, records, videos, and other audiovisual equipment
map tubes and air photo envelopes
interlibrary loan materials
recalled items
course reserve items

You can return materials borrowed from the Diana Priestly Library to the front desk.

Renewals

Regular items will automatically renew up to 5 times.

Once an item has been renewed 5 times, you will need to return it.

To reset your loan period after you've reached the renewal limit, bring it back in person. You will then be able to renew it 5 more times before it's due again.

You can return an item to the Mearns – McPherson Library or the Priestly Library, no matter which library you borrowed it from.

Recalled or overdue items cannot be renewed.

Recall, Retrieve, ReQuest

Recall

If the item you want is currently checked out by someone else, you can recall it through Library Search. You will receive an email when your item is ready for pickup. We hold recalled items for 1 week.

An item you have checked out could be recalled if someone else needs it. If that happens:

You will get an email with an updated due date
The recalled item is due 7 days from when the email is sent
If you don't return the item by that date, it will collect fines

Please note that we may recall your loans over university holidays or breaks. We encourage you to return items to the library before leaving campus.

Retrieve

If you cannot pick up the item you want to borrow right away, you can ask library staff to retrieve it for you. To do this, select “Hold/Recall” in Library Search.

A staff member will collect the item and bring it to the Ask Us Desk for you. You can also choose to pick it up at the Diana Priestly Library front desk. You will receive an email when your item is ready for pickup.

ReQuest

UVic faculty and instructors can request library materials to be delivered to their office or sent to their email. Use Library Search to place a request. We aim to deliver your items within 2 business days.

Fines

Regular items do not collect overdue fines, even if they are returned late.

Late fees do apply to some other materials, including:

regular items that are recalled
items borrowed through course reserves or interlibrary loan
audiovisual equipment, including chargers and laptops

Late fee amounts for borrowed items
Item type	Fee amount
regular items	no late fees
recalled items	$2.00 per day
course reserves items	$1.20 per hour
interlibrary loan items	$2.00 per day
DVDs	$5.00 per day
short-term laptops	$0.25 per minute
extended loan laptops and DSLR cameras	$10.00 per day
connector cables and adaptors	$2.00 per day
charging cables and accessories	$1.20 per hour
headphones	$5.00 per day
all other media equipment	$5.00 per day

Pay fines online or in person at the Ask Us Desk.

If your outstanding fines reach $20 or more, you will not be able to borrow more items. Pay the fines to start borrowing again.

Stay on top of your due dates and fees with My Library Account.
To appeal a fine, use our fine appeal form.

We label regular loaned items as lost when they are 30 days overdue.

We label recalled items as lost when they are 10 days overdue.

If an item you borrow is lost, you must pay a processing fine of $30 and a replacement fee (actual cost of the item) for each lost item.

Please report any damaged, lost, or missing library items to the Ask Us Desk.

For any questions about fines, please contact libfines@uvic.ca.

You can choose to give another person access to your library account. This person is called a proxy patron.

Your proxy patron can borrow, renew, and recall items or pay library fines on your behalf.

This service may be useful for:

users with a disability
faculty members who wish to grant access to research or teaching assistants
families who want all their materials on one account

Alternative text formats

Course Reserves

We can provide accessible versions of library materials for course reserves. Contact reserves@uvic.ca or fill out the alternative format request form.
By downloading these files, you agree to keep them for your use only. We follow Canadian Copyright Act rules when providing alternative formats.

CAL Alternative Format Texts Service

Are you registered with the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL)? If so, you may be able to get additional support. Check whether you are eligible for CAL's alternative format texts service.

Distance services

Are you a distance student or faculty member living outside Victoria? We can send print materials to you free of charge.

Borrowing from outside Victoria

Borrow from other libraries

If UVic doesn't have what you need, you can borrow from another library with interlibrary loans.
Are you planning to visit another Canadian university? UVic students, faculty, and staff can also borrow from many university libraries in Canada. Browse the list of participating libraries.
Contact askus@uvic.ca for more information.