Borrowing

Borrowing basics

• Use your student ID card to borrow items from self service machines or service desks
• Manage your requests and loans online by signing in to Your Library Account  
• Return books at any of our Libraries
• Access our online collections from anywhere at anytime
   

Additional borrowing information

Requesting items

If there are no available copies of an item you need, you can make a request.

• If you want to use the item when it is returned, but do not need it urgently, you can make a request. As soon as the item becomes available it will be held for you at your home library, for seven days (or three days for 3-Day loan items). You will receive notification when it is available. For further information see Te Waharoa help.
• If the item is held at another campus library (and is available immediately) you can request it and it will be delivered to your home library.  Please note that there is no intersite delivery between the Pipitea Libraries (Commerce and Law), and that you cannot place a request for an item that is available at your home library.
• If the item is not held at Victoria University Library you can request it via our interloan service.

Detailed information about requesting items.

Recalled items

Items may be recalled from the current borrower if another borrower has made a request. You will receive a recall notice advising you of the new due date. The loan period (for standard books) will be no less than one week, even if recalled. If you do not return the item by the new date, you will be charged overdue fines at a rate of $2 per day, and will be unable to borrow further items.

Renewing items

In general, standard items borrowed by Victoria University staff and students will be automatically renewed.
However, there are certain circumstances in which an item cannot be renewed. These include:

• Items which have reached their renewal limit - either a certain period of time or a certain number of renewals. You cannot renew an item if to do so would exceed the renewal limit.
• Items which have been requested by another borrower.
• If you have an overdue recalled item, you cannot renew items, place requests, or borrow any further items until you return the overdue recalled item.​
• External borrowers may not be able to renew items.

Course Reserves

Books, journal articles and DVDs on course reading lists are placed on Course Reserve at the start of each trimester, making them available for in-Library use on short loan (2 hours, in general).
Course reserve search allows you to find material on reserve for your course. You can search by course code or course name.

Booking a course reserve item

You can book a Course Reserve item for a specific time (up to four months ahead), whether or not it is currently checked out. To book an item, first locate it in Te Waharoa (you need to be signed in), then:

1. Click on the "Find in Library" tab.
2. Click on "Request". 
3. Select the date and time you wish to reserve the item for (the item is only available for use at the Library where it is located).
4. Click on the "Request" button to make your booking.

Returning Items

You can return an item to any of our libraries - you do not have to return it to the library from which it was borrowed.

If the library is not open, After Hours returns slots are available near the entrance at the Kelburn, Architecture and Design, Commerce, and Law Libraries.

Please note that items returned through the after-hours returns slots will be checked in (and removed from your account) the next day. 

All fragile items (like laptops) must be returned to a Service Point and not put in the After Hours returns slots.

You can also post items back to us. Send them to:

Client Services
The Library
Victoria University of Wellington 
P O Box 3438
Wellington

Posted items must be received by us on or before the due date, or overdue fines will be charged.

Text Message Notifications for Holds

You can sign up for Library text messages, free of charge. The Library will send you a text message when an item you have on hold is ready for you to collect or an item you have on loan is recalled.
For more information, or to sign up, login to your account

ULANZ Reciprocal Borrowing

All currently employed staff and currently enrolled students of ULANZ member universities are eligible to borrow in person from any other member university's library.

The following universities are members of ULANZ:

• Auckland University of Technology
• Lincoln University
• Massey University
• University of Canterbury
• University of Otago
• University of Waikato

More information about ULANZ Reciprocal Borrowing