Using the Library : Borrow, Return and Renew

Renewing borrowed items

Standard items are loaned for 4 weeks, and will auto-renew 6 times if they have not been requested by another user. After this period you will need to physically bring the book back to the Library.

You cannot renew an item if it has been reserved by another user or if your fines have reached the £20 fine limit. To avoid building up fines, it is a good idea to get into the habit of checking your account on a regular basis and we will send you a monthly statement of activity on your account on the 1st of the month.. 

To check what items you have on loan and when they are due back, use the My Library Account button on the Library homepage and log in with your Library card number. Select the 'Checkouts' tab.

We will also send you regular reminders – see the ‘Need a Reminder?’ section below.

Returning items

Borrowed items can be returned using the returns sorter units near the Help Desk -  they will discharge your loans automatically and send you an email check-in receipt.

Please follow the on-screen instructions 'posting' one returned item at a time: waiting for the prompt before returning the next item. This returns unit sorts material, speeding up the process of getting material back on the shelves for the next user.

You can also return items through the book drop to the left of the main doors to the Bannerman Centre. The book drop does not automatically take the items off your account. It is emptied every morning and items are put through the returns sorter by our staff. You should get a receipt, within 24 hours, for items returned this way. You can also check your account online.

You can also return items through our Freepost Book Return Service

Need a reminder?

The Library system will automatically send you monthly account statements showing you recalled items and the new due date, current loans and their due dates, outstanding bills and the status of any reserved items. 

You will receive separate notices via email if:

  • An item has been auto-renewed for the maximum number of times and must be physically returned to the Library

  • An item has been recalled because another user wishes to borrow it. If you receive this notice, you will have 14 days to return the item; on the 15th day you will begin to accrue fines of £2/day.

These reminders are sent to your Brunel email address.

Please note that although these reminders are generally reliable, they are a courtesy service. You should still keep track of your account - if there seem to be problems then it's important you let us know as soon as possible.

Fines and Charges

The Library operates a fine free policy on overdue items with the following exceptions.

Recall charges: Long Loan items can be recalled, but only after you have had them for 2 weeks. When you receive a recall notice you have 14 days to return the item to us. If the item has not been returned by this date recall charges are applied at £2 per day.

Lost Book Invoices: Items more than 2 weeks overdue will be assumed to be lost and an invoice for the replacement costs will be applied to your Library account. If the item remains overdue for more than 14 days from the date of the invoice it will be passed to Student Finance and become a University Bill. 

Loan periods

Non-loan: These are core titles which are kept available for reference. They have a red spine label*.

Standard: Most Library stock is now 4 week loan, with auto-renewal up to 6 times. If an item is reserved then it will be recalled after 2 weeks of borrowing.  These items have a white label or no label.

Loan allowances

Undergraduates: 15 items

Taught postgraduates: 15 items

Research postgraduates: 20 items

University staff: 35 items

CDs and DVDs

DVDs and CDs are shelved in security cases that will need to be unlocked before you can use them. Once you have borrowed these items using the self issue machines, they can be unlocked using the unit to the left of the Library exit doors. 

Can't Find What You're Looking For?

You could check to see if the item you require is available as an e-resource.  Enquire at the Help Desk for more information.    

If you can’t find what you’re looking for, it may be that all the copies are out on loan. You can place a reservation on an item, using the Click and Collect or Click and Post services. This reserves a copy for you and/or recalls it from a user who currently has it on loan. You will be notified via email that a copy has been returned to the Library and you can collect it within 5 days of the date on the email or that the item is on it's way if it is a Click and Post item.