Borrowing Policies

• Policy Goals
• Circulating Collection
• Fines
• Renewals

Borrowing Privileges

• Borrower Glossary
• Privileges Table (web)
• Privileges Table (pdf)

Eligible Borrowers

• VCU Undergraduate Students
• VCU Graduate Students
• VCU Faculty
• VCU Staff
• Health System Employees
• Other Faculty
  (Preceptors, Board of Visitors, SCHEV, OCLC RFBP)
• Visitors and Friends
  (Friends of the Library, BioTech Park, RALC, Consortia, High School, Conference Participants)
• In-House

• Questions?
• Contact for Assistance
• Ask a Librarian

 Borrowing Items from the VCU Libraries

VCU Libraries advances the academic success of students, faculty, staff, and health professionals through one of Virginia's most outstanding academic library collections. The borrowing privileges of the VCU Libraries strive to offer the university community fair and expeditious access to research materials while protecting materials for future scholars and students. We constantly seek new and innovative ways to improve access to our collections.

If you have comments, questions, or recommendations, please feel free to contact us.

Borrowing Categories

Click your Borrower Category below for a highlighted column of your specific privileges by item.

Policy Goals

• To establish loan and renewal periods so that borrowers have the opportunity to use library resources away from library property.

• To establish item loan limits so that borrowers have sufficient materials to complete their research and studies without unduly affecting the needs of other borrowers.

• To establish terms under which persons not directly associated with VCU have an opportunity to borrow library materials without unduly compromising the ability of VCU faculty, staff and students to complete their research and studies.

• To restrict loans of valuable, fragile, or high use materials to preserve the collections and to guarantee adequate resources for all.

Scope of Circulating Collection

• Monographs in the open stacks and in the documents collection circulate to all registered borrowers.

• Newspapers, unbound journals, and microforms do not circulate.

• Most materials in TML Multimedia and Cabell Media & Reserve Services (MRS) circulate to all registered borrowers. Certain media collections circulate only to VCU users and are available for others on-site use only. These restrictions may be due to license restrictions, core curricular support, replacement cost and availability, and high use.

• Material designated for 2 and 4 hour circulation periods are for use within the building only.

• Reference materials (including reference materials held by departments other than Reference Services) do not circulate. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.

• Course Reserve material loan periods vary - 2 hours, 1 day, 3 days and 7 days. Library owned materials that are placed on reserve can be checked out to community borrowers for on-site use only. Reserve materials may be renewed at the discretion of the desk attendant, who will consider the number of copies and high use patterns.

• Special Collections and Archives materials do not circulate, unless circulation is specified as part of the condition of a gift or loan.

• Secured Collection materials circulate to VCU faculty only.

• Media which accompanies a book will circulate the same length as the book unless it has been determined that the media item may be used independently.

• Office copies of Library materials circulate to all registered borrowers at the discretion of the appropriate service unit manager.

• Further restrictions may be placed on some items that are fragile or in high demand.