Borrowing, loan periods and overdue fines

Borrowing and loan periods

Loan periods and what you can borrow at the library depends on which borrower category you belong to. Please see below for the specific loan periods for your borrower category:

• Students (including students at other universities)
• Distance students registered at the University of Borås
• Staff at the University of Borås
• Members of the public

Please note that we send all our information regarding loans by email.

Students

As a student at the University of Borås or other university you have the right to borrow all materials on loan at the library.

• The loan period for course literature is 7 days
• The loan period for other books is 21 days
• If nobody else reserves the book you have borrowed, the loan will be renewed automatically unless it has reached the maximum loan period.
• The maximum loan period for course literature is 4 months. For other books the maximum loan period is 12 months.
• If a book won’t be automatically renewed a reminder to return the book will be sent to your email.
• If a book that has reached its maximum loan period hasn’t been requested by a borrower, it is possible to borrow the book again. To do so the book first needs to be brought to the library.
• There is no way of renewing loans manually.
• For information about late fees, please see the bottom of this page.
• The loan period for locker keys is 1 week. To extend that period, the locker key needs to be brought to the library.
• The loan period for headphones is 1 day.
• The loan period for calculators is 1 day.
• You can request any items currently on loan. Items that are available for borrowing at the library cannot be requested.
• Requested items should be picked up within three days of receiving the email notifying you that it is available for pickup.
• Material which is not held by the university library can be ordered through so called interlibrary loans.
• Article copies requested through interlibrary loan cost from 40 SEK.
• Interlibrary loan material is subject to the rules of the lending library.

Distance Students

If you’re enrolled in a distance course or programme at the University of Borås, and live outside of Borås municipality, you have the right to, without cost, receive books at home through the postal service. You pay for the shipping yourself to return the books back to the library.

• The loan period for course literature is 12 days
• The loan period for other books is 25 days
• If nobody else reserves the book you have borrowed, the loan will be renewed automatically unless it has reached the maximum loan period.
• The maximum loan period for course literature is 4 months. For other books the maximum loan period is 12 months.
• If a book won’t be automatically renewed a reminder to return the book will be sent to your email.
• If a book that has reached its maximum loan period hasn’t been requested by a borrower, it is possible to borrow the book again. To do so you need to contact the library.
• There is no way of renewing loans manually.
• For information about late fees, please see the bottom of this page.

• The loan period for locker keys is 1 week. To keep a locker key longer than that, the borrower has to go to the library and borrow the key again.
• The loan period for headphones is 1 day.
• The loan period for calculators is 1 day.
• You can request both items currently on loan and items available at the library and we will send them to your home by postal service (provided you live outside Borås municipality, however course literature is not sent to addresses outside Sweden's borders).
• Material which is not held by the university library can be ordered through so called interlibrary loans.
• Article copies requested through interlibrary loan cost from 40 SEK.
• Interlibrary loan material is subject to the rules of the lending library.
• You can read more about the services the library offers distance students at the University of Borås here.

Staff at the University

As a member of staff at the University of Borås you have the right to borrow all materials on loan at the library.

• The loan period for course literature is 7 days
• The loan period for other books is 21 days
• If nobody else reserves the book you have borrowed, the loan will be renewed automatically unless it has reached the maximum loan period.
• The maximum loan period for course literature is 4 months. For other books the maximum loan period is 24 months.
• If a book won’t be automatically renewed a reminder to return the book will be sent to your email.
• If a book that has reached its maximum loan period hasn’t been requested by a borrower, it is possible to borrow the book again. To do so the book first needs to be brought to the library.
• There is no way of renewing loans manually.
• For information about late fees, please see the bottom of this page.
• You can request any items currently on loan. Items that are available for borrowing at the library cannot be requested.
• Requested items should be picked up within three–five days of receiving the email notifying you that it is available for pickup.
• Material which is not held by the University library can be ordered through so called interlibrary loans.
• Interlibrary loan material is subject to the rules of the lending library.

Members of the public

A member of the public is someone who isn’t a student or researcher at the University of Borås or other university. As a member of the public you have the right to borrow material that isn’t classified as course literature by the University of Borås.

• The loan period for books that aren’t course literature is 21 days.
• If nobody else reserves the book you have borrowed, the loan will be renewed automatically unless it has reached the maximum loan period.
• The maximum loan period is 12 months.
• If a book won’t be automatically renewed a reminder to return the book will be sent to your email.
• If a book that has reached its maximum loan period hasn’t been requested by a borrower, it is possible to borrow the book again. To do so the book first needs to be brought to the library.
• There is no way of renewing loans manually.
• For information about late fees, please see below.
• You can request any items currently on loan. Items that are available for borrowing at the library cannot be requested.
• Requested items should be picked up within three days of receiving the email notifying you that it is available for pickup.

Late fines

The library applies fines to material that isn’t returned by the due date. The rules are the same for all borrower categories.

• A late return accrues 10 SEK per overdue day and book.
• Your library account will be blocked if the total fines are 100 SEK or more.
• You can pay your fines at the library through either card or Swish payment.
• Once an item is 14 days overdue, we will send an invoice containing the overdue fines, the replacement charge for the book, and an administrative cost. For current charges, see our price list.
• If an item is returned after the invoice has been sent, the replacement charge is annulled, but the overdue fine and administrative cost must still be paid.
• Invoiced charges should always be paid to the library’s bank giro account.
• If an invoiced item is returned after the invoice has been paid, you can apply to have the replacement charges reimbursed. However, the overdue fine and administrative cost will not be reimbursed.
• Unpaid invoices will be passed on to a debt collection agency.

The complete borrowing rules for the library can be found here.