How Long You Can Keep Items

The length of time you can keep library materials varies depending on your university status, the format of the items, and whether they are locally owned or borrowed through interlibrary loan.

Undergraduates and guests

The loan time is 8 weeks, except for materials from the Askwith Media Library.

Faculty, graduate students, staff, spouses, and other qualified adults

The loan time is usually a full semester. 

Exceptions to this include materials from the Art, Architecture, and Engineering Library; Fine Arts Library; and Shapiro Library, which have 8-week loan periods.

Specific formats

Some specific formats (such as magazines and DVDs) have shorter loan times. See what formats are included and how long you can keep them.

Interlibrary loans

How long you can keep items received through interlibrary loan is determined by the lending library. The average loan times range from 6 to 16 weeks, though it is often shorter for audiovisual materials.