Borrowing Agreements with Other Institutions

We partner with state and regional institutions to offer expanded borrowing privileges for physical materials through reciprocal agreements. The availability of these privileges and the process for activating them varies. 

For those visiting us to borrow — as with all guest borrowing privileges — there is no limit on the number of items that can be checked out at one time and items can be renewed. Privileges do not include access to online resources or delivery services like interlibrary loan. 

Agreements at-a-glance

Affiliation	Who is eligible?	Get more information
Eastern Michigan University, Washtenaw Community College	Current students, faculty, and staff	See below
Other Michigan universities and colleges	Current, regular faculty	Contact staff at the Hatcher North Information Services desk
Big Ten Academic Alliance member institutions	Current students, faculty, and staff, emeriti faculty	Contact circulation staff at your home institution
Michigan State University, Wayne State University (University Research Corridor)	Currently enrolled graduate students	Contact circulation staff at your home institution
SHARES Onsite Borrowing Program participants	Current faculty, graduate students, staff, and sponsored undergraduates	Complete the SHARES Onsite Borrowing application and await confirmation

Eastern Michigan University and Washtenaw Community College

U-M, Eastern Michigan University, and Washtenaw Community College students, faculty, and staff are eligible for guest borrowing privileges across institutions. You must be a currently enrolled student or current faculty or staff member in good standing at your own library.

If you’re a faculty member, you can show your faculty ID to circulation desk staff when you’re ready to check out.

If you’re a student or staff member, you must first register by bringing a university ID to your home institution’s library desk (Hatcher North Information Services desk for U-M) and filling out a form.

Once registered at your home institution, bring a picture ID and the completed form with you to pick up your guest library card at the other institution's circulation desk. 

Borrowing privileges and library cards for students and staff are valid for the current term, and can be renewed by visiting the circulation desk of your home institution.

Big Ten Academic Alliance

All current faculty, emeritus faculty, students, and staff at Big Ten Academic Alliance institutions and the University of Chicago — if their home academic library account is in good standing — are eligible for guest borrowing privileges at all member institutions.

What you can check out and how long you can keep materials is guided by the guest policies for the lending library, and may vary by institution.

Borrowing privileges must be renewed yearly.

University Research Corridor

Currently enrolled graduate students from the three Michigan Research Libraries Triangle institutions — University of Michigan (all 3 campuses), Michigan State University, and Wayne State University — can receive guest borrowing privileges at each of the universities if their home academic library account is in good standing. 

To receive a library card from one of the other two institutions, you need to present a picture ID and a verification form that has been completed by your home library. U-M graduate students can register at the Hatcher North Information Services desk. 

Cards must be renewed yearly with a newly completed verification form. Materials must be returned to the institution they were borrowed from.

SHARES Onsite Borrowing Program

Current faculty, graduate students, staff, and sponsored undergraduates affiliated with SHARES onsite borrowing participant institutions can receive guest borrowing privileges at each of the universities. Your home institution must confirm your status and good standing at your own library before you can borrow. This agreement is specifically for University of Michigan's Ann Arbor campus. 

To visit a participating institution and borrow materials, complete the SHARES Onsite Borrowing application. Your home institution will notify you along with the institution you wish to visit after review. The library you're visiting will reach out to you with information about your library card.

Approved SHARES guests coming to borrow from us need to visit the Hatcher North Information Services desk with photo identification to get their library card. Cards are valid for one year from date of issue and you can renew by reapplying through the borrowing application. 

Materials should be returned to the institution they were borrowed from.