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Circulation Services and Policies

The University of Michigan's University Library has a 150 year history of collection building and sharing its collections with the broader scholarly community. Over seven million volumes are included in the University Library system of distributed libraries on campus.

Information

Services

Collections access
Obtaining a library card Library Forms
Loan periods List of libraries
Returns and renewals  
Holds and recalls  
Library Notices Policies
Fines Access Policies
Overdue materials Privacy Policy
Lost or damaged books
Address Changes
 


Collections access

There are a number of mechanisms for access provided for those who would like to use materials from the University Library, which are outlined below. There are also policies related to these facilities.

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Obtaining a Library Card

In order to charge materials from any University Library a borrowing card with a machine-readable barcode must be used.

Faculty, staff, and currently registered U-M students may have the barcode on the back of their M-Card activated at any University Library circulation desk. Cards are for the exclusive use of the faculty, student, or staff person for their individual research, teaching, learning, or other personal use.  There are other options for students or others who work for faculty, including faculty proxy, guest borrower cards, etc.

New faculty and staff wishing to activate their cards within a month of their appointment may do so at the Hatcher Graduate Library, the Taubman Medical Library, or the Art, Architecture & Engineering Library. New students can go to any of these three sites as well as the Shapiro Undergraduate Library.

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Loan periods

The loan periods vary depending on status and library from which the material is borrowed. Please consult library circulation staff for policies particular to that library.

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Returns and renewals

Materials checked out at any University Library can be returned or renewed at any other library in the system. (Exception: Reserve materials must be returned to the lending library.)

Renewal policies vary depending on the library and type of material and some items may be renewed many times if no one else has requested the material. Books from any University Library may be renewed via Mirlyn:

Circulation desk staff at any library can explain specific renewal policies.

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Holds and recalls

To place a hold or recall for an item (Get This):

If you have difficulty logging into your Mirlyn account, please complete the Hold & Recall form.

In general, all borrowers are guaranteed the use of a library book for a minimum of three weeks, unless a rush recall is placed to put the book on course reserve. If an item is charged out the system will automatically put a "recall" on the item. This will shorten the loan period and notify the borrower that the item must be returned.

Returning Recalls:

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Library notices

The University Library regularly sends courtesy notices to alert you of upcoming due dates, as well as notices for materials ready for pick-up, books recalled by other patrons, etc., via email. You must have an active email address in order to borrow materials from the University Library. Contact staff in Hatcher Graduate Library Circulation Services if your email address changes.

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Fines

Overdue fines for reserve items are $1.00 per hour overdue for ALL library borrowers.

Overdue fines for Askwith Media Library items are $5.00 per day for student borrowers.

Overdue recall fines are $2.00 per day, per item for student borrowers. When you receive a recall notice be sure to check for a new due date and return by the new due date to avoid a fine.

Fines are assessed for every day (or hour, for Reserves) an item is overdue, regardless of whether the library is open or closed during the overdue period.

Returned check fee: $15.

All categories of fines are strictly enforced.

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Overdue materials

Borrowing privileges will be suspended if regular circulating materials are kept for 50 days or more beyond their due date, or if a recalled item is one day overdue. Privileges will be restored only after the items have been returned. Students with long overdue materials will receive a Financial Hold on their Wolverine Access account for the replacement and processing costs of these materials.

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Lost or damaged books

Individuals who lose a book will be charged a processing fee of $50 plus the cost of the book and any applicable fines.

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Address changes

Students, staff and faculty of the University may update any address changes at http://wolverineaccess.umich.edu. All borrowers must have an active email address. Guest borrowers may contact staff in the Hatcher Graduate Library Circulation Services if there is a change of address or change of email address.

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