Borrow

You will need a TCard or library card to borrow from the libraries. If you lose your TCard, you must report it to the library to ensure material is not charged to your account. TCards are issued by the TCard office. You can add funds to your TCard using TCard+.

Loan privileges | Renewals & returns | Request a hold | Recalls | Fines |Fees for lost & damaged items

Loan privileges by patron type at most University of Toronto Libraries

PATRON TYPES LOAN PERIODS MAXIMUM POTENTIAL LOAN PERIODS ITEM LIMITS
Undergraduate students 14 days Unlimited 50
Graduate students 90 days Unlimited 200
Faculty members 90 days Unlimited 200
Staff 90 days Unlimited 200
Alumni 14 days 14 days i.e., no renewals 25
Research readers 14 days 42 days 100
Direct borrowers 14 days 42 days 100
Associate members 14 days 42 days 100
Continuing studies students 14 days Unlimited 50

Exceptions

  • Items from from the Popular Collection and Periodicals
  • Loan periods for items from short term loan collections, including course reserves and the Technology Lending Collection, vary between 3, 5, 24 or 72 hours and cannot be renewed

Popular collection

The popular collection includes books, DVDs, magazines, and games. The collection is located in the Reading Room near the front entrance of the library. We welcome suggestions for new books, films, or magazines.

ITEM LOAN PERIODS MAXIMUM POTENTIAL LOAN PERIODS HOLDS
Books 14 days 1 renewal, 14 days Yes
DVDs 14 days 1 renewal, 14 days Yes
Magazines 14 days 1 renewal, 14 days Digitization only
Board Games & Video Games 14 days 1 renewal, 14 days Yes, UTSC pickup only

Periodicals

ITEM LOAN PERIODS RENEWALS ITEM LIMITS
Periodicals 4 day loan period No renewals 5 items

Designate a proxy borrower

  • Faculty and staff may designate another library borrower to sign out items from the University of Toronto Libraries onto their account
  • This service is also available to any library borrower unable to visit the libraries because of a disability
  • Complete this application form to request this service

Renewals & returns

Unlimited renewals

  • Current U of T students – including those in Continuing Education – faculty, and staff get unlimited renewals for regular* loans as of February 2022
  • This temporary measure has been put in place until further notice to help support a gradual return to campus.
  • Loans will only become due:
    • If another user makes a hold request for a checked out item(s)
    • If there is block on a user's account
    • If the user's borrowing privileges expire
  • Users will be notified by email whenever an item they have borrowed must be returned to the Library
  • *Not eligible for unlimited renewals: Course reserves and other short term loan items; audio/video items; and interlibrary loans

Automatic renewals

  • Two days before an item is due, the system will automatically try to renew it on your behalf
  • If the item is not eligible for renewal*, you will get an email asking you to return it
  • If another borrower requests an item checked out to you, it will not be eligible for renewal – if the due date is more than 14 days away, your loan period will shorten to 14 days, and you will get a email asking you to return it

*Automatic renewals are not made when:

  • The item is a short term loan, which include course reserves
  • The item is an audio/video item – this applies to all patron types
  • Someone else has requested the item
  • The item is an interlibrary loan
  • You are an alumni borrower – see table above

Returns

Return course reserves to staff at the Information and Reference Desk. If there is no one at the Desk, return course reserves to the drop box across from the Desk.

Return interlibrary loan materials to the Information and Reference Desk.

Return all other materials to the drop box across from the Desk, or in the external drop-box located outside the library doors (across from Tim Horton's).

Regular circulating items can also be returned to Robarts Library on the St. George campus or the UTM Library on the Mississauga campus.

Request a hold

Holds

  • To request a hold, sign in to LibrarySearch and find the item you want
  • Select the GET IT option to request
  • NEW! You may request a hold on items that are in the library as well as items which are checked out
  • When you request a hold on a checked out item, the current borrower's loan period will shorten to 14 days, and they will get an email asking them to return it
  • When your holds are ready, you will be notified by email, and will have up to 7 days to pick it up
  • You can request items for pickup at the holding library, or for pickup at another campus
  • Each faculty member, staff person, and graduate student may place up to 25 concurrent hold requests before having to pick up their items
  • Other types of users can place up to 10 concurrent hold requests before having to pick up their items

Exception

Short term loan items, including course reserves and the technology lending collection, are not requestable, i.e., holds cannot be placed on them.

Items subject to recall

  • If another borrower places a hold on an item that is checked out to you, it will be recalled
  • Any loaned items may be subject to recall 
  • Library users will receive email notification and be expected to return recalled item(s) within 14 days.
  • If you do not return it within 14 days, you will be charged a fine of $2.00 per day until it is returned
  • In addition, overdue recalls will block the patron's borrowing privileges
  • If you cannot return your materials on time due to circumstances beyond your control, email libraryhelp@utoronto.ca, or the owning library to make alternative arrangements and avoid fines.  

Fines

  • Library privileges are withheld when an item on your account is more than 14 days overdue or your fines and/or fees reach $25.00 or greater
  • Privileges are also withheld when a short term loan items, including course reserves, which are overdue by 24 hours or more
  • Should you fail to return your items on time, fines will be incurred as follows:
FINES COST
Regular books or media $0.50 per day per item
Course reserves & technology lending materials $0.50 per hour per items
Recalled items $2.00 per day per item

How to pay

  • Sign in to LibrarySearch and pay fines from your account
  • In person: At the Information and Reference Desk by Credit Card (VISA, MasterCard, AMEX) or Debit

Forgiveness

Fines may occasionally be reduced or waived in extenuating circumstances.

Documentation may be required to reduce or forgive fines.

The following reasons do not warrant fine forgiveness or reduction: 

  • Forgot the due date
  • Did not receive a courtesy or overdue notice
  • Was unaware of library policies
  • Borrowed the item for someone else
  • Returned late by someone else
  • Did not report TCard stolen
  • Items belong to another U of T library

To dispute fees, contact the library from which the item originated. If you wish to appeal your fine for items borrowed from the UTSC Library, please fill in the Fines appeal form. Wait until the appeal is resolved before paying your fine, as fine payments are not refundable.

Fees for lost & damaged items

  • Fees for lost and damaged items are charged to cover the cost of replacing or repairing the item
  • Additional fees could be charged, depending on the situation
  • Items which are not returned within 42 days of the due date will be deemed lost, and a replacement fee will be assigned
  • Returning items in a damaged condition will result in damaged item fees
FEES COST
Lost book, CD, DVD, VHS, video or board game  $145.00 per item
Lost bound journal  $145.00 per item
Lost unbound journal $75.00 per item
Lost charging cable, battery pack, headphones $25.00 per item
Lost pico projector, camcorder, microphone $300 per item
Lost laptop charger $50 per item
Damaged item repair fee $45.00 per item

Patrons may purchase a replacement copy of a lost book or board game and pay a $45.00 processing fee instead of the standard replacement cost, on staff approval.

To dispute fees, contact the library from which the item originated.

How to pay

  • Sign in to LibrarySearch and pay fees from there
  • In person: At the Information and Reference Desk by Credit Card (VISA, MasterCard, AMEX) or Debit

– Last update: May 25, 2022