Loan periods, suspension of privileges, and other policies you need to know. Have additional questions? Email the Van Pelt Library circulation desk.
Loan periods are determined by your patron group. You can find your patron group in the Account Settings section of the catalog.
Books from all Penn Libraries and bound journals from LIBRA: One academic term.
Videos and sound recordings: 42 days.
Resource sharing materials (BorrowDirect, E-ZBorrow, Interlibrary Loan): 12 weeks, no renewals.
All items loaned during an academic term will be due at the end of an academic term.
Books from all Penn Libraries and bound journals from LIBRA: One an academic term, which is fixed.
Videos and sound recordings: 42 days.
Resource sharing materials (BorrowDirect, E-ZBorrow, Interlibrary Loan): 12 weeks, no renewals.
Note: While retired staff may continue to borrow items from the Penn Libraries collection after retirement, they are no longer eligible for resource sharing services.
Items from all Penn Libraries and bound journals from LIBRA: 28 days
Resource sharing materials (BorrowDirect, E-ZBorrow, Interlibrary Loan): 12 weeks, no renewals
Books from Van Pelt, Lippincott, Fine Arts, Museum, Math/Physics/Astronomy, Chemistry, Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, and LIBRA and bound journals from LIBRA: One year, which is fixed.
Books from Biomedical, Dental, Veterinary and Pennsylvania Hospital Libraries: One academic term, which is fixed.
Videos and sound recordings: 42 days.
Bound journals from all libraries aside from LIBRA: 24 hours.
Resource sharing materials (BorrowDirect, E-ZBorrow, Interlibrary Loan): 12 weeks, no renewals.
Items from all Penn Libraries and bound journals from LIBRA: 28 days.
Items from all Penn Libraries and bound journals from LIBRA: 28 days
Note: Resource sharing and most electronic resources are not available to courtesy borrowers.
Your active PennCard is your library card and entitles you to borrow books from all Penn Libraries locations. You will need your PennCard to enter libraries, check out books, print or photocopy, and access electronic resources like journals and databases. If you're having issues with your PennCard or need it replaced, visit the PennCard Center.
Patrons may be blocked from borrowing, renewing, or requesting materials for any of the following reasons:
In addition, when materials are 28 days overdue, they are put into "Lost" status, which comes with a $200 fee for each lost book. This fee is waived once items are returned. Here are the progressive steps for suspension of privileges for lost items which are not returned:
Learn more about fines, fees, and loss of privileges for overdue and lost books.
Borrowed books can be recalled if they are needed for course reserves. If a book you have checked out has been recalled, you will receive a recall notice with a new recall due date.
Borrowers' records are blocked for overdue recalled books, and fines for overdue recalled books are $1 per day, up to $30. Students who intentionally do not return recalled books may be referred to the Office of Student Conduct for violation of Article III of the Code of Student Conduct.
Student leave of absence policies are determined by each individual school. If you are on leave of absence, or considering leave of absence, and would like to continue to have library privileges, please contact your school to discuss arranging this matter. Depending on the type of leave of absence you are taking library privileges may be available to you. Again, this is determined by your specific school.
Students granted a student on leave Penn Card will receive the same borrowing privileges as Courtesy Borrowers.