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Borrowing for on-campus staff and students
How to borrow
To borrow a standard or week loan item, find the item on the shelves and take it to the Service Desk. To borrow a 3 hour loan item, ask at the Service Desk. To borrow items you will need your student or staff ID card (or, for staff, another form of Heriot-Watt University identification).
The library catalogue will help you find
items in our collection and tell you
which type of loan (standard, week or 3 hour loan) applies to each item.
How many items can be borrowed?
- Students and staff = 30
- External members = 10
You can request an increase in the number of items you can borrow by contacting the Customer Services Manager.
How long can borrowed items be kept?
● Standard loans
16 weeks from the date of borrowing.
● Week loans
1 week from the date of borrowing.
● Journals
Special issues: 1 week from the date of borrowing.
All other journals: Reference only.
● 3 hour loans
3 hours from the time of borrowing or 1 hour after the Library opens for overnight loans.
Reminders
We will send you an e-mail reminder 2 days before your Standard Loans, Week Loans & special issue journals are due back, so you can return them on time and avoid unnecessary fines.. If you want to keep them for longer, you can use the self-renewal function to extend the loan.
Remember, however, that it's your responsibility to remember when your books are due and to return or renew them on time.
Renewing
If you'd like to keep items you have longer than the due date shown on the inside front cover - you can do this by renewing.
Bring 3 Hour loans and items without a barcode to the Library Service Desk for renewal.
For Standard Loans, Week Loans and barcoded journals you can use the self-renewal function in the catalogue, or you can bring them to the Library Service Desk for renewal.
Returning items
Hand returned items to a member of staff at the Service Desk for checking in. Please return all items by the due date and/or time. We'll charge a fine for late items.
When Riccarton Library is closed, you may return items through the Book Return Box, which is near the entrance on the east side of the building by the stream. In all cases, the date and time when the Library staff check in the item will be considered to be the time of return.
Overdue items
If you don't return an item by the due date/time, the Library will send you an email overdue notice the next day. You will be charged a fine when you return it. The longer you keep an item after the due date or time, the larger the fine.
Once your fines reach £5.00, you won't be able to borrow any more items until this figure has been reduced to under £5.00. The Library will continue to send you reminder notices until you return the item. Notices for students will be sent to the term-time contact address which you gave to the University at registration.
if you have a seriously overdue item, you may be suspended from using the Library . If you don't return a seriously overdue item you will be sent an invoice for the replacement cost of the item and will be suspended from all use of the Library until the item is returned or the invoice paid.
Fines & charges
Fines are charged on the late return of all library material. All borrowers are charged at the following rate:
- Standard loans: 20p per day. 3 day grace period (i.e. no fine is charged if the item is returned within 3 days of due date).
- Recalled standard loans: 30p per day. No grace period.
- Week loans: 30p per day. No grace period.
- Special issue journals: 20p per day. 3 day grace period. (i.e. no fine is charged if the item is returned within 3 days of due date).
- 3 hour loans: 2p per minute. 15 minute grace period (i.e. no fine charged if the item is returned within 15 minutes of due time).
THE MAXIMUM FINE IS £10.00 PER ITEM.
Recalled items
If you have an item on loan which another reader needs to use, you will be sent an email recall notice. This will ask you to return the item by a certain date, normally one week from the date the notice was sent. You must return the item on or before the date indicated on the recall notice. If you don't do this, you'll be charged a fine of 30p per day.
Reserving items
If you want an item which is out on loan to another borrower, you can reserve it using the 'request this item' option in the catalogue. The library will ask the borrower to return the item and inform you by email when it is available for collection.
You can also use the 'request this item' option to reserve:
- Books which have been ordered for the Library but not yet received from the supplier, or which are currently on the new books display.
- Items in the Riccarton, Scottish Borders Campus or Orkney Libraries and have them sent to your Heriot Watt University campus library for you.
- Books missing from the shelves – Library staff will search for these and send an email update.
More details of the procedures for reserving books are available on our catalogue information page.
Requesting items from other Heriot Watt Libraries
You can use the catalogue 'request this item' option to ask for items from the Riccarton, Scottish Borders Campus or Orkney Libraries to be sent to your campus Library for you. You will be sent an email notice when it is available for collection.
You may also wish to get articles from journals held in the Scottish Borders Campus Library. You can choose to have the complete journal sent to Riccarton Library, or you can request a photocopy of the article you need. Give the details to the Service Desk staff and they will arrange for the item to be sent. If you request a photocopy, you will be charged the copying cost of 5p per page when you collect the article.
Lost, stolen or damaged items
You are responsible for the cost of replacing any items you are unable to return to the Library because they are lost or stolen from you. Please inform the Service Desk staff as soon as this happens. You will be sent an invoice for the replacement cost of the item, plus an administrative charge of £5.00, which should be paid within 2 weeks. The minimum replacement charge is £25.00.
If you prefer, you can purchase a replacement copy yourself and provide it to the Library. The replacement must be the most recent edition available and should be new or in an excellent condition. The Library reserves the right to reject a replacement copy which does not meet these criteria and to require you to pay the invoice.
If you find a lost book after you have paid its replacement cost or if a stolen book is found and returned to you, return it to the Library with your receipt, and we will arrange for you to be reimbursed, less the administrative charge.
If an item is damaged while in your possession, you will be responsible for the cost of repair, if this is possible, or for the cost of replacing it if it cannot be repaired.
Library Regulations
Borrowing from the Library is subject to the Library Regulations which are contained in the University's Ordinances and Regulations.
Tips
- We'll charge a fine if you return items late. Please always check the return date stamped on the date label inside the front cover, return on time or renew if you need to.
- You're responsible for items you borrow. Don't lend them to anyone else as they may lose them or return them late. If this happens you'll be asked to pay the fine or replacement charge
- Don't lend your ID card to anyone to borrow items. If they lose them or return them late you'll be asked to pay the fine or replacement charge
- If you lose your ID card, please inform the Library Service Desk (0131-451-3577 / ServiceDesk@hw.ac.uk).