Borrowing

Your Keele card is your Library card and you need it to access the building and to borrow items. Please do not lend your card to anyone else as you remain responsible for it. Items can be loaned via the self-service machines in the Library.

• Students and University staff can borrow up to 30 items
• NHS members can borrow up to 20 items
• External and SCONUL members can borrow up to 4 items

Items will automatically renew unless they are requested by another student. We will email you if this happens and you need to return the item to the Library. If the item is not returned when requested, you will incur a charge of £1 per item per day, so it is important that you check your Library account regularly.

Items will also not renew if you owe more than £10 on the Library account.

We will send you a monthly statement about your Library account detailing items requested, items on loan and their due dates (if applicable) and any outstanding charges.

As items renew automatically, the only way to be certain of getting an item is to request it. It also lets us know that we need to buy more copies of the item. To place a request, use the search facility on Library Search to find the item and place a request on it. We will send you an email when the item is in the Library ready for collection. We will hold the request for you for three days after which time it will be returned to the shelf.

Requests are held on the shelves at the back of the middle floor of the Library in alphabetical order. You can collect your request from the shelf but don't forget to check it out before you leave the Library.

Items can be returned via the self-service machines in the Library or you can drop them into the red box at the entrance, or the 24 hour drop box to the left of the Library building.

Any requested books not returned when requested are liable for charges. These are made per item each day Monday-Friday up to a limit of £20 per item. If the charges on your account exceed £10 your books will no longer automatically renew and you will be prevented from further borrowing. If an item is overdue for more than two months it will be considered lost and you will be invoiced for a replacement copy - policy on fines and appeals. You can post items back to us (we recommend using a tracking service).

Please use your Keele card, debit or credit card to pay for a fine or charge if paying in-person. We do not accept cash. 

Payments for fines or charges can also be paid using credit/debit cards via the Keele University Online Store. Please check your library account for current charges and then make payment via the online store. You will need to amend the amount before making payment. Please allow at least 24 hours for library account charges to be updated. The first time you use this facility, you will be asked to register using your preferred email address and to create a password. For more help, contact library.help@keele.ac.uk. 

Keele graduates

If you are a Keele Graduate you can use the campus and health libraries free of charge for reference purposes. If you wish to borrow, we offer free annual alumni membership; it enables you to borrow up to 4 items at a time and membership must be renewed annually.

• To request a Keele alumni account, please complete the Request a library account form, and upload a copy of your degree certificate, and a copy of a current utility bill.

Retired Keele academic

If you are a retired academic (retired from Keele) you can use the campus and health libraries free of charge for reference purposes. If you wish to borrow, we offer free annual alumni membership; it enables you to borrow up to 4 items at a time and membership must be renewed annually.

• To request a retired academic account, please complete the Request a library account form, and upload a copy of a current utility bill.

SCONUL membership

If you want to join as a SCONUL member, please follow this link - SCONUL access.

Member of the public

** Due to pressure on study spaces, the Library will restrict access to all day visitors for the duration of the exam period Monday 22nd April - Sunday 30th June 2024 inclusive.

If you are a member of the public and wish to use the library for academic purposes you can apply to join the Library as an external borrower for an annual fee of £50. Qualifying membership enables you to use the Library and borrow up to four library books during library staffed hours (access is not available during overnight access). Unfortunately, due to licence restrictions, you are not able to access any electronic resources.

• To apply for an external library account, please complete the Request a library account form, you will be required to upload a copy of a current utility bill.
• To access the Library as a day visitor without membership, photo ID and proof of address is required such as a driving licence. A passport alone is not suffice as it does not contain your address.

All applications are at the discretion of the Senior Library team. The Library reserves the right to refuse access to anyone without valid identification or if you refuse to show this to a member of staff on request at any time while you are in the Library.

All the above memberships are subject to a card replacement fee of £5.00 

When getting onto campus is difficult for you, you may choose to use the Postal Loans service. If you think this service would suit you, either regularly or as a ‘one off’, please email library.reservations@keele.ac.uk. Alternatively call 01782 734159 and we can talk to you about your needs and set up your account for you to include this service.

How Much Does it Cost?
We make a charge of £5.00 per parcel to cover postage costs, but it may be possible to package more than one item in each package.

How Long Do I Have the Loans For?
We build in some ‘in transit’ time to the designated loan period so, for example, a 7-day loan will be checked out for 10 days at the point of dispatch.
Once you have received your loan it will be eligible for Automatic Renewal - you will receive an email if it is not possible to renew giving you a short time to return it before it is liable for a fine.
If you wish to return items by post - we recommend using a proof of postage service. We will accept the postage date as the return date and adjust any fines accordingly.

TOP TIP: Automatic Renewal is very convenient but renewal is attempted near to the due date. Provided it is not requested and you owe less than £10, you can always renew items yourself. To ensure the longest possible loan; Sign In to your account from Library Search and renew your loans each day. Note: If you get a message indicating the manual renewal was not possible it is probably because it is already checked out to you for the longest period.