Contact us if you require assistance or have any questions about our borrowing or user policies.
| Patron Category | Loan Period | Renewals | Item Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Students | 14 days | Up to 70 additional days | 50 |
| Graduate Students | 90 days | Up to 70 additional days | 200 |
| Staff | 90 days | Up to 70 additional days | 200 |
| Faculty | 90 days | Up to 70 additional days | 200 |
| SMC Extramural Readers | 14 days | Up to 30 additional days | 10 |
Exceptions
- Audio-visual materials, including video games, DVDs, and CDs carry a 14-day loan period with no renewals. This is applicable to all patron types.
- Loan periods for course reserves and short-term loan (STL) items vary between 3, 5, 24 or 72 hours and are not renewable.
A hold is a request to have a book, DVD, or other library item set aside for you to pickup.
You may want to place a hold if the item you want is:
- Currently on loan (“checked out”) to another patron
- Located at another University of Toronto campus (St. George, Scarborough, or Mississauga) library
- Located at the University of Toronto’s Downsview storage facility
- Available on the shelf at the library that holds the item (the “holding library”)
You can request items for pickup at the holding library, or at another campus. When the item is ready you will be notified by email. You will have up to five days to pick your item(s) up.
If the item is currently on loan (“checked out”) to another patron, you will be notified when the item has been returned to the library and is available for you to pickup.
If you have an item on loan, and another patron places a hold on it, you will not be able to renew the item.
To place a hold, sign in to LibrarySearch and find the item you want. Select the “Library Pickup” option under the “Get It” heading to request the item for pickup. If the item is located at multiple libraries, choose your preferred pickup location.
Exception: Course reserve and short-term loan items cannot be placed on hold.
Patrons may renew—or extend—the loan period on their items up to a maximum based on their patron category. Items can be renewed online by logging in to your LibrarySearch account and then selecting “My Loans.” Patrons may also call or email us to renew their items.
Renewals are also triggered automatically. Items will automatically renew at the end of each loan period until your maximum renewal period is reached. You will be notified by email when your items are automatically renewed.
You will be unable to renew an item if a hold—a request to use the item you have checked out—has been placed by another patron.
If your renewals have been exhausted, return your items to any University of Toronto library to avoid overdue fines.
Exception: Course reserve and short-term loan items cannot be renewed.
A recall is when you place a request to use a book that is on loan (“checked out”) to someone else. You can request that the item be returned early so that you are next in line to borrow it. You can only recall items that have already been on loan to someone else for longer than two weeks.
When the item is returned, you will be notified by email, and have up to five days to pick it up.
If a recall is placed on an item you have on loan, you will not be able to renew the item and will receive an email saying that you have 48 hours to return it to the library. If you do not return the item within 48 hours, you will be charged a recall fine of $2 per day.
To place a recall, sign in to LibrarySearch and find the item you want. Select the “GET IT IN PERSON” option to request the item for pickup.
Exception: Course reserve and short-term loan items cannot be recalled.
While library materials can be returned to any University of Toronto library, we strongly encourage you to return items to the library they belong to. Returning materials to the holding library reduces the chance of them being misplaced in transit and ensures they will be made available to other patrons more quickly.
Items may be returned to the Kelly Library 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Please use the outside book return slot if the library is closed.
Patrons will be charged fines if they do not return their library materials on time. Fines are applied to your account. Patrons lose their ability to borrow library materials when an item is more than 14 days overdue or your fines and/or fees reach $25 or greater.
If items are not returned on time, fines will be applied to your account as follows:
| Material Type | Fine |
|---|---|
| Regular books or media (DVDs/CDs) | $0.50 per day per item |
| Course reserves and short-term loans | $0.50 per hour per item |
| Recalled items | $2 per day per item |
Fines may be paid by signing in to your LibrarySearch account and paying your fines online. You may also pay your fines over the phone or in-person at the Kelly Library.
Medical or other documentation is required to reduce or forgive fines. To dispute fines, contact the library where you borrowed the item.
The following reasons do not warrant fine forgiveness or reduction:
- Forgot the due date
- Did not receive a courtesy or overdue notice
- Unaware of library policies
- Borrowed the item from someone else
- Item was returned late by someone else
- Did not report TCard stolen
This is a non-exhaustive list.
Patrons will be charged a fee if library items are lost or damaged. These fees are used to replace or repair the item.
Items which are not returned within 42 days of the due date will be deemed lost and a lost fee will be automatically assigned to the patron’s account.
| Fee Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Lost book or media (DVDs/CDs) | $145 per item |
| Lost bound journal | $245 per item |
| Damaged item repair fee | $45 per item |
Fees may be paid by signing in to your LibrarySearch account and paying online. You may also pay your fees over the phone or in-person at the Kelly Library.
In the event an item is said to be returned by a patron but remains charged to the patron’s account please contact the library. The item(s) will enter a “claimed return” status and if the item(s) cannot be located within 90 days the item(s) will be declared lost and the $145 lost book or media fee will be applied to the patron’s account. While the library will attempt to find the item(s) during the 90 day “claimed return” period within the library building, it is the patron’s responsibility to locate the item(s).
If an item is lost and you are able to supply a suitable replacement copy, a $45 processing fee will be charged in place of the lost book or media fee.
The Kelly Library is pleased to issue St. Michael’s College External Borrower cards which offer access to the physical materials housed in the Kelly Library. Using this card, patrons may borrow up to 10 items at a time for two weeks.
Extramural user cards may be obtained in-person at the Kelly Library. You will be asked to show a valid piece of photo ID and proof of patron status.
– Greek Orthodox Theological Academy
– Institute for Christian Studies
– Redeemer University
– St. Philip’s Seminary
– Toronto Baptist Seminary
– Tyndale University
The University of Toronto Libraries offers a variety of different card types which offer access to different libraries.
Items located at other University of Toronto campuses (Scarborough, Mississauga, and the Downsview storage facility) can be requested for pickup at the Kelly Library.
To borrow an item from another campus, first find the item in the LibrarySearch catalogue, then click on the title to see the full record of the item. Place your request by selecting the “Get It” link. You will be asked to login to complete your request. Current University of Toronto students, faculty and staff are able to place requests.
Items are usually available within two or three business days. You will receive an email when the item is ready to be picked up. There is no delivery on weekends.
If you are unable to find an item you need in the University of Toronto Libraries collection, you can request books, articles and more through a service called interlibrary loan (ILL).
All current University of Toronto students, faculty, and staff are eligible to submit requests free of charge. Fees may apply to other user categories. Users will be notified of any charges that apply before the request is processed.
Requests are placed through RACER (Rapid Access to Collections by Electronic Requesting).
To request an interlibrary loan, use the online request form. If you have not placed an interlibrary loan request before, click the “first time users” button to register. Delivery times can vary based on the location of the item. Once ready, ILLs can be picked up at Robarts Library, UTM, or UTSC.
Please see the University of Toronto Libraries interlibrary loan FAQ for more information.
A proxy borrower is someone who has permission to borrow materials on behalf of someone else. Faculty and staff may designate another library user to checkout materials from the University of Toronto Libraries onto their account. This service is also available to any library user unable to visit the libraries because of a disability.
All proxy borrowers must first submit an application to have their name added to a specific account. Please complete this application form to request this service.