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Borrowing Library Material at UMass Lowell

Borrowing Policies

Online Registration

Register For Borrowing

Current UMass Lowell students, faculty and staff who wish to borrow UMass Lowell Libraries' books may register in person at either Lydon or O'Leary Library or use this form to register for borrowing privileges.

Users who have borrowed UMass Lowell books before do not need to register again.

Borrowing From UMass Lowell Libraries

These borrowing policies have been instituted to insure equitable access to materials for as many patrons as possible. The University Libraries are open to adult members of the public, but direct borrowing privileges are restricted to:

  • UMass Lowell Students, Faculty, Staff and Alumni
  • Massachusetts Public University, State or Community College Students and Faculty (See eligible institutions)
  • Boston Library Consortium (BLC) card holders
  • UML Libraries Corporate Membership holders
  • Massachusetts Residents with state issued ID (such as a Massachusetts driver's license)
  • Massachusetts State Park Rangers
  • LIRA members

Other individuals may ask their public libraries to request UMass Lowell Libraries material on their behalf.

Those wishing to borrow library materials, including Reserve items, must register with the UMass Lowell Libraries. You may register in person at the circulation desk at either Lydon or O'Leary Library. (A valid photo identification must be presented.)

  • UMass Lowell students, faculty and staff must register with their UMass Lowell "UCARD" IDs.
  • UMass Lowell Alumni must register with a UMass Lowell Alumni ID card (available through the Alumni Office) and a valid driver’s license or state issued photo ID.
  • Massachusetts Public University, State or Community College Students and Faculty must register with a current photo ID from their school.
  • BLC card holders must register with the BLC card issued by their home institution and valid school photo ID or driver’s license.
  • Lowell Public Library patrons must register with a valid Lowell Public Library card and driver’s license or state issued photo ID.
  • Friends of the UMass Lowell Libraries must register with a driver’s license or state issued photo ID.
  • Massachusetts State Park rangers should contact Ellen MJ Keane to arrange for borrowing privileges.
  • LIRA members must register with their LIRA cards.

Patrons may borrow library materials by bringing them to the circulation desk and checking them out up until 15 minutes before closing time at Lydon and O'Leary Libraries. The circulation desk in Lydon Library is located on the 1st floor. The circulation desk in O'Leary Library is on the ground floor.

  • UMass Lowell students, faculty and staff must present their UMass Lowell (UCARD) IDs to borrow items from the Libraries.

  • UMass Lowell Alumni must present their UMass Lowell Alumni ID card to borrow.

  • BLC Card holders must present the BLC card issued by their home institution at check out.

  • All other patrons must present their UMass Lowell Libraries issued Special Borrower’s Card at check out.

Steps to renew UML Materials

Go to the library's online catalog: https://uml.on.worldcat.org

Click on the "Sign In" button at the upper right.

Sign in with your UMS number (Some long time users will need to enter the 16 digit number from their IDs) and password.

Click on your name in the button at the upper right.

You will see the UML materials you have checked out. Click the "Renew" button next to the title to renew the item.

You will see a message confirming the renewal and the new due date.

Loan and Renewal Periods and Limits

Loan Periods

Loan Period, Limit, and Renewal Policies for UMass Lowell Libraries Books

Patron

Loan Period

Item Limit

Renewal Period

Renewal Limit

UMass Lowell Faculty

1 Semester

30

1 Semester

Unlimited*

UMass Lowell Graduate Students

28 Days

20

28 Days

Unlimited*

UMass Lowell Undergraduate Students

28 Days

15

28 Days

Unlimited*

All Others

28 Days

10

28 Days

1*

*Material may not be renewed if another patron has placed a request for it or if it is needed for Course Reserves.
Interlibrary Loan items may be renewable with permission from the lender.

Loan Period, Limit, and Renewal Policies for UML materials other than books

Polices for non-book materials are the same for all borrowers.

Material Type

Loan Period

Item Limit

Renewal Period

Renewal Limit

CDs

1 Week

10

1 Week

Unlimited*

Reserve Items

2 Hours

3

2 Hours

2

Equipment

1 Week

3

1 Week

Unlimited*

*Material may not be renewed if another patron has placed a request for it or if it is needed for Course Reserves.
 

Overdue and Lost Items

Returning Items

Borrowed materials may be returned to the circulation desk at either Lydon Library or O'Leary Library any time the libraries are open.

Overdue and Lost Items

Overdue fines are not charged at the University Libraries. Patrons are asked to borrow responsibly and please return material on time so that everyone may use it fairly. If material is needed for longer than the borrowing period, it may be renewed online.

When an item becomes more than 28 days overdue, it is considered lost. A $130.00 replacement fee and a $30.00 processing fee is charged. A lost book may be replaced by a new copy of the same book in its most recent edition and a $30.00 processing fee - please contact UML Library before purchasing a replacement to verify the edition that will be accepted. If the lost book is no longer available in print, the fee must still be paid.

To pay University Library or Center for Lowell History fees, please either send a check (made out to UMass Lowell) come in person with cash to the address below. .

 

Please mail checks to:

Sarah Manchester

UMass Lowell - O'Leary Library, Room 240

61 Wilder Street

Lowell, MA 01854

BLC Cards

Boston Library Consortium Cards

Boston Library Consortium (BLC) Cards are used to gain access and to borrow material directly from libraries in the BLC. UMass Lowell faculty, staff and students with library accounts in good standing may register for BLC cards at the circulation desks of Lydon and O’Leary Libraries. A current UML ID is required to obtain a BLC card.

These cards allow users to open borrowing accounts with the other BLC libraries and use those libraries in person. Users are subject to the rules of the libraries at which they use their BLC cards, including fines for overdue or lost items, or item recalls.

It is the borrower’s responsibility to return items borrowed with a BLC card to the library from which they were borrowed. The University Libraries do accept responsibility for returning items borrowed in this manner.

The following are the participating libraries in the BLC Consortium Card Program.

Bentley University

Boston College

Boston Public Library

Boston University

Brandeis University

Connecticut College

Marine Biological Laboratory and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Middlebury College

Northeastern University

State Library of Massachusetts

Trinity College

Tufts University

University of Connecticut

University of Hartford

University of Massachusetts - Amherst

University of Massachusetts - Boston

University of Massachusetts - Chan Medical School

University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth

University of Massachusetts - Lowell

University of New Hampshire

University of Rhode Island

University of Vermont

Wellesley College

Wesleyan University

Williams College