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Borrow, reserve and return items

You can borrow items from The Hive or any Worcestershire branch library using your University of Worcester student or staff ID card. 

If the item you want is on loan, reserve it via your library account. You can reserve up to five items at a time. You can choose to collect your reserved item from any Worcestershire branch library.

We will email you when your reservation is ready to collect. If you selected The Hive as your pick up location, collect your item from the reservation shelf on level 1. It will be shelved in alphabetical order by your surname.

When you bring your items back, please keep your receipt as proof of return.

 

 

 

Renew your loans

You can renew items via your library account or in person at The Hive or any Worcestershire branch library. Staff at branch libraries cannot renew High Demand books but you can ask to log into your library account to renew.

 

For University of Worcester students

You can renew items up to nine times, providing they are not reserved by another borrower. We will send you an email reminder two days before your items are due back but it is your responsibility to return or renew books on time.

 

For University of Worcester staff

We will automatically renew items on your account up to nine times, providing they are not reserved by another borrower.

If another borrower has reserved an item on your account or we have already renewed it nine times, the item will not be auto-renewed and you will need return it.

We will email you to confirm whether your items have been auto-renewed but it is your responsibility to renew or return your items on time.

 

 

Overdues and replacement charges

You can pay fines and charges in person at The Hive or any Worcestershire branch library. Use the account option on the self-service machines to pay by cash or debit/credit card. There is a minimum payment of £1 by card. You can also pay by credit/ debit card in person at Firstpoint.

Get in touch with us as soon as possible if you have lost a University of Worcester item, if you have an issue with fines, or if you think an item on your account is incorrect.

If there is an issue with your library account, we will contact you via email. Check your university email regularly to keep up to date.

Standard replacement charges are added to library accounts for lost University of Worcester items, items which are 45 days overdue or queried items which we haven’t located after six weekly checks.  You have the option to pay this fee or to supply a replacement copy of the book.   

 

The replacement needs to be the most recent edition of the book.  We are unable to accept earlier editions.  Replacement items need to be in excellent or very good condition.  They can be second-hand.  The replacements should not have highlighter or pen markings, broken spines, or stained pages.  They should not be withdrawn from other libraries or have a ‘not for resale’ sticker. 

 

Replacement copies can only be brought to the Hive.  Please give replacement copies to library staff on Level 1, together with your student/borrower number and contact details.  Replacement copies will be assessed by the library team for suitability.  If a book is rejected, you will need to pay the standard replacement charge.  If a book is accepted, the standard replacement charge on your library account will be waived

If you have a lost, damaged or very overdue Worcestershire County Council item on your account, Worcestershire County Council library procedures will apply.

 

Item type	Standard replacement charge	Higher value replacement charge
High Demand and standard loan items	£30	£50
Teaching pack	£45	N/A
DVD	£20	N/A
Junior fiction and Junior non fiction	£16	N/A
Picture book	£7	N/A

 

 

Level 0 reserve stack requests

 

You can request items from the level 0 reserve stack. We will supply journals within 24 hours Monday to Friday. We will email you when your request is ready and keep the journal on the reservation shelf on level 1 for seven days.

You cannot take items from the level 0 reserve stack out of The Hive but you may use them in the building for as long as you need. When you finish with an item, please return it to a member of staff and indicate whether you need to use it again. We will return items to the reserve stack after seven days.

 

 

Distance learners

 

Borrow books by post

If you are studying at a distance in the UK and would like us to post a book from our collections to your home address, fill out the Books by post request form.

You will be responsible for returning the book on time and for paying for the postage to send the book back. We recommend posting books by recorded delivery.

 

Inter library requests

If you need access to a journal article that is not available from our collections, place an interlibrary request. You can also request up to one chapter of a book to be delivered to you electronically.

If you are learning at a distance, we recommend that you do not request complete books via inter library request as you must collect and return these at The Hive.

 

Use a university library nearer to you

Visit other UK university libraries through the SCONUL Access scheme.  You can access more than one library.  As a distance learner, you may also be able to borrow books from another university library.