All QUT staff and students are automatically registered as members of the library. View the QUT Library borrowing conditions for more information.
Here you can find out about your borrowing privileges, including:
- What you can borrow and for how long
- Why your loans may be recalled early
- Renewing your loans
- About library notices
- Penalties for late return of loans
- Reinstating your borrowing privileges
- Lost or damaged material
What can I borrow and for how long?
You are welcome to borrow any books and other items, except those in special collections such as reference and periodicals, which are marked "Not for Loan". All standard loans are subject to recall if required by another borrower. You are guaranteed a minimum 8 day loan.
| Membership category | Number of loans | Standard loan period | Course Reserve |
|---|---|---|---|
Undergraduate students (degree students, students enrolled in non-award courses). Postgraduate coursework students (postgraduate and graduate certificate students, postgraduate and graduate diploma students, masters by coursework) |
40 items | 42 days plus 4 renewals (unless recalled) | 2 hours use in library |
| Staff, Gold Card holders and postgraduate research students (honours students, masters by research, EdD and PhD) | 40 items | 60 days plus 4 renewals (unless recalled) | 2 hours use in library |
Recalled loans
An item you have on loan may be recalled before the original due date if it is requested by another client. You will be notified by email if loan period is reduced.
You must return recalled items by the new due date. Overdue recalled items not returned attract 40 penalty points per day.
Renewing your loans
You can renew your loans online via the My Library Profile function on the library catalogue. You are able to renew your overdue books online:
- when the item hasn't been requested by another patron
- when the item is less than 14 days overdue.
After this, you can phone or visit the Learning and Research Desk to arrange a renewal.
Library notices
All library notices (recalls, items ready to be collected, overdues etc) are sent via email to your QUT email account. The overdue alert email notice is sent when your loans are one day overdue. A second and final overdue notice is sent when standard loans are 7 days overdue. A replacement cost letter sent when an item is 14 days overdue. Replacement cost letters will be sent via Australia Post.
Penalties for late return of material
When you do not return an item by the date due, you will begin accumulating penalty points for each day the item is overdue. Penalty points accrue at the following rate:
| Type of loan | Points per day overdue |
|---|---|
| Standard | 1 |
| Course reserve | 10 per hour or part thereof |
| Recalled items | 40 |
Your borrowing privileges may be suspended when:
- standard loans are 14 days overdue; or
- recalled items are one day overdue; or
- your penalty points total 200 or more for Non QUT borrowers; or
- your penalty points total 500 or more for Undergraduate, Postgraduate (Coursework) and Postgraduate research students; or
- Interlibrary loans (if applicable) are eight days overdue.
Your borrowing privileges will be reinstated when you return the overdue material unless you have accumulated more than your penalty point limit.
When you have reached your penalty points limit, all borrowing privileges are suspended until you request to have them restored. You must request this by contacting the library. If the penalty point limit is reached on more than one occasion, a $20 Reinstatement of Borrowing Privileges fee must be paid. QUT Staff have no penalty point limit and are not required to pay the Reinstatement fee.
When an item becomes 14 days overdue, you will be billed for the replacement cost of the material. If the item replacement cost is paid, your borrowing privileges will be reinstated.
Should non-payment or non-return of material continue, stronger penalties will apply e.g. suspension of access to other information facilities or the withholding of a student’s results, academic transcript or award certificate.
Reinstatement fees and replacement costs can be paid online via QUTPay. If you wish to pay in person, please see the Learning and Research Desk at your branch library.
Lost or damaged material
Please notify library staff as soon as possible if you have lost or damaged a library resource. You may be charged a replacement fee, which reflects the average book purchase price paid by the library. If there are genuine extenuating circumstances, let library staff know and they will try to help.
