Borrowing, Renewing, and Requesting

NOTICE: New ID cards may not work with the Smart Locker. Please contact Circulation to ensure your account has been updated before you pick up your items.

On this page:

• Borrowing
• Renewals
• Recalls
• Requests
• Returns
• Overdue Items
• Paying Fines & Fees
• Notifications
• Contact

Borrowing 

Books and other materials can be checked out at the Circulation Desk next to the library entrance. Current UWinnipeg students, staff, and faculty must provide their University of Winnipeg ID card when borrowing materials. If you have not already obtained your UW issued ID card, or if you have lost it and need a replacement card, contact Student Central and then visit the library to update your account. 

Library patrons who are not current UWinnipeg students, staff, or faculty must provide their UW library issued barcode, UW issued ID card, or valid barcode from a participating institution when borrowing materials and should report lost cards/barcodes directly to the library. For more information on accessing library resources, see our guest services page.

Please note that you are responsible for all materials checked out to your account, including items you borrow on behalf of someone else. Contact us if you have lost your card or if a returned item is not cleared from your account within three business days. 

Loan Periods

Loan periods depend on your patron type and what kind of material you are borrowing.

Note that all materials are subject to recall. Recalled items must be returned within 7 days.

Semester-Based Due Dates

Most books in the library’s collection have a fixed due date based on when they are borrowed. You can renew an item in the two weeks leading up to the due date if no one else has requested it.

• Items borrowed between August 1 – November 30 are due December 15
• Items borrowed between December 1 – March 31 are due April 15
• Items borrowed between April 1 – July 31 are due August 15

Patron Types

Faculty, Staff, & Grad Students include regular academic staff, contract academic staff, university employees, Collegiate instructors and employees, adjunct instructors, professors emeriti, senior scholars, visiting academics/researchers, post-docs, UWinnipeg graduate students, and Joint Masters Program graduate students.

Undergraduate & Collegiate Students include UWinnipeg undergraduate students, Collegiate students, ELP students, and Psych Nursing students.

PACE Students include students enrolled in a PACE program.

IB Students are students enrolled in a high school IB program affiliated with the UWinnipeg Library.

External Borrowers include alumni, retirees, special borrowers, reciprocal borrowers, Accelerated Program students, and any other patron type that is not listed above.

Proxy Borrowers

UWinnipeg Library users may authorize a Proxy Borrower to pick up print library materials on their behalf. Anyone may be established as a Proxy Borrower and must provide photo ID as well as the borrower’s card when picking up materials. 

To establish a Proxy Borrower, please complete the Proxy Borrower Request form. The request must be submitted before the material is borrowed. Proxy Borrowers do not expire and can only be removed from the account by written request. 

If the UWinnipeg Library does not receive written confirmation that a Proxy has been authorized and the Proxy does not present the borrower’s library card at checkout, the Proxy may be denied the ability to borrow the material. 

Renewals

You can extend your loan period by renewing your materials. Most library materials can be renewed up to six times, as long as they have not been requested or recalled. Materials must be renewed before the due date; they cannot be renewed once they become overdue. Items with a fixed due date can only be renewed in the two week period before they are due.

To renew your materials, log in to your library account, check the box beside the book(s) you would like to renew, and click Renew Items. You can also request a renewal by contacting the circulation desk at 204.786.9808 or circulation@uwinnipeg.ca.

Recalls

If someone else has borrowed the book you need, you can recall it by clicking the Recall Item button in the library catalogue. The patron who has the item will be given 7 days to return it to the library. Once returned, you will be notified by email that you have one week to pick up your item from the Library’s smart lockers.

Recall notifications are sent to your email address on file (usually your UWinnipeg email address). Once a recall notification has been sent, your due date will change. If you do not return the item by the new due date, you will be charged a late fee. Watch your email closely, as library items can be recalled at any time.

Requests

If the material you want is checked in, you can request the item for pickup through the Library’s smart lockers. See the pickup service page for details. Requests take approximately one business day to process and are held for one week. 

Patrons who are unable to access campus for pickup should contact the Circulation department at ciruclation@uwinnipeg.ca or 204.786.9808 to make alternate arrangements. Students, staff, and faculty may request scanned excerpts of print materials in the library's collection (subject to copyright guidelines). View the Scan on Demand page for more information.

Returns

UWinnipeg Library materials can be returned through any one of three drop-off slots:

1. Outside the entrance to the Library, on the 4th floor of Centennial Hall.
2. At the Circulation Desk when the Library is open.
3. The east doors of the main entrance to Centennial Hall:

The drop box can be accessed whenever campus is open. During the holiday break, you will need to provide your campus ID to security via video intercom at the Centennial Hall entrance. 

To return materials by mail, please pack them carefully to avoid damage in transit and address them to:

Circulation Department - Returns
UWinnipeg Library
4th Floor, Centennial Hall
515 Portage Avenue
Winnipeg, MB R3B 2E9

Interlibrary loan materials must be returned to the Interlibrary Loan return box, currently located next to the Reference section on the Library's main floor.

Print reserves should be returned to the blue box on top of the Circulation Desk (just above the return slots). 

Overdue Items

Effective September 1, 2021, the UWinnipeg Library will no longer charge late fines on most overdue items. Only course reserves and recalls will be subject to late fines, as these are high demand items. Patrons who do not return or renew their books on time will be blocked from borrowing, renewing, or requesting additional material until overdue items are returned. Replacement fees will be charged for unreturned items.

Late Fines

• Recalled items are fined $1.25 per day to a maximum of $35.00 per item.
• Hourly course reserves are fined $0.50 per hour to a maximum of $25.00 per item.
• Daily course reserves are fined $5.00 per day to a maximum of $25.00 per item.

Blocked Accounts

Blocked accounts cannot borrow, request, or renew library materials. Accounts will be blocked if:

• More than 10 items are overdue
• An item is more than 28 days overdue
• Outstanding fines and fees exceed $25.00
• The account has expired

To remove the block on your account, please return all overdue items and pay any outstanding fines and fees. If your account has expired, contact us to renew it.

UWinnipeg students with blocked accounts will also have a hold placed on their University account. This hold will prevent you from registering for classes, acquiring transcripts, and applying for graduation. To lift the hold, please contact us and we will help resolve the situation as quickly as possible.

Replacement Fees

Replacement and processing fees will be charged for items that are:

• Lost
• Damaged
• Long overdue (more than 28 days overdue)

Fees charged for long overdue items will be waived when the item is returned. A final replacement bill is issued if a long overdue item is not returned by the deadline. Final replacement bills and damaged item replacement fee cannot be waived or refunded.

Return Deadlines

If an item becomes long overdue (more than 28 days overdue), the Library will assess a replacement fee and issue a new due date. Items returned by the new date will have the replacement fee waived or refunded.A final replacement bill is issued if long overdue items are not returned by the new due date. Final replacement bills cannot be refunded.

• Items that become long overdue between August 15^th - December 14^th must be returned by February 1^st.
• Items that become long overdue between December 15^th - April 14^th must be returned by June 1^st.
• Items that become long overdue between April 15^th - August 14^th must be returned by October 1^st.

Paying Fines & Fees

Fines and fees can be paid by cash, cheque, debit, or credit (Visa or Mastercard). All forms of payment are accepted in person at the Circulation Desk. In addition, credit card payments can be taken over the phone. Partial payments are accepted, but account blocks are not lifted until the balance is paid in full or a payment plan is established.

Payment Plan

Patrons who have a blocked library account may establish a payment plan to repay their outstanding balance over a period of time. Suspensions and holds are temporarily lifted for the duration of the payment plan and reinstated if the payment plan is not completed on time. Payment plans must be established in person at the Circulation desk.

Appeals

Patrons who wish to appeal their fines may complete the online appeal form (paper copies available at the Circulation desk on request). The Circulation Supervisor will evaluate the request and waive or reduce fines if the appeal is made on reasonable grounds. The following reasons will not be accepted for appeal:

• Not knowing the borrowing policies
• Forgetting to return or renew items on time
• Failure to receive courtesy reminder notices
• Non-emergency travel outside the city
• Loaning the item(s) to another individual
• Disagreeing with the principle of fining or the rate of fines

The Circulation Supervisor’s decision is final. Fines and replacement fees for interlibrary loan items are levied by the lending institution and cannot be appealed.

Refunds

Fees that may be eligible for a refund include:

• Lost item replacement fees
• Long Overdue Item fees that were paid for and returned before the deadline.

Refunds can only be issued within 30 days of the date of payment with proof of payment. The item must be returned in good condition.

Refunds will not be issued if the library has already ordered a replacement copy, even if the item is returned within 30 days of the date of payment.

All refunds are issued to the original method of payment except for payment over $20 that were paid with cash. Cash payments over $20 will be refunded via cheque. Please note timelines for receiving the cheque can vary and depend on current processing and delivery times.

Fees that are not eligible for a refund:

• Final billed long overdue item replacement fees issued for long overdue items not returned or paid for by the deadline.
• Damaged item replacement fees.
• Daily and hourly overdue late fees issued for recalled items or print reserves.

Notifications

Notifications regarding your library account, such as checkout receipts and overdue notices, will be sent from no-reply@oclc.org to your email address on file (usually your UWinnipeg email address). If you have any questions or concerns regarding a library notification, please forward the notification along with your comments to circulation@uwinnipeg.ca. Do not reply directly to the notification, as the address from which it is sent is not monitored by UWinnipeg Library staff. Please note that these are courtesy notifications; patrons are responsible for returning material on time and paying any fees accrued regardless of whether they receive a courtesy notice.

Contact

In Person: Staff are available during Library hours of operation.

Email: circulation@uwinnipeg.ca

Phone: 204.786.9808

Other Pages of Interest

For books from other libraries, see Interlibrary Loan.

To request a title be added to the collection, please Suggest a Purchase or contact your Subject Librarian.

To request scanned copies of library material (subject to copyright guidelines), visit the Scan on Demand page.