Important Notice
BruKnow, the Library’s upgraded online search tool, is now live, and Josiah has been retired. If you encounter an issue, please email [email protected]. We are here to assist you.
Learn more about BruKnow, or access the guide.
Need help?
Email us at [email protected], or call the Circulation Desk
at 401-863-2165.
Circulation and Resource Sharing can help you to find Library materials, not only from our own Library, but also books, articles, and other materials from other libraries. Be sure to note our policies on recalls and fines.
Borrowing and Renewing Brown Library Materials
Helpful Links
Circulation rules vary, but the list below outlines our basic borrowing policies. Also, some Library material may be renewed online. Use the renew/checkout history button below to extend the term of your loan, if possible.
Loan Terms for Most Items
Brown faculty: One-year loan. Material checked out or renewed during one calendar year must be returned or renewed at the Library by Sept. 30 of the following year.
Brown graduate students: academic year and summer loan. There are two due dates per year: June 15 and October 15.
Undergraduate students and staff: Eight-week loan.
All other borrowers: Four-to-eight-week loan. Materials borrowed in one month are due by the end of the following month.
Renew now, or view checkout history
Loan terms differ for special items, including certain DVDs, CDs, art books, and other materials.
You may also borrow items for use within the Library, including laptops, power cords, headphones, and more.
Some policies differ for Library visitors who are not current members of the Brown community. If you are unsure, please email [email protected].
Borrowing Materials from Other Libraries
Helpful Links
All Brown University faculty, students, and staff who are in good standing with Library circulation are eligible to borrow materials through our interlibrary loan systems, which allow our Library to request materials from other libraries.
Borrowing Books Not Available at the Brown Library
1. Search BruKnow to see if we have the book at Brown. If Brown’s copy of a book is checked out, follow the link in BruKnow to “Request from Another Library.” You may need to sign in to your library account to make this link appear.
2. If you don’t find the book you need in BruKnow, search in WorldCat Discovery. Including both the title and the author in Advanced Search will improve the accuracy of your search.
– Open the record for the book by clicking on the title. Confirm that this is the edition of the book that you wish to request. Other editions of the book will be listed at the bottom of the screen.
– If we do not own the book at Brown, click on the “Request Item From Another Library” button. This will open ILLiad, the system used for Interlibrary Loan and Borrow Direct, in a new window. You may be prompted to log in with your Brown credentials.
3. We will request the book from another library, which usually takes 2-14 days. Loan lengths vary, and a return date will be printed on the band attached to the item you receive.
Access to Articles Not Available at the Brown Library
We can usually get access to articles that we don’t have within our holdings. To make a request for an article, be sure to have as much citation information as you can, and then use our ILLiad system to request that the article be delivered to you as a PDF.
Other Borrowing Options
- Visit Area and Consortial Partner Libraries
- Ocean State Libraries
- Brown patrons may borrow some material in person with a Brown ID at other academic libraries, including:
Reminders, Recalls, and Fines
For most borrowed items, email courtesy notices are sent five days before an item is due and again after the item is due. After a lapse of 30 days, a replacement charge will be issued.
Borrowed material is subject to recall by other Library patrons. In the case of a recall, you must return the material before the new due date to avoid overdue fines.
Overdue Fines, Charges, and Penalties
- Standard replacement charges: $150 per item
- Overdue recall charge: $1 per day
- Overdue course reserve or equipment: $0.50 per hour
Library privileges may be suspended for those with overdue recalls, or with substantial outstanding bills. Extreme or repeated problems may be reported to the appropriate dean or department chair.