Borrowing, renewing and reserving
Loan Periods
Most of the books in the Library can be borrowed. The Standard Loan period is two weeks, with some key texts designated as One Week Loans. Copies of high demand texts are held in the Overnight Loan Collection, available for loan from the Enquiries Desk from 9.45am to 9.30am the next working day - there is a 50 pence fine for late returns. Copies of high demand texts are also held in the Reference Collection, available from the Enquiries Desk for use in the Library only. Library laptops and locks are also available from the Enquiries Desk and can be loaned to staff and students of the School for use within the Library only. Please note that visitors, including External Members, may not borrow material from the Overnight or Reference Collections or Library laptops and locks. Printed journals and other similar reference material on the open shelves are for use in the Library only and may not be borrowed.
Borrowing material
Books and other items are issued for loan at the Enquiries Desk. Users will need to present the item and their Library Card to borrow material. For staff and London-based students of the School who have joined the Library their Library Card is usually their School ID card, whilst DL students and External Members are issued with a separate card – please refer to the information on Joining the Library for further details. LSHTM Members may have up to 10 items on loan at any one time - only one Overnight Loan may be borrowed at a time. External Members may have up to 5 items on loan at any one time, but may not borrow material from the Reference or Overnight Loan Collections, or borrow Library laptops or locks.
Renewing material
Overnight Loans may not be renewed, but members can renew Standard and One Week Loan material they have borrowed by the online renewals service using their User ID and Library PIN. The User ID is the barcode number on the Library Card. The Library PIN is emailed to students at the start of the academic year, or otherwise given to users in person when they join the Library. Material that is already due, or overdue, may not be renewed online. Members can also renew in person at the Enquiries Desk.
Returning material
Borrowed items should be returned to the Enquiries Desk on or before the due date. Items that have been reserved by another user must be returned by the revised due date specified in the email recall notice. Members can check their Library account at any time, including the status of any items they have on loan, via the online Library Catalogue using their User ID and Library PIN.
Reserving material
Members can place a hold on a book that is currently on loan to another user online via the Library Catalogue using their User ID and Library PIN. Overnight Loan material cannot be reserved. A recall notice will be emailed to the user who has the book on loan, and as soon as the item is returned to the Library it will be held at the Enquiries Desk for the user who placed the hold, who will be notified by email that the item is available for collection. Reserved material will be held at the Enquiries Desk for a maximum of 4 working days.
Defaulting Users
Library accounts of members with overdue loans are automatically blocked, and they will be unable to borrow further material until the existing loans are renewed or returned. Members with bills (such as fines or inter-library loan charges) outstanding for 30 days or more and/or who have extremely overdue loans are barred, and they may not borrow or order further items until all bills have been paid and/or loaned items returned. LSHTM students with outstanding Library debts at the end of their course are notified to Registry, and will not be able to obtain their results until all debts have been settled.
