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Borrow, Request, Renew

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Borrow, Request, Renew

Your Brown University Library offers a full slate of options for borrowing, requesting, and renewing library materials to ensure users have the resources needed for all levels of scholarship at Brown.

Borrow from Brown

Brown Library users can borrow an incredible array of materials, most of which can be found by searching in BruKnow, the Library’s online catalog.

Search BruKnow to Find Library Materials

BruKnow is your online library catalog, where you can search for books, articles, images, videos, and more from the Library’s collections. 

Search BruKnow
User’s guide to searching with BruKnow

Loan Terms for Most Items

Loan terms differ depending on your role at Brown.

  • One-year loan
  • Material checked out or renewed during one calendar year must be returned or renewed at the Library by September 30 of the following year.

Brown graduate students can borrow materials over two periods with associated due dates:

  • Academic year - June 15 due date
  • Summer loan - October 15 due date

All Brown undergraduate students and Brown staff members can borrow materials for eight weeks.

  • Four-to-eight-week loan
  • Materials borrowed in one month are due by the end of the following month.
  • Some policies differ for library visitors who are not current members of the Brown community. If you are unsure, please email rock@brown.edu.

Loan terms differ for special items, including certain DVDs, CDs, art books, and other materials. Inquire about loan terms for these items at a library service desk or email rock@brown.edu. 

You may also borrow items for use within a library, including power cords, headphones, and more.

Borrow Outside Brown

Current Brown students, faculty, and staff can exercise borrowing privileges at our consortial partner libraries.

  • Area and consortial partner libraries
  • Ocean State Libraries

Current Brown students, faculty, and staff may also borrow some material in person with a Brown ID at other academic libraries, including:

  • RISD (Rhode Island School of Design)
  • BorrowDirect libraries

Request Items from Other Libraries

All Brown University students, faculty, and staff who are in good standing with library circulation are eligible to borrow materials from other libraries.

  • Search BruKnow to see if we have the item 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.
  • ILLiad, the system used for Interlibrary Loan and BorrowDirect, will open in a new window. You may be prompted to log in with your Brown credentials.
  • Access WorldCat Discovery.
  • Include both the title and author in Advanced Search to improve the accuracy of results.
  • 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.
  • Items arrive in 2 to 14 days.
  • Loan lengths vary. A return date will be printed on the band attached to the item you receive.

The Library can usually obtain access to articles that we don’t have within our holdings. Use ILLiad to request an article, using as much citation information as possible. The article will be delivered to you as a PDF.

Renew

Some library material may be renewed online. Use the button below to extend the term of your loan, if applicable.

Renew now

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 users. 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

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.

  • Standard replacement charge: $150 per item
  • Overdue recall charge: $1 per day
  • Overdue course reserve material and equipment: $0.50 per hour

Contact

We are here to help!

For questions about borrowing and requesting materials from other libraries, email interlibrary_loan@brown.edu. 

For all other questions, email us at rock@brown.edu or call us at 401-863-2165.

Brown University Library
Providence RI 02912 Main Phone: 401-863-2165 Special Collections: 401-863-2146

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