Borrowing & Renewing

All you need to know about borrowing from the Library.

All MTU Kerry students and staff automatically become members of the Library. Your Student Card is also your Library membership card and you need it to borrow items from the library.

Click on the tabs below for details of borrowing rights for each patron category.

Undergraduate Students can borrow a combined total of 7 items from the item types below (for example 5 General Lending + 1 Fiction + 1 2 Hour Loan).

Item Type Items Length of Loan Renewals Suspensions
General Lending 7 2 weeks 3 automatic renewals
(unless requested by another patron)		 1 day per item overdue to a maximum of 10 days
 2 Hour Loan 4 2 hours No renewals No Suspensions
1 Day Loan 1 1 day No renewals 1 day per item overdue to a maximum of 10 days
3 Day Loan
(Cork Campus Only)		 1 3 days  3 automatic renewals
(unless requested by another patron)		 2 days per item overdue to a maximum of 10 days
Fiction
(Kerry Campus Only)		 7 2 weeks  3 automatic renewals
(unless requested by another patron)		 No Suspensions
Reading Room
(Kerry Campus Only)		 7 2 weeks  3 automatic renewals
(unless requested by another patron)		 1 day per item overdue to a maximum of 10 days
Intercampus  Loans 2 2 weeks 1 manual renewal on request 1 day per item overdue to a maximum of 10 days
Reference material, Final Year Projects, Journals and Official Publications cannot be checked out, but they are freely available for reading in the Library.

The Library has a small number of Laptops available for borrowing.  They can be borrowed for up to 2 hours and are for use in the library only.

You are responsible for all items that you borrow until they are returned to the Library. If the items that you borrow become overdue and are returned late, your account will be suspended.

Click here to find out more about the Library’s collections.

Postgraduate Students can borrow a combined total of 8 items from the item types below (for example 6 General Lending + 1 Fiction + 1 2 Hour Loan).

Item Type Items Length of Loan Renewals Suspensions
General Lending 8 4 weeks 3 automatic renewals
(unless requested by another patron)		 1 day per item overdue to a maximum of 10 days
 2 Hour Loan 4 2 hours No renewals No Suspensions
1 Day Loan 1 1 day No renewals 1 day per item overdue to a maximum of 10 days
3 Day Loan
(Cork Campus Only)		 1 3 days  3 automatic renewals
(unless requested by another patron)		 2 days per item overdue to a maximum of 10 days
Fiction
(Kerry Campus Only)		 8 4 weeks  3 automatic renewals
(unless requested by another patron)		 No Suspensions
Reading Room
(Kerry Campus Only)		 8 4 weeks  3 automatic renewals
(unless requested by another patron)		 1 day per item overdue to a maximum of 10 days
Intercampus  Loans 2 2 weeks 1 manual renewal on request  1 day per item overdue to a maximum of 10 days
Reference material, Final Year Projects, Journals and Official Publications cannot be checked out, but they are freely available for reading in the Library.

The Library has a small number of Laptops available for borrowing.  They can be borrowed for up to 2 hours and are for use in the library only.

You are responsible for all items that you borrow until they are returned to the Library. If the items that you borrow become overdue and are returned late, your account will be suspended.

Click here to find out more about the Library’s collections.

Staff can borrow a combined total of 15 items from the item types below (for example 12 General Lending  + 2 Fiction + 1 2 Hour Loan).

Item Type Items Length of Loan Renewals
General Lending 15 4 weeks 3 automatic renewals
(unless requested by another patron)
2 Hour Loan 4 2 hours No renewals
1 Day Loan 1 1 day No renewals
3 Day Loan
(Cork Campus Only)		 1 3 days  3 automatic renewals
(unless requested by another patron)
Fiction
(Kerry Campus Only)		 15 4 weeks  3 automatic renewals
(unless requested by another patron)
Reading Room
(Kerry Campus Only)		 15 4 weeks  3 automatic renewals
(unless requested by another patron)
Intercampus  Loans 2 2 weeks 1 manual renewal on request
Reference material, Final Year Projects, Journals and Official Publications cannot be checked out, but they are freely available for reading in the Library.

The Library has a small number of Laptops available for borrowing.  They can be borrowed for up to 2 hours and are for use in the Library only.

You are responsible for all items you borrow until they are returned to the Library.

Click here to find out more about the Library’s collections.

Members of MTU Cork Library can borrow books from MTU Kerry library on presenting your MTU Cork identity cards. You can borrow 2 items from the general lending and fiction collections for 2 weeks, and can request 1 renewal at the library desk. You are responsible for all items you borrow until they are returned to the Library. A suspension will be applied to your account on the return of overdue items. Your account will be suspended by 1 day for each item that is overdue up to a maximum of 10 days.

Reference material, Final Year Projects, Journals and Official Publications cannot be checked out, but are freely available for reading in the Library.

Click here to find out more about the Library’s collections.

Retired staff can borrow 5 items from the general lending and fiction collections for 2 weeks, and can request 1 renewal at the library desk. You are responsible for all items you borrow until they are returned to the Library.  A suspension will be applied to your account on the return of overdue items. Your account will be suspended by 1 day for each item that is overdue up to a maximum of 10 days.

Reference material, Final Year Projects, Journals and Official Publications cannot be checked out, but are freely available for reading in the Library.

Click here to find out more about the Library’s collections.

Alumni, corporate and external borrowers can borrow 2 items from the general lending and fiction collections for 2 weeks, and can request 1 renewal at the library desk. You are responsible for all items you borrow until they are returned to the Library. A suspension will be applied to your account on the return of overdue items. Your account will be suspended by 1 day for each item that is overdue up to a maximum of 10 days.

Reference material, Final Year Projects, Journals and Official Publications cannot be checked out, but are freely available for reading in the Library.

Click here to find out more about the Library’s collections.

  • When you have found a book you want to borrow, take it to one of the self-service machines.
  • Scan your T Card in the machine.
  • Follow the on-screen instructions.

Click here to find out more about self-service in the library .
Alternatively, you can bring the books, with your T Card to the Information Desk and staff will check them out to you.

  • Use the Library Catalogue to search for the book and check availability.
  • If the book is available, make a note of the location and call number – you will need this information to find the book on the shelves (an example call number is: 658.406 BRI).
  • Go to the shelves and find the book

Click here to see more information on library collections and locations.

If you are having difficulty finding a book, please ask at the Information Desk, staff will be happy to help you.

You do not need your T Card to return items to the Library Information Resource Centre.  To return an item to the library, simply place it in one of the return drop boxes. The drop boxes are emptied regularly by library staff and are located at:

  • North Campus: outside the library entrance & beside the Library Service Desk.
  • South Campus: outside the entrance to the Reading Room.

Alternatively, you can return items directly to staff at the Information Desk.

Your loans will renew automatically three times unless:

  • you have items more than 3 days overdue.
  • another user has placed a hold on an item.
  • you have restrictions on your library account.

Please note, if you are external borrower you will get two automatic renewals.

We will email you a number of days before the maximum number of automatic renewals has been reached or to let you know another user has requested an item you have on loan.

You can check your loans, due dates and requests by logging into your My Library account.

Items on Short Loan, Course Reserve and One Day Loan items do not automatically renew.  Students who return these items late will be charged overdue fines.

You can place a hold (or request) on Standard loan items if all copies are checked out.

  • Find the item in the Library Catalogue.
  • Click on the title.
  • Check if there is a Short Loan copy with a status of “Available”.
  • If no, click on “Place hold” under the “Browse results” box to the left of the page.
  • If yes, ask staff at the Information Desk to request the item for you.

When the item is returned it will be held for you at the Information Desk for 3 days. We will email you when the item is ready for collection. If you don’t collect the item in the 3 days, it will be passed to the next person in the queue or returned to the library shelves.

We may be able to borrow the book from another library for you. For more information, including charges, please visit our Inter-Library Loans page.

Students who do not return an item on or before it’s due date will be suspended from using your library account, you will not be able to borrow or renew any books during that period. You will still be able to view and use our e resources.

Item Type Suspension
General Lending, 1 Day Loan, Reading Room 1 day per item per day over due to a maximum of 10 days
3 Day Loan 2 days per item per day over due to a maximum of 10 days
  • Suspensions are added on the return of overdue books, (example if you return 1 general lending book 3 days late, you will not be able to check out  or renew any books for  3 days, if you return 2 generals lending books 3 days late, your will not be able to check out or renew any books for 6 days)
  • Restrictions will be be added on items that are over 3 weeks overdue.
  • Items that are Long Overdue are assumed lost and you will be charged a replacement cost, you can also provide a replacement book, a good second hand copy is sufficient.
  • Restrictions at the end of the academic year will be carried into the next year.

Why does the library suspend accounts?
Suspensions are added to accounts to help make sure that all our users have equal and fair access to the library resources they need, when they need them.

How to avoid suspensions

  • Check  your My Library account often.
  • Check your college email for library notifications regularly: we will let you know when items are due back because they have reached the maximum number of renewals or another user has requested them.
  • We will email you as soon as an item is late. Return it as soon as possible to avoid a longer suspension.

To view your loans, due dates, fines and other information about your account, login to My Library using your T Card number and Computer Services password.

If you need a book that is in storage (South Campus Store B115), please let staff at the Information Desk know. They will arrange to have the item taken out of storage for you. We will email you when the item is ready for you to collect.

Please ask staff at the Library Service Desk, they will arrange to have the item brought to your campus library for you.   We will email you when the item is ready for you to collect.

Please contact us as soon as possible. You may be asked to pay a replacement cost.  This will appear as a fine on your library account.  Please note that we are not always able to accept replacement copies so please do not order one before contacting us.