Borrowing

Borrowing periods

Your student or staff card is also your Library card.

If you don't have a University ID card see Students Services information on Student ID Cards.

"Click and collect" to request an item that is either on loan or available at a Southern Cross campus Library:

• Search the Library collections and sign in
• Find the item you would like to request
• Click on Availability information (e.g. "Available at Coffs Harbour...")
• Click on 'Request item' or 'Request scan', below the locations information
• Select pickup location (scans will be sent to your SCU email address) and click 'Send request'
• You will be contacted by email when the item becomes available.
• SMS service: If we have your mobile phone number and that's your preferred contact, you will also receive an SMS.

Items will be held for 5 days for collection.

You may choose to have items mailed to you instead of "click and collect".  Follow the above steps to request, but select 'home address' instead of a pickup location.  The item will be posted to your home address when it is available.

For Online students located within Australia, the item will be mailed out to you unless you request otherwise.

See also information about finding and requesting SCU Theses.

• Search the Library collections and sign in
• Find the item you would like to request a scan
• Click on Availability information (e.g. "Available at Coffs Harbour...")
• Click on 'Request scan', below the locations information
• Select pickup location (scans will be sent to your SCU email address) and click 'Send request'
• Be sure to enter chapter/page information for what you would like scanned

Please contact the Library via email to [email protected] to make an appointment to register, stating which campus you wish to join.

You will be asked to provide photo ID (preferably your University staff/student ID card) and proof of enrolment or employment from your University.

Reciprocal membership of SCU Library is free and includes access to physical items on campus only. Borrowing privileges are valid until 28th February of the following year, and re-registration is required each year. Processing your registration may take up to 48 hours.

Membership does not include computer access, but reciprocal users can connect via their own device to the eduroam network if their institution participates.

Open University Australia students are not covered under these arrangements however they are welcome to join as a community borrower.

More information about joining the Library is available here:

• Community and visitors
• Alumni
• High Schools

Borrowed items will be automatically renewed, except under any of the following conditions:

• any item you have borrowed is overdue
• the item is reserved by another borrower
• your borrowing rights have been suspended
• the item has already been renewed two times.

After the second renewal, you will receive a reminder notice that an item is due.

Always return items on or before their due date to avoid penalties.
Items can be returned via the chutes outside the entrances of all campus libraries or via post using the Reply Paid service.

Reply Paid 157
SCU Library
Widjabal Country
Southern Cross University
PO Box 157
Lismore NSW 2480

You may receive a recall notice if your item has been reserved by another borrower.

Recalls help to provide all clients with fair access to resources. Loan periods for standard items are generous and will be automatically adjusted according to user demand via the recall system.

You will receive email reminder notifications to your student or staff email address when your loan has been renewed, recalled or is overdue.

These notices are a courtesy only, however, and should not be relied upon for return of materials. Failure to return a borrowed item by the due date may result in loss of borrowing privileges and/or a replacement fee.

Keep track of your loans by logging into My Account.

• If an item is not returned after receiving a 'long overdue' notice the user will be billed for the replacement cost of the item.
• Inter-Library Loans may incur an overdue fine and/or a replacement fee to the amount invoiced by the lending Library.
• Sanctions will apply until the debt is cleared.

Email reminder notifications will be sent to your student or staff email address.
These notices are a courtesy only and should not be relied upon when returning materials. Failure to return a borrowed item by the due date may result in loss of borrowing privileges and/or a replacement fee.

Keep track of your loans by logging into My Account

• If an item is not returned after receiving a 'long overdue' notice the user will be billed for the replacement cost of the item.
• Inter-Library loans may incur an overdue fine and/or a replacement fee to the amount invoiced by the lending library.
• Sanctions will apply until the debt is cleared.

Paying fines

• If paying a fine please phone your campus Library.
• Please note: the Library does not take cash.

For items not at Southern Cross University, the Library can request a loan from another library (inter-library loan) on your behalf. This service is available for all SCU students, staff members, and researchers affiliated with the University.

How to use the Inter-Library loan service

1. When searching the Library collections, click on Sign in on the top right of the screen and follow the prompts.
2. Search for the item you want. TIP: For journal articles and book chapters search for the article or chapter title or search by DOI.
3. If the item is not held at SCU Libraries, or you see no results, click on the Expand my results toggle on the left of your results.
4. Click on the item that you would like to request and select 'Request from another institution' under 'How to get it' OR if your item has not been displayed in the expanded results, click 'Request a nonSCU item at the top of the screen.
5. Check the request details and your delivery location is correct.
6. Tick the Copyright declaration.
7. Click 'send request'.

For RUSH or EXPRESS (pay) requests, please phone the Library at 1800 724 357.

Renewing an Inter-Library loan

• Not all Inter-Library loans (ILLs) are renewable, check the loan slip in the item.
• If the item is renewable please email your request to the Library.

Delivery and Fees

Some Inter-Library Loans are subject to fees.

*The timeframes listed are a guide only - we do not guarantee any delivery times.  If an item is posted to you, please allow at least another 3-4 working days for this.
** Contact us for an estimate of total cost.

If you live closer to another University Library, you may wish to join and borrow from them.

Apply in person to the host library, taking proof of current enrolments such as current fees receipt, enrolment details and photo ID. The host institution may impose fees.

More information is available from the University Libraries Australia and New Zealand (ULANZ) website.