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The Library: Borrowing Items

Borrowing Items

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Borrowing Items

Most of our resources have loan periods of one week or one month. Items shown on our catalogue as NTBTA (Not to be Taken Away) are for reference only use within the Library.

Items must be checked out at a Help Desk and must be returned or renewed by the due date stamped inside. You are responsible for everything you borrow.

The maximum loan entitlement for Further Education (FE) students is 10 items, and 20 for Higher Education (HE) students.

Returning Items

To minimise contact, it is preferable that returning items to Lincoln or Newark should be placed in the book returns box located outside the Library entrance. In Gainsborough items can be returned at Main Reception if the Library is closed.

You must have your Student ID Card and lanyard in order to borrow items.

Renewing Items

Track your loans by logging in to your Online Library Account. We send a reminder email three days before the due date, and items not returned or renewed by this date will incur fines.

Further Education (FE) students are allowed two unseen renewals, and Higher Education (HE) receive four unseen automatic renewals.

Ways to Renew

Overdue Items

Loans must be returned or renewed by the due date. If you miss this date, you will begin to accrue overdue fines. This will be 10p per day, per item. An initial overdue notice is sent by email after 3 days. Your access to PCs and laptops in the Library may be restricted, and if you receive more than 2 overdue notices, this will be recorded on your student record and may result in a delay to your qualification being awarded.

You do not have to pay overdue fines in order to return late books, but be aware that you cannot borrow further resources with an outstanding overdue fine.

Lost or Damaged Items

Please speak to a member of the Library Team if you damage an item or believe you have lost it. When this happens you either have to replace the item or pay the replacement cost.

Paying Fines

Fines should be paid at the help desk. We currently cannot accept card payments, only cash.

If you are unable to pay the total fine at once, we accept payment instalments. Speak to a member of the Library team to agree on a plan, though be aware you may not continue borrowing items until the final payment has been made.

We will waive fines in the event of exceptional circumstances, such as illness, bereavement, or caring responsibilities. Please let us know by phone or email as soon as possible if you will be unable to return items on time.

As well as being able to reserve items currently out on loan, we also offer a Click and Collect service that allows you to collect items later from the Library. To place a reservation:

  • Log in to your Online Library Account and search the Library Catalogue to find items you wish to borrow
  • Click on the title of an item to view information on its location and availability
  • Under the Check Availability option, select Click and Collect and follow the instructions to make your reservation.
  • You will receive an email notification when your items are ready to collect.
  • Reserved items are held for a period of 7 days only.
  • Visit the front help desk to collect your items.
  • Items should be returned to the returns box outside the Library entrance

We will be holding all returned items in quarantine for 72 hours to ensure they are safe before putting back into circulation.

Higher Education (HE) students studying at Lincoln College who do not live locally can request up to 4 items at a time via our postal loan service. Any number of requests may be submitted up to the maximum loan limit. Students who live within a 40 mile radius of the College are not eligible to use the service.

To register for this service, please complete the Request Form:


Once you have registered for the service, you can request postal loans by following the process for Click & Collect.

  • When you reserve you item, you will need to select your home Library as a pick up location.
  • Then add a note to the form stating ‘distance learner – please post’ to make it clear you require the item to be posted, along with your address.
  • Please discard any automated collection emails sent via the Library Management System.
  • The item will be issued to your Library account on the day of posting and you will receive an email confirmation.

We will post items to addresses in the UK using Royal Mail Signed For delivery. Students using the postal loan service are responsible for the books from the point they receive the items until they are checked back into the Library. Students can return loaned items in person when they visit the campus. If they choose to return items by post they must pay any associated charges themselves. We recommend returned items are sent via a tracked service please.

HE students receive four unseen automatic renewals. However, if an item cannot be renewed because it has been reserved by someone else it must be returned to the Library as soon as possible.

If there is an eBook available of the title requested, we will not offer a Postal Loan for this item. We have a large selection of e-books which can be accessed via the Library Catalogue.

Students attending campus within the next 7 days are to use the Click & Collect service and not to request items by Postal Loan.