Borrowing Materials

Borrowers Card
To borrow library materials you will need to present your Columbia University, Barnard College, Teachers College, or Union Theological Seminary ID. If you have questions about your privileges, please contact the Library Information Office inside the front entrance of Butler Library (E-mail:lio@columbia.edu Voice: 212-854-7309) An ID card from Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, without an additional Columbia ID card, allows you to borrow only from the Health Sciences Library.

Address Changes Please notify the Library of address changes. Use My Library Account to verify that the Library has your correct address. Students should also report address changes to their Registrar, and staff and officers should report address changes to the Human Resources Office.

Email Notices
Email reminders and notices are routinely sent to borrowers. These notices contain information about books and other materials that are due, overdue or recalled. Borrowers are still responsible for returning materials on time whether or not they receive such notices, and are responsible for paying any fines or fees that may apply.

Your Loans
My Library Account provides a list of books checked out to you in CLIO and indicates their due dates. Library notices about books that are ready for pick up, recalls, overdues, etc., are sent via e-mail.

Recalls
CLIO, the Library's online catalog, includes circulation status information for books in all Columbia libraries except Law and Teachers College. If a book is listed in CLIO as in use, ask at the circulation desk from which it was checked out to have it recalled for your use. You will receive a notice when the book is ready for pick up. Please note: when a book is recalled from you by another patron, or if an instructor needs it for Reserve, the due date for that book will be reset, and you will be asked to return the item. The effectiveness of the recall process depends on the prompt return of recalled books. If you do not respond promptly to recall requests, you will be charged fines once the recall due date has passed, and your borrowing privileges will be suspended until items are returned. If an officer does not return a recalled book, the privileges of Deputy Borrowers will also be suspended until the item is returned.

Renewals
Books may be renewed at the Library from which they were borrowed or, with some exceptions, using My Library Account. You may renew an item up to 10 times from the original check out date unless another borrower has requested it, an instructor needs it for reserves, or your borrowing privileges are suspended. Please return or renew items promptly to avoid fines and fees.