It seems a long time ago in March that we made an important commitment to you. We promised that your items would continue to be extended as long as it was needed and we would ensure no fines could be accrued during this unprecedented period of closure. With the next due date of the 28 September only weeks away, we think it’s the right time to start getting borrowing back to normal.

How will we transition back to normal borrowing?

Here’s what you need to know…

Due dates

On the 20th September we will be updating the due date of all items that are on loan to the 5th October unless the item is already due after that date.

When you borrow an item from the library the due date will either be the loan period of the item or the 5th October depending on which is further away. For example:

• From the 7 September, if you borrow a 4 week loan it will go out for 4 weeks. 7 day loans and 24 hour loans will still be due 5 October.
• From the 28 September, if you borrow a 7 day loan it will go out for seven days. 24 hour loans will still be due on the 5 October.
• From the 5 October – 24 hour loan items will revert to being loaned for 24 hours only.
• By the 19th October – iBorrow laptop loans will need to be returned (see details in the next section)

This means 24 hour loans that are currently on loan will need to be returned on or before 5 October. If you’re not able to do this, please contact your home library and we’ll find ways to support you.

You can book a fifteen minute slot to return your items at Augustine House using the online form.

You can book a fifteen minute slot to return your items at Salomons Library using the online form.

You can book slots up to two weeks in advance.

You do not need to book in advance to return items at the Drill Hall library.

iBorrow laptop loans

From Monday 5th October we are relaunching our iBorrow loan scheme. It’s bigger and better than it was before. We now have a bank of 40 loanable i-borrows and you can now take the items out for two weeks. You still won’t be able to reserve or renew an iBorrow laptop. To borrow a laptop, book a Click and Collect slot during staffed hours and request an iBorrow at the Library Point. You can email us on library.canterbury@canterbury.ac.uk to check availability.

If you currently have an iborrow laptop on loan, we are extending the current due date by another two weeks, but you will need to return the laptop on or before the 19th October. Please email us on library.canterbury@canterbury.ac.uk to make arrangements on returning your laptop. You will need to book a slot and let us know when you’re returning your iBorrow loan.

Like all other library items, iBorrow laptops will be safely stored for 72 hours between users to mitigate the risks of coronavirus transmission.

Automatic renewals

On the 3 October we will turn our automatic renewals system back on. It’s been a while since it was in operation so let’s recap how it works. Three years ago we moved to automatic renewals, we hated seeing students get fines as much as the students hated getting them. We felt there had to be a better way and automatic renewals was our solution.

We automatically renew 4 week and 7 day loans for you, a couple of days before the due date, as long as no one has placed a reservation on your item. If an item has been reserved you’ll receive an email notification and you’ll need to bring the item back by the due date.

24 hour loans do not automatically renew and they can only be loaned for the 24 hour period. The exception we made as part of the covid-19 measures draws to an end on the 5 October.

Notices

At the end of March we acted on your feedback to disable our automatic notices. From the 28 September this will be switched back on and you will start to receive automated notices from the library again. This will include the monthly summary of the items you have on loan. You can use the monthly statement to keep track of what you have out and help you decide what you no longer need and can return for other students.

Placing reservations on items that are out on loan

On the 21 September we will switch on the ability for you to place reservations on items that are out on loan. This means when the next copy of a book is returned it will go to the first person who placed a reservation on it. The book will be held at the reservation pick up point at your home campus library for you to collect.

It means you’ll need to keep a regular eye on your University email to see if there are any notifications from the library letting you know if any of your items have been reserved by another user. As all items will be due back on the 5th October or later, if an item you have on loan is requested, you will not need to bring the item back until that date.

If you’re placing a reservation on an item that’s out on loan please be aware that it may not be available until sometime after the 5th October. It’s worth remembering that current government guidelines require us to quarantine returned items for 72 hours before we can make them available to another reader.

Borrowing items

The last step in getting borrowing back to normal, is allowing you to browse the shelves. You can do this by using the Browse and Borrow service.

The service will allow you to book a 15 minute slot to browse shelves in Augustine House or Salomons Institute Library and borrow items via the self-service machines. The service is available throughout the opening times of our libraries. 

You can book a fifteen minute slot to browse and borrow at Augustine House using the online form.

You can book a fifteen minute slot to browse and borrow at Salomons Library using the online form.

You can use the same slots to collected reservations and return books.

If you’re collecting a lot of books from around the library, fifteen minutes might not be enough time. If that’s the case, you can book two or more slots back to back to give yourself the time you need to find the books your looking for.

If you have booked a Click and Study slot, you will be able to access the shelves whenever you need to. You won’t need to book a separate slot to browse the shelves. 

Document Delivery

Document Delivery items will need to go back to their home libraries. They’ve been with us an unexpectedly long time and other University libraries will be eager to see their books return to them.

All document delivery items will need to be returned on or before the 5 October.

If you have concerns about this please contact your document delivery team:

• Canterbury
• Salomons

Need help?

For more information on borrowing visit the borrowing, returning and reservations page.

If you’re in Augustine House or Salomons Library you can ask a member of staff on the Library Point. Our Library Points certainly looks different with their large protective screen but we’re still eager to help! There are a few changes to the services we can provide, we won’t be taking cash for instance. Check our opening hours to see when staffed support is available.

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A wide range of remote support is available, read our Need help?… Just ASK blog to find out more.