How do I borrow, renew and return items?

How to borrow items

You will need to join the Library before you can borrow any resources.

• take the items you wish to borrow and your Library card to Library Customer Services self issue/return machine
• when you have issued your books you can print a receipt which gives the date your items are due for return.

if you are entitled to postal loans, you can request items by

• Requesting from the Library catalogue
• finding the item
• clicking on the ‘Request’ button
• entering your library barcode and choosing ‘Hold’ or ‘Recall’

Please note: postal loans are only available to OU regional staff, OU Research students not based at the Walton Hall site, Associate Lecturers, and students whose disability prevents them from accessing their local library.

• Open University staff, Associate Lecturers, and post graduate research students may borrow up to 40 items for 4 months
• Open University taught masters and undergraduate students (all modules) may borrow up to 10 items for 1 month
• SCONUL Access students and staff from other universities and guest members may borrow up to 6 items for 1 month

How to renew items

Bring the items into the library

• Use the self issue/return machine to renew your items

Renew online

• From the Library catalogue click on 'view my record' in the menu bar and follow the instructions.

Use the telephone or email renewals service

• by phone +44 (0) 1908 653138, this will direct you to our recorded renewals service
• email: library-circulation@open.ac.uk stating your library card number.

How to return items

• return them to the Library using the self issue/return machine
• place them in the book return box found at the entrance of the Library, when the Library is closed
• post them back to Library Services,The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA
• OU staff based in the Regions and Nations can use the internal mail system to return items to Walton Hall