Borrowing & Renewing

• Borrowing Policies
• Requesting from NRLF
• Renewing Your Books
• Overdue Books
• Recalling Checked-Out Items
• Searching for Missing Items
• Borrowing from Other Libraries

Borrowing Policies

UC Berkeley students, faculty, and staff, as well as members of the public, are welcome to visit the Bioscience and Natural Resources Library and use both print and electronic library resources within the library.

Circulating items at the Bioscience and Natural Resources Library may be checked out using a UC Berkeley photo ID card or a current library card. Individuals who do not have a library card and are not affiliated with UC Berkeley who wish to check out materials from the Bioscience Library should visit the Privileges Desk on the first floor of Doe Library.

Loan periods for circulating items vary depending on the type of item, according to the table below:

Locked case items cannot be checked out but may be used within the library. Locked case items must be requested at the Circulation Desk, and may only be used when the Reference Desk is staffed. Patrons without a library card or Cal ID will need to apply for a "Reference Use Only" card in order to access locked case materials - applications for these cards are available at the Circulation Desk.

Returns: Borrowers are responsible for either returning items by the due date stamped in the book, or renewing books before the due date has elapsed. Books may be returned to the slot on the right hand of the circulation desk during the library's open hours.

After hours book return: The after-hours book return is located on the south side of VLSB near the first floor handicapped-accessible building entrance. Books returned to the after-hours book drop will not be checked back into our system until the following day.

Universal return: Patrons can now return checked-out books to any book return on campus. Universal return:

• does not apply to course reserves, which must be returned to the lending library;
• does not apply to interlibrary loan materials, which must be returned to the Interlibrary Borrowing Service (IBS), 133 Doe Library. An after-hours IBS book return is available outside Room 133.

Please note that books returned to libraries other than the lending library will remain checked out to the patron until they are delivered to and processed by the lending library, which may take several days.

Renewals: Books may be renewed using our online catalog, Oskicat. See Renewing Your Books.

Overdue Books

Patrons will receive a courtesy reminder via the email address specified in their account 3 days before library materials are due. Thereafter, overdue notices will be issued 4 days, 14 days, and 30 days after the due date. Borrowing privileges will be blocked and a bill warning will be generated when the second (14-day) overdue notice has been issued.

Bills for lost items are equal to $150 or the value of the book, whichever is greater, as well as a $10 bill processing fee. Upon return of the overdue item, the cost of the book will be waived, but the $10 bill processing fee will remain.

Patrons who accrue more than $50 in fines will be blocked from using the library until fines are paid. Fines can be paid online through My OskiCat, or in person at the Doe Library Privileges Desk. For more information see Billing, Blocks and Payments.

Fines also accrue for overdue reserve items. For two-hour reserve items, fines are $2.50 per hour overdue.

Recalling Checked-Out Items

Items that are checked out may be recalled if there are no other available copies of the item at any UC Berkeley library location. Recalled items receive a new due date of one week from the day the recall was placed, and the patron holding the item will be notified of the recall via email.

To recall an item that's checked out:

1. Locate the item in Oskicat
2. Click on the "Request" link
3. Log in using your name, UC Berkeley ID or library card number, and pin (usually, your 4 digit birth month and day: e.g. March 18 = 0318)
4. Click "Submit"

When the item is returned, you will receive an email notifying you that the book is ready to be picked up. Ask for the book at the circulation desk.

Searching for Missing Items

If material cannot be found in the stacks, ask for assistance at the Circulation Desk. After confirming that the item is not on the shelf, checked out, or in our sorting area, circulation staff will conduct a search of the library and will notify you of the results. If the item is located, it will be placed on the holdshelf and you will be notified via email that the book is ready to be picked up.