Everything you need to know about borrowing

Who can use us and what do you need to borrow? | Borrowing and loan periods
Renew your loans | What happens when the loan period is up? | Lost or damaged items | Prices

Who can use us and what do you need to borrow?

A library card is required in order to borrow items from the University Library. Students and staff at the University use their student/staff card. Staff at the Oslo University Hospital may get a National Library card

• Students and staff receive library services related to their own studies and research.
• External users
  • must be residents in Norway.
  • can use the services offered within the different libraries and can receive help to perform simple searches
  • cannot borrow from the Library of Things
• Library cards are personal and not transferable to anyone else.
• Users are responsible for ensuring that details of address, telephone number and e-mail address are always correct. Students must update their contact details in Studentweb.
• The loss of your library card must be reported to the library as soon as possible to prevent abuse.
• Find your loan ID

Borrowing and loan periods

• Loans are automatically renewed if there is no waiting list.
  For students and external users, this is done for up to 1 year, for employees no limitation.
• Loan periods:
  • Two weeks is the normal borrowing period
  • One week is borrowing period for the Library of Things. Items must be returned to the counter in GSH.
  • One-day loans must be returned on the same day and cannot be renewed. Special collections can also be reserved for our students and staff.
• Reference literature, special collections and journals are not normally available for loan.
• Particularly valuable documents and items published before 1850 are only available for use within the Library.
• Students and external users can borrow maximum 50 books at the same time.
• Items borrowed from other libraries for students and staff at UiO and OUS, are subject to the loan period and other conditions imposed by the lending library.
  • The borrowing period is imposed by the lending library. To renew the loan, contact the branch library that completed the service for you.
  • UB does not usually borrow items from other libraries if the item exists in our own collections.
  • The service is free of charge for UiO/OUS students and employees. Other fees may apply; see the price list for details. We refer to the Library Director for extensive agreements.
  • Items you have borrowed directly from other libraries must be returned to the library where you borrowed them.
• We provide loans to other libraries in and outside of Norway
  • We encourage staff at other libraries to order and renew loans in Oria.
• Items you have borrowed are not transferable to another person. You are responsible for all items listed on your library record.

Renew your loans

• Loans are automatically renewed if there is no waiting list.
  For students and external users, this is done for up to 1 year, for employees no limitation.
• Interlibrary loans can be renewed via Oria. (Requires logging in).
• Loans cannot be renewed if there is a waiting list.
• You cannot renew or request items from the Library of Things.

What happens when the loan period is up?

Two days before the due date you will receive a notification that the item is due soon. You will also receive a notification on the due date. 

If you fail to return the item the following will happen:

• 7 days after the due date: This is the final notice and you will temporarily lose the ability to borrow items until they are returned.
• 14 days after the due date: You will receive a replacement fee of at least NOK 1000 per borrowed item. You can either pay the fine, or return the loan(s) before you are invoiced.
• Shortly after this, an invoice will be created. This must be paid, and you can no longer settle the amount in any other way. If you do not pay the invoice, the case will be passed on to debt collection. The invoice cannot be credited, even if the book is returned.

Until the fees are paid, you will not be allowed to borrow items. Please note that we do no longer accept replacement copies. If you have any questions about replacement fees, you can contact us at erstatninger@ub.uio.no.

One day loans

• You will receive notifications about returning borrowed items the day after the due date.
• 4 days after the due date, you will receive a replacement fee of at least NOK 1000 per borrowed item.
• You have fourteen days to either return the items or pay the fee.
• Shortly after this, an invoice will be created. This must be paid, and you can no longer settle the amount in any other way. If you do not pay the invoice, the case will be passed on to debt collection. The invoice cannot be credited, even if the book is returned. 

Until the fees are paid, you will not be allowed to borrow items. Please note that we do no longer accept replacement copies. If you have any questions about replacement fees, you can contact us at erstatninger@ub.uio.no.

Library of Things

• You will receive a reminder on the date the loan is due.
• You cannot renew or borrow other items from the library until you have returned overdue items from the Library of Things.

Lost or damaged items

• The user is responsible for returning the item in the same condition in which it was received.
• If an item is lost or damaged, the full replacement fee must be paid.
• The replacement fee is NOK 1000.
• Items borrowed from other libraries are subject in each case to the replacement cost imposed by the lending library.

Contravention of the Library Regulations can result in suspension of borrowing rights at the University Library.
 
Laid down by the Library Director.

Price list

Borrowing items from the University Library collections is free of charge. 

Replacement fees can be paid through Vipps ("Kjøp og betal", Vipps no 542872 or "UiO Universitetsbiblioteket"),  Epay or by card in some of the libraries.

The prices for our services are valid from 01.01.2025