What are loans?
"Loans" are how we refer to the act of loaning, or checking out, items to patrons from the libraries' collections. Loaning policies such as loan periods, fines, fees and borrowing limits are determined by your patron group. Please see the sections below to read about the loaning policies that apply to your designated patron group. If you do not know your patron group please contact the Van Pelt-Dietrich Circulation Department.
Contact us at the Van Pelt Library Circulation Desk:
Email Us:
For library account concerns e-mail: vpcircdk@pobox.upenn.edu
For questions about building and database access e-mail: accessvp@pobox.upenn.edu
Call Us:
215-898-7566
Courtesy Borrower Loan Periods
For books from all Penn Libraries and bound journals from LIBRA courtesy borrowers have a loan period of 28 days, which changes daily. For videos and sound recordings, this loan period is 42 days. Note: Bound journals from all libraries, aside from LIBRA, do not circulate.
For courtesy borrower loaning policies regarding borrowing, fines and fees, recalls, and renewals, please see the Courtesy Borrowing tab on this guide.
*This policy includes shareholders of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Associate Loan Periods
For books from all Penn Libraries and bound journals from LIBRA associates have a loan period of 28 days. For videos and sound recordings, this loan period is 42 days. Note: Bound journals from all libraries, aside from LIBRA, do not circulate.
Resource sharing materials (BorrowDirect, E-ZBorrow, Interlibrary Loan) have a loan period of 12 weeks and may NOT be renewed.
For associate loaning policies regarding borrowing, fines and fees, recalls, and renewals, please see relevant tabs on this guide.
Undergraduate Loan Periods
For books from all Penn Libraries and bound journals from LIBRA undergraduates have a loan period of an academic term;For videos and sound recordings, this loan period is 42 days. All items loaned during an academic term will be due at the end of an academic term. Note: Bound journals from all libraries, aside from LIBRA, do not circulate.
Resource sharing materials (BorrowDirect, E-ZBorrow, Interlibrary Loan) have a loan period of 12 weeks and may NOT be renewed.
For undergraduate loaning policies regarding borrowing, fines and fees, recalls, and renewals, please see relevant tabs on this guide.
Graduate Loan Periods
For books from all Penn Libraries and bound journals from LIBRA graduates have a loan period of an academic term, which is fixed. For videos and sound recordings, this loan period is 42 days. Note: Bound journals from all libraries, aside from LIBRA, do not circulate.
Resource sharing materials (BorrowDirect, E-ZBorrow, Interlibrary Loan) have a loan period of 12 weeks and may NOT be renewed.
For graduate loaning policies regarding borrowing, fines and fees, recalls, and renewals, please see relevant tabs on this guide.
Faculty and Emeritus Faculty Loan Periods
For books from all Van Pelt, Lippincott, Fine Arts, Museum, Math/Physics/Astronomy, Chemistry, Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies and LIBRA and bound journals from LIBRA faculty have a loan period of a year, which is fixed. For books from Biomedical, Dental, Veterinary and Pennsylvania Hospital Libraries faculty have a loan period of an academic term, which is fixed. For videos and sound recordings, this loan period is 42 days. For bound journals from all libraries aside from LIBRA, faculty have a loan period of 24 hours.
Resource sharing materials (BorrowDirect, E-ZBorrow, Interlibrary Loan) have a loan period of 12 weeks and may NOT be renewed.
For faculty loaning policies regarding borrowing, fines and fees, and renewals, please see relevant tabs on this guide.
Alumni Borrower Loan Periods
For books from all Penn Libraries and bound journals from LIBRA alumni borrowers have a loan period of 28 days, which changes daily. For videos and sound recordings, this loan period is 42 days. Note: Bound journals from all libraries, aside from LIBRA, do not circulate.
For alumni borrower loaning policies regarding borrowing, fines and fees, recalls, and renewals, please see the relevant tabs on this guide.
Staff Loan Periods
For books from all Penn Libraries and bound journals from LIBRA staff have a loan period of an academic term, which is fixed. For videos and sound recordings, this loan period is 42 days. Note: Bound journals from all libraries, aside from LIBRA, do not circulate.
Resource sharing materials (BorrowDirect, E-ZBorrow, Interlibrary Loan) have a loan period of 12 weeks and may NOT be renewed.
For staff loaning policies regarding borrowing, fines and fees, recalls, and renewals, please see relevant tabs on this guide.
