What is reciprocal borrowing?
The Penn Libraries participate in several reciprocal borrowing programs that permit borrowing of physical materials among its members:
Penn faculty, students and staff are eligible to borrow physical materials from the following institutions:
Please make sure to check the BorrowDirect Plus website for site specific rules and procedures before visiting.
In order to access the libraries at these institutions you will be required to:
In order to borrow materials from the libraries at these institutions you will be required to:
Rules for access, registration and borrowing at each institution will vary.
Materials borrowed through this partnership may be returned at the lending institution or at a Penn Library.
Through Penn's membership in the SHARES Libraries Group, Penn Faculty, Staff, and Students have on-site building access to many research libraries. SHARES libraries in this region are listed below.
Bryn Mawr College
Canaday Library
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
(610) 526-5276
Columbia University
(Research Libraries Group member)
Butler Library
535 W. 114th St.
New York, NY 10027
(212) 854-2247
Drexel University
W.W.Hagerty Library
33rd and Market Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 895-2755
Free Library of Philadelphia
1901 Vine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 686-5300
Haverford College
Magill Library
Haverford, PA 19041
(610) 896-1175
New York Public Library
(Research Libraries Group member)
Fifth Ave. & 42nd St.
New York, NY 10018
(212) 930-0800
New York University
(Research Libraries Group member)
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Sq. S.
New York, NY 10012-1091
Princeton University
(Research Libraries Group member)
Firestone Library
Princeton, NJ 08544
(609) 258-3180
Rutgers University
(Research Libraries Group member)
Paul Robeson Library
300 N. Fourth St.
PO Box 93990
Camden, NJ 08101-3990
(609) 225-6034
Saint Joseph's University
5600 City Ave,
Philadelphia, PA 19131
(610) 660-1900
Swarthmore College
McCabe Library
Swarthmore, PA 19081
(610) 328-8477
Temple University
(Research Libraries Group member)
Paley Library
13th St & Berks Mall
Philadelphia, PA 19122
(215) 204-8231
Villanova University, Falvey Memorial Library
800 E. Lancaster Ave,
Villanova, PA 19085
(610) 519-4270
Penn Libraries patrons can borrow onsite at participating PALCI libraries; see the list here.
You will need to bring a completed form from your home library in order to borrow items at a participating library, so plan before you go! Contact vpcircdk@pobox.upenn.edu to make an appointment to have one of our staff members complete your form. Appointments will only be scheduled Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm.
You will also want to review the policies and procedures for on-site borrowing at the library from which you would like to borrow.
More information about the PALCI On-Site Borrowing Program can be found here.
Universities outside of BorrowDirect where Penn Affiliates can borrow from via Reciprocal Borrowing Agreements:
Free courtesy borrowing is available to Penn graduate students and faculty at Drexel University Libraries.
Penn graduate students and faculty must obtain a Reciprocal Borrower's letter from the Van Pelt Library Circulation Desk, and present it, along with their current PennCard, to Drexel Library Circulation staff in order to activate borrowing privileges
Saint Joseph's University
Free courtesy borrowing is available to Penn graduate students and faculty at Saint Joseph's University.
Penn graduate students and faculty must obtain a Reciprocal Borrower's letter from the Van Pelt Library Circulation Desk, and present it, along with their current PennCard, to Saint Joseph's University, Drexel Library Circulation staff in order to activate borrowing privileges.
Tri-College Consortium
(Bryn Mawr, Haverford and Swarthmore)
Free courtesy borrowing is available to Penn faculty at Bryn Mawr, Haverford and Swarthmore Libraries.
Penn faculty must obtain a Reciprocal Borrower's letter from the Van Pelt Library Circulation Desk, and present it, along with their current PennCard, to Bryn Mawr, Haverford or Swarthmore library staff in order to activate borrowing privileges. A separate letter is required for each institution.
Villanova University
Free courtesy borrowing is available to Penn graduate students and faculty at Villanova University Falvey Memorial Library only.
Penn graduate students and faculty must obtain a Reciprocal Borrower's letter from the Van Pelt Library Circulation Desk, and present it, along with their current PennCard, to Villanova University, Falvey Memorial Library Circulation staff in order to activate borrowing privileges.
