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Circulation: Access & Borrowing for Non-Penn Patrons

Agreements for Reciprocal Borrowing

What is reciprocal borrowing?

The Penn Libraries participate in several reciprocal borrowing programs that permit borrowing of physical materials among its members:

  • BorrowDirect Plus
  • PALCI Reciprocal On-Site Borrowing
  • Drexel University
  • Tri-colleges (Bryn Mawr, Haverford and Swarthmore). 
  • St. Joseph's University
  • Villanova University

Questions?

Contact us at the Van Pelt Library Circulation Desk:

Email iconEmail Us:

For library account concerns or questions about building and database access, please e-mail us at: vpcircdk@pobox.upenn.edu

Phone iconCall Us:
215-898-7566

 

 

SHARES Libraries

Through Penn's membership in the SHARES Libraries Group, these libraries' Faculty, Staff, and Students have on-site building access to Penn Libraries. SHARES members do not have borrowing privileges at Penn.

SHARES libraries in this region are listed below. 

Reading Days and Final Exam Periods

Access to the library is restricted to Penn faculty, staff, and students during Reading Days and Final Exams. For Spring 2024, the library will be closed to visitors May 2-14.  Reciprocal borrowing and on-site access agreements will still be in place.

PALCI On-Site Borrowing

Patrons of participating PALCI libraries can now borrow physical items on-site at Penn Libraries.

Procedure:

1. Confirm that your library is a participant in the program by consulting the list of participating libraries.

2. Have your home library fill out the Reciprocal On-Site Borrowing Authorization Form.

3. Make an appointment to bring your form to the Circulation Desk at Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center (appointments must be between the hours of 9am and 5pm Monday-Friday) by contacting vpcircdk@pobox.upenn.edu.

4. Bring your completed form to your appointment.

5. Review the PALCI Reciprocal On-Site Borrowing Process and Procedures before your appointment.

Reciprocal Borrowing Universities Policies

Drexel University

Free courtesy borrowing privileges at the Penn Libraries are available to Drexel University graduate students and faculty.

  • Drexel graduate students and faculty must obtain a Reciprocal Borrower's letter from the Hagerty Library Circulation Desk, and present it, along with their current Drexel Photo ID, at the Van Pelt Library Circulation desk in order to activate borrowing privileges.
  • Penn Libraries accounts for tenured or tenure-track faculty will be created for 1 year from the date on the reciprocal borrowing letter.
  • Accounts for adjunct faculty and graduate students will be created for 3 months from the date on the reciprocal borrowing letter.
  • Accounts may be renewed with the presentation of additional letters as long as the patron continues to be a graduate student or faculty member at Drexel and remains in good standing with the Penn Libraries.
  • Borrowers are limited to 20 items at any one time.
  • Not all Penn Libraries locations or Penn Libraries materials are eligible for this program.

For general information about visiting the Penn Libraries please see our Visitor Policies and Access Policies.

Tri-colleges (Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Swarthmore)

Free courtesy borrowing privileges at the Penn Libraries are available to the faculty of Bryn Mawr, Haverford and Swarthmore Colleges.

  • Faculty members must obtain a Reciprocal Borrower's letter from the Library at their institution, and present it, along with their current college Photo ID, at the Van Pelt Library Circulation desk in order to activate borrowing privileges.
  • Penn Libraries accounts will be created for 1 year from the date on the reciprocal borrowing letter.
  • Accounts may be renewed with the presentation of additional letters as long as the patron continues their faculty affiliation with their institution and remains in good standing with the Penn Libraries.
  • Borrowers are limited to 20 items at any one time.
  • Not all Penn Libraries locations or Penn Libraries materials are eligible for this program.

For general information about visiting the Penn Libraries please see our Visitor Policies and Access Policies.

Penn also extends free courtesy borrowing to the faculty and graduate students from Saint Joseph's University and Villanova University (Van Pelt Library only),  upon presentation of either a Reciprocal Borrower's letter, along with a non-expired institution picture ID.

BorrowDirect Plus on-site Borrowing Policies

Faculty, students and staff from the following institutions are now eligible to borrow materials on-site from the Penn Libraries:

  • Brown University
  • Columbia University
  • Cornell University
  • Dartmouth College
  • Duke University
  • Harvard University
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  • Princeton University
  • Stanford University
  • University of Chicago
  • Yale University

Visitors from these institutions must first come to the Van Pelt Library (find on map) to register for on-site borrowing privileges.

Procedures and limitations:

Registration:

Participants may register for on-site borrowing privileges at the Van Pelt Library circulation desk (find on map) Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 AM and 6:00 PM.  Evening, weekend, or reading day/final exam period registration may be arranged in advance by contacting vpcircdk@pobox.upenn.edu or 215-898-7566

Participants will be required to present a valid photo ID from their home institution and will have to demonstrate their eligibility by logging into their library account at their home institution. 

As part of the registration process, participants will need to provide a valid email address and phone number.

Eligibility:

Current Faculty, Students and Staff at the partner institutions who have library accounts in good standing.

Loan Periods:

Books will be loaned out for 28 days, renewable for the life of the account. There is a maximum of 20 items per account at any one time.

Account Duration:

Accounts will be created for the current semester.  They may be renewed, in person, as long as the patron remains in good standing at both Penn and their home institution.
 

Limitations by Location:

The Biddle Law Library and other associated libraries are not included in this agreement. 

The Library at the Katz Center for Adanced Judaic Studies is accessible by appointment only. The Katz Center collection is excluded from the borrowing agreement.

The Annenberg Library is accessible but its collection is excluded from the borrowing agreement.

The Veterinary School Library at New Bolton Center is not accessible, but materials from that location can be delivered to other Penn Libraries locations (requires 3 days notice). 

Hours will vary between locations. Please check the individual Library location to see the hours at that specific location.
 

Limitations by material type:

 
Circulating monographs only. Items on course reserve are not eligible for this program.
 

Fiduciary Responsibility:

 
Patrons are responsible for paying any overdue fines that they accrue. 

Replacement and processing fees for books that are lost, or are overdue to point of being considered lost, will be turned over to the home institution for collection.

Patrons with overdue fines in excess of $25, lost books or overdue recalled books on their accounts will be barred from further borrowing or renewals until the issues are resolved.
 
For information about rules and procedures at the partner institutions please see the BorrowDirect Plus on-site borrowing page.
 

For general information about visiting the Penn Libraries please see our Visitor Policies and Access Policies.

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