Register and request via Books by Mail to have Penn materials shipped to your off campus home address. The library pays for the outbound shipment. Users are responsible for paying return shipping or returning materials to any of the Penn Library locations on campus.
IMPORTANT! Users must register and receive approval for Books by Mail before submitting requests. Please do not submit Books by Mail requests without receiving an approval email.These requests will be canceled.
Book by Mail is a service open to current Penn faculty, students and staff with a mailing address 50 miles or further from campus. Those residing within 50 miles must make arrangements to pick up materials in person regardless of whether or not they are enrolled in an online degree program.
The library will pay for shipping books to users. Users must pay for the return shipment via insured carrier such as USPS, UPS or Federal Express. Alternatively, users can return the books in person to a Penn Libraries location for no additional cost.
Current faculty, students and staff with mailing addresses further than 50 miles from campus and in the Continental United States.
Patrons with disabilities should contact the Office of Student Disabilities Services to inquire about eligibility.
Patrons must register before making requests. Register for Books by Mail online here. Library staff will determine eligibility and reply within 3-5 business days.
Materials can be mailed to a street address only, not a P.O. box. Addresses less than 50 miles from campus, or outside the contiguous United States, are not eligible
Once the registration is approved, users may request materials by using the Books by Mail request option in Find. Only materials from circulating collections, and only those with the status "Available" may be requested using the Books By Mail request choice.
In order that we may serve all patrons equitably please submit no more than 5 requests per day. Frequent and high volume users may have their requests "bundled" to reduce the number of shipments.
Participants in Books By Mail are subject to the same loan policies and fine rates as other users on campus. Users who become delinquent, whether through fine blocks, overdue recalled blocks, or other reasons, will be unable to access the request menu to request delivery.
Users must observe due dates, renewing or returning materials on time (including shipping time), and must return recalled items promptly.
Materials on Course Reserve, new serials, and other non-circulating materials are excluded from the service as are all materials from Biddle Law Library.
Materials that are old, fragile, or rare may not be shipped at the discretion of Books by Mail staff.Requested materials will be checked out to the user, then shipped via insured carrier. Library staff will send prompt email messages regarding any material that cannot be shipped.
Note: Please do not send items "signature required" as this could prevent our staff from accepting returns.
Please return to:
Van Pelt Circulation
University of Pennsylvania Libraries
3420 Walnut Street
Philadelphia PA 19104-6206
Questions? Email us at bkbymail@pobox.upenn.edu
Contact us at the Van Pelt Library Interlibrary Loan office:
Email Us:
For Books by Mail: bkbymail@pobox.upenn.edu
Call Us:
215-746-6149
