Borrowing

Borrowing & requesting books and articles

In addition to the digital collections, a large print collection is available in the Forum Library. Most of the print books can be borrowed. Rare and valuable books, reference works, the journals and the compulsory study books are only available for reference. You can read these in the Library, but you cannot borrow them.

You can search and reserve books in WUR Library Search. In Forum Library you can take the books from the open shelves yourself and borrow them at the self-service or lending desk. Books from the Leeuwenborch collection need to be requested in WUR Library Search. Books for WUR staff can be sent to their office or home address.

Loan rules

Students and staff of WUR can borrow books and other materials with their WUR card. All others need to set up a guest account and register in person at the lending desk in Forum Library. See for more info Access and registration.

Registration and borrowing are free of charge. You may borrow up to 25 books at one time. In My Library you can find an overview of your current loans and reservations.

The loan period of borrowed books is 28 days. Borrowed books will be automatically renewed after 28 days. We'll automatically renew the loan period up to ten times unless the book has been reserved. If the book cannot be renewed, you'll get an email with a request to return your library book within seven days.

Requesting items from closed stacks

Besides the books available on the open library shelves, we have books and journals in the closed stacks. These need to be requested in WUR Library Search via the blue "Get it!" button.

In general, publications requested before 14.50 hrs (on working days only), can be picked up the same day. You will receive an email when the item is available for you on the reservation shelves. You have seven days to pick up the requested item. Books for WUR staff can be sent to their office or home address.

Please take notice that after 19.00 and during the weekends you can only access the Forum building and the Library with a valid WURcard

Reserving

If a book is out on loan, you can make a reservation directly in WUR Library Search. Use the blue "Get it!" button, then click on the link "Submit a copy or loan request for this book". Book reservations are free of charge.

Books for WUR staff will be sent to their office. Students will receive an email as soon as the reserved book is available for pick-up at the Library. You have seven days to pick up the requested item.

Automatic renewal

Borrowed books will be automatically renewed unless:

  • The book has been reserved by another person. 
  • The item has reached its maximum number of renewals (10 times).
  • The item is an Inter Library Loan item (e.g. borrowed from another library).

If renewal is not possible, you'll get an email with a request to return your library book within seven days. Failure to return a requested book will result in an automatic block on your library account. If you do not respond to notices from the Library or do not return a requested book by the due date, you will be charged for a replacement copy and its handling costs.

It is your responsibility to ensure that items you have borrowed are returned to the Library on time. Notifications are sent to your official WUR email account. Notifications for external users are sent to their email address on record. Please note that our service provider OCLC, will send these emails. The sender address is no-reply@oclc.org.

All notices from WUR Library are a courtesy only. Failure to receive these notifications, for whatever reasons, does not discharge your liability to pay replacement and handling costs.