Borrow and Request

Find out how to check out, renew, and return library items, request deliveries, and borrow from other libraries.

Who Can Borrow

If you are a member of our faculty, staff, or student body, you are welcome to borrow from our Libraries’ collection! Review our Borrowing Policies for a full list of eligible borrowers.

What You Can Borrow 

With your Dartmouth ID or library card, you can check out and access much of the physical and digital collections. We have equipment such as chargers and headphones for you to borrow, too. And Jones Media Center provides access to more specialized equipment and fun things like board games and video games for you to check out!

Use Library Search to find items in our collections. If it's a digital item, such as a journal article or digital magazine, you can borrow or request it directly within Library Search.

Course Reserves

If you are taking classes this term, needed materials for your specific class may be on course reserves at one of our library circulation points. These items have a shorter loan period to make sure everyone in the class has equal access.

More about Course Reserves

How to Borrow

Your Dartmouth ID card is also your library card!  Simply present your card to the circulation desk staff when you are ready to borrow something! 

If you don't have a Dartmouth ID card, please present your Green Library card instead, or ask us at the circulation desk. 

How to Get an Item Delivered 

Would you rather have us pull the book for you? Request an item and have it delivered to your preferred pick-up location at one of Dartmouth Libraries Service points! Here's how:

  1. In Library Search, select the item record you want to borrow.
  2. Under "Get It," select the "Request Physical Item" link.
  3. Choose your desired pickup location, then select "Send Request."
  4. You will receive an email when your item is ready to pick up, and you will have a week to pick it up!

How to Get a Scan Delivered

Just want an article or a book chapter? Students, faculty, and staff may request scans of articles and book chapters from Dartmouth Libraries collections. Find the item in our catalog and click on “Request Scan” or request through Interlibrary Loan.

Borrow from Other Institutions

If Dartmouth Libraries don’t have what you need, try requesting the item with our Interlibrary Loan services. Choose your pickup location at Dartmouth Libraries, and we'll notify you when the item arrives; usually in less than a week! 

Interlibrary Loan Services

Loan Periods

As a member of the Dartmouth community, you can borrow most items for a full calendar year. Equipment and items on course reserve have shorter loan periods.

Guest borrowers and those without a Dartmouth ID have a 28-day loan period. If you're not sure of your status, please check our Borrowing Policies to determine your exact privileges. 

Renewals

Renew most items as many times as you need via phone, email, in-person, or by signing in to your Library Search account. If you find an item won't renew, it's likely on recall, course reserve, or has a limited borrowing period.

Return Materials

You can return most items to any library circulation desk, regardless of where you borrowed it from. Exceptions include reserves and technology loans, which must be returned to their original location.

An after-hours book drop is at the bottom of the stairs of the Novack Café in Berry Library. Book drops are also available at the entrances to the Biomedical Libraries.

Fees

While we have eliminated most of our fees, we do still charge for certain things! If you’ve accrued charges on your account, it’s likely to pay for: 

  • replacement of a lost item
  • late fees for overdue hourly loans, such as for chargers and Course Reserve books
  • or for an overdue item that has been recalled from you.

But, no worries! As a Dartmouth student, you'll find fees auto-added to your Da$h account. Check your account through DartHub. Or, come to the friendly circulation desk at Berry Library to pay with a credit card. If you are not a Dartmouth student, pay by credit card or check at the Baker-Berry Circulation Desk. 

Recalls

If the item you want is unavailable, you have two options!

  • Ask our helpful library staff at any circulation desk to mark the item for "recall." We will notify the current borrower that they need to return the item. Once they return it, you'll receive a pick-up notice. 
  • Or, use our Interlibrary Loan services to request items currently being borrowed by another patron!

If you receive a "recall" notice on an item you have on loan, it means another member of the Dartmouth community needs access to the item. Please return it by the new due date to avoid fines and replacement fees.

Request New Materials

Have a suggestion for the perfect item for our collection? Submit a request and the libraries may buy the item for our collections! Purchase requests are subject to our collection development policies.

Request services are available to Dartmouth students, faculty, and staff.

Submit a Request

Local Public Library

Dartmouth students are welcome to join Howe Public Library in downtown Hanover at no charge. This card will also get you access to an audiobook streaming platform for libraries.