UAB Loan Service
The loan service allows members of the university and other eligible individuals to borrow library documents for a specified period.
To use this service, you must have a UAB Card or another document that confirms your eligibility to borrow items.
Documents can be collected from any UAB library, either by contacting the loans desk staff or using the self-loan machine. They can be returned to any UAB library, except for weekend-only items, which must be returned to the library from which they were borrowed.
Please check: Procedures for the UAB Libraries Loan Service.
Use the UAB Searcher to check the availability and location of documents.
In general, the following items cannot be borrowed: reference books (such as dictionaries and encyclopaedias), periodicals (newspapers and journals), theses, unpublished materials, and high-demand or recommended bibliography items.
The number of items you can borrow depends on the user type:
| Member | Total items | Loan period |
| Undergraduate | 10 | 7 / 14 / 21 days |
| Postgraduate students | 20 | 7 / 14 / 28 days |
| Sphere / UAB Research Park | 16 | 7 / 14 / 28 days |
| Academic and research staff | 40 | 7 / 14 days / 1 academic course |
| University staff | 10 | 7 / 14 / 28 days |
| UAB Friends / Alumni entitled to use the Library | 10 | 7 / 14 / 28 days |
| Others (Agreements, Argó Programme...) | 8 | 7 / 14 / 21 days |
To ensure the smooth running of the service, it is important to adhere to the deadlines for returning or renewing borrowed items. You will receive an email a few days in advance as a reminder of the due date.
You can return borrowed items to any UAB library or use the book return boxes available in certain libraries.
From the My account section at the Search engine you will be able to check and manage your loan activity. To access you must be logged in at the Search engine using your UAB credentials: NIU and password.
The different menu options available will allow you to access the following information:
- Library card/Personal data: basic information related to your personal data. You will also be able to choose your preferred language (Catalan, Spanish or English).
- My loans/Loans:
- Information about your current loans (which documents you have borrowed, the initial borrowing date, the returning deadline and the maximum renewal date)
- Previous loans history: a list including all the material borrowed over time (it might be useful in order to generate citations)
- Renewal: a button to renew the loan
- My reservations/Reservations: information about your documents/spaces reservations (reservation date and pick up location selected). You will also be able to check the status of a purchase request in case you have submitted any.
- Favourites: when you use the Search engine, you can mark results as favourites and you will be able to retrieve the information in this section. You will also be able to consult past saved searches (“Saved searches”) and set alerts about a search of interest in order to receive e-mail updates.
- Search history: you will be able to consult your searches from the beginning of the session. When you log out, this history will not be saved.
- Sanctions and warnings: if you have been sanctioned for exceeding a loan deadline, you will be able to consult the corresponding sanction and its duration.
To reserve a library document, you need to log in to the search engine using your UAB credentials: NIU and password. You can reserve any document marked as Available or Borrowed (unless it’s a weekend-only item).
When you find the document you would like to reserve, go to the menu option “Request”. Select the library where you would like to pick up the document in the reservation form and click “Submit request”.
When the document is ready for collection at your chosen location, you will receive an email notification with a deadline for pick-up, as well as a reminder of the selected library.
You can also reserve restricted access documents for consultation at the designated library. The procedure is similar: locate the document you’re interested in and submit a request by selecting “Reserve at the library.” The form won’t allow you to choose a pick-up location, as these documents must be consulted in the reading room of the specified library only.
If you wish to cancel a reservation, you can do so online through My Account or by contacting your library.
The borrowed items can be renewed before the loan deadline is due either online from My Account, at the loans desk, by phone or using the self-loan machines.
In order to access and manage the loaning options you must log in at the library Search engine using your UAB identifiers: ID number (NIU) and password.
In the “Loans” section you will be able to see all your borrowed items, including the due date, the maximum renewal date and the availability of a document to be renewed.
You are allowed to renew the items provided they are not reserved by another user, the return deadline is not due, you are within the maximum renewal date and you do not have any penalty in your loan card.
You can return borrowed items to any UAB library during opening hours, or deposit them in the designated book return boxes:
- Mailbox at the Humanities Library
- Mailbox at the Science and Technology Library
- Mailbox at the Social Sciences Library
- Mailbox at the Communication Library and General Newspaper Archives
- Mailbox at the Medical Library
- Mailbox at the Veterinary Library
- Mailbox at the Sabadell University Library
- Mailbox at the School of Engineering
The delay in an item return will mean you will not be entitled to borrow documents for the same amount of days late, except for weekend-only documents, in which case the sanction is four days for each day late.
These rules apply to each document returned late, not including holidays or weekends.
In the event of loss or deterioration of a loaned document, the user will have to replace or pay for the damaged or lost item.
Please check for more information about the loan service at:
Additional information
