Requests, recalls and bookings, University of Sydney Library

Requests, recalls and bookings

Need an item from another location, a special collection or that is on loan to someone else? Find out how to get it here.

COVID-19 Borrowing has resumed across Library locations

Borrowing of physical resources (books, scores, etc) has resumed across University of Sydney Library locations. Fines, fees, requests and recalls have been reinstated as normal.

Materials in the short loan collection will be available for loan for up to 4 hours.

Items are being quarantined for a minimum of 24 hours on return.

For more details see Library COVID-19 updates or contact us.

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Requesting an item that is on loan to someone else (recall)

If you have found an item through Library Search which is on loan to someone else, you can select Request options, under Get this item, to request that the item be recalled so you can borrow it. Make sure you are logged in to access Request options.

After you request the recall, the person the item is on loan to will have 7 days to return it. You can check the progress of your request in My account.

Requesting an item from another campus or from Storage

If you have found a book through Library Search which is located at a different campus or in Storage, you can select Request options, under Get this item, to request that it be sent to your local campus. Make sure you are logged in to access Request options.

For a journal or magazine located in Storage, you can request that it be sent to your local campus (in-library use only, journals and magazines are not for loan). Select Request options, under Get this item, to request that it be sent to your local campus.

For a journal or magazine in our collection, you can request a digital copy of an article to be sent directly via email.

Your request can take 2-5 days to be processed. You can check the progress of your request in My account.

Booking requests for Rare Books and Special Collections

Items from Rare Books and Special Collections may only be used within our reading room on level 1 of Fisher Library. Please place a request for each item you wish to use that is held by Rare Books and Special Collections. Requests need to be placed with at least two working days’ notice.

To make your request, use Library Search to locate the item you would like to consult. You can then select Request options, under Get this item, to make a booking. Make sure you are logged in to access Request options.

If you are an external patron without a UniKey, you can locate the items through Library Search as above, then request a booking using the online booking form.

Booking requests for short loan items

Some high-demand items cannot be borrowed. However, you can make an appointment to view these items in the Library’s short loan collection area.

To make a booking request for an item from the short loan collection, locate the item through Library Search. You can then select Request options, under Get this item, to view the item’s availability and make a booking.

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