Universiteit Maastricht

Loan information


To borrow books, you need a UM card (see illustration).

Information on how to acquire a UM card and 'Access & Membership'.


The 'eLibrary' section of this website provides access to the library catalogue. At both library sites, the literature that can be borrowed is displayed on the open shelves as well as kept in closed stacks. The request numbers can be used to find out where the literature is located.


Borrowing books

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All literature in the library is electronically protected. You have to pass the information desk in order to get your books registered and demagnetised. Books, borrowed at the Self Lending Machine are also demagnetized.

You can browse the books on the open shelves and borrow any using the Self Lending Machine. Closed stacks are not accessible for visitors. Material from the closed stacks can be borrowed or viewed at the information desk.

Borrowing and viewing books from the Jesuit collection is done through the information desk of the Inner City Library.


Maximum number of books which can be borrowed

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- UM* and AVMU** students: 40
- UM, azM*** and AVMU staff: 40
- alumni: 10
- Non-university users: 10
- With an IHOL card: 04
- With a library reference card (reference only): 10.


*UM: Maastricht University
**AVMU: University of Midwifery Education & Studies Maastricht
*** azM: teaching hospital ('academisch ziekenhuis Maastricht').


Loan period

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The loan period is 4 weeks.


Collecting books

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  • Books from the closed stacks
    Users with a valid UM card can apply for books that are not on loan from either closed stacks via the catalogue, indicating which library location they wish to collect them from. If you choose to collect them at the location where they are held, they will be available from the information desk after 15 minutes. If you would rather collect them from the other location, they will be sent there and you can collect them after a maximum of four weekdays (note that you will not be notified when they have arrived). The books will remain available at that location for six days. 
  • Books from the open stacks
    Only UM, azM and AVMU staff can apply for books from the open stacks via the catalogue. You can collect books from the location where they are held on the following weekday, or have them sent to the other location and collect them after a maximum of four weekdays (you will not be notified when they have arrived).
  • Collection service
    Users with a valid UM card can also make use of the collection service. This service is location specific.
    How does this work?
    • Inner City Library
      You can call the Inner City Library on +31 43 38 85004 on Mondays to Fridays between 9.00 and 16.30, and on Saturdays between 11.00 and 13.30. After providing your UM card number and the request numbers of the books you wish to borrow, you can collect them on the same day (after 17.00) or on the weekend (after 14.00 on Saturday) at the reception desk on presentation of your UM card. For more information, call the phone number mentioned above.
    • Randwyck Library
      You can call the Randwyck Library on +31 43 38 85143 on Mondays to Fridays until 16.30. After providing your UM card number and the request numbers of the books you wish to borrow, you can collect them on the same day (Monday–Thursday 17.00–22.00, Friday 17.00–19.00, or Saturday 12.00–17.00) from the information desk on presentation of your UM card. For more information, call the phone number mentioned above.

  • Reserving books / picking up reserved books
    You can reserve books out on loan via the library catalogue by clicking on ‘Reserve’ next to the relevant book(s). You will then receive an email from the library as soon as you can pick it/them up.
    Pick-up address

    • Students and external users can pick up reserved books from the information desk of the library location where they are held.
    • UM, azM and AVMU staff and part-time students (after receiving the pick-up notification) can let the information desk know which library location they want to pick the book(s) up from.
    • NB. If you ask to have the book(s) sent to the library location where they are not usually held, you may have to wait up to four days before you can collect them.

Non-loan material

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The following materials cannot be loaned:

  • journals
  • statistic material
  • bibliographies
  • reference material
  • loose-leaf material
  • all literature and audiovisual material at the learning resource centers (in Dutch: studielandschap) and materials marked accordingly (e.g. with a red label)
  • Jesuit collection: all literature older than 1900. The lending restriction also applies to valuable books from after 1900 and volumes whose state is too fragile to allow lending.

Extend your own loan period

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Before the loan period expires you can return your books or renew the loan period. The loan period can be extended at the information desk, or you can renew the loan yourself via the online catalogue. Extension is not possible if the book has been reserved or if you owe money to the library.




Returning books

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At both sites borrowed materials can be returned at the information desk or in the book return box. You can ask the library staff at the information desk for a receipt.


Exceeding the loan period

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If you do not return the book or extend the loan period in time, you run the risk of paying a fine.

  • The library will send you a first reminder either by post or email. Claiming not to have received this is irrelevant, as it is your responsibility to know when the book is due back.
  • If you then do not return the book or extend the loan period, you will be sent a bill of €5.
  • If you still do not respond, you will receive an additional fine and be excluded from all loan services until these costs have been paid.
  • If you return the book immediately, you may receive a partial refund.

Interlibrary loan

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Whenever books and journal articles are not available in the library collection, it is possible to apply for them in another Dutch library, through the so-called interlibrary loan facility. If the title is not available in the collection of the other Dutch libraries, you can make a request for delivery from a foreign library. To use this service staff members and students of UM and users from outside UM need to have a UM card.

You can find extensive information on interlibrary loan on this website, 'Collection' section > 'Loan information' > 'Interlibrary loan'.


An overview of the library house rules.