Library Membership
Who can become a Library Member?
This service has been established to give graduates, businesses and the wider community access to a great academic library. Membership may be taken for 6 or 12 months and can be initiated at any time during the year. Membership fees apply. Applicants over the age of 18 years are eligible for membership.
Graduates, Alumni, Royal College of Nursing Australia members and concession cardholders are eligible for a reduced rate.
- How to apply
- Library Membership Rates
- What may be borrowed from La Trobe University Library
- How many books may be borrowed?
- For how long can material be borrowed?
- Authentication and Library PIN
- No Database/Electronic Journals Access
- Borrowing procedure
- Renewals
- Request a Hold
- Recalls
- Fines and Overdue Penalties
How to apply
Proceed to the Loans/Inquiry Desks of the campus library from which you wish to borrow. Proof of eligibility must be provided to obtain the reduced fee i.e. Alumni card, Royal College of Nursing Australia membership or concession card.
Purchase of a Library card is required at Bundoora Campus, which attracts an additional fee.
What may be borrowed from La Trobe University Library
Library Members may borrow material from most collections at the campus at which they are registered. For details ask the Loans/Inquiry Desks at that campus.
What cannot be borrowed?
- Items in the Catalogue listed as LIBRARY USE ONLY
- Items from other La Trobe University Library campuses
- Books in the Reference Collection
- Books in Special Collections
- Books stamped NOT FOR LOAN
- Books from the Reserve Collection. Items may however be viewed in this area.
- Books designated as 3 day loans
- Journals / Serials
- Audiovisual materials
How many books may be borrowed? |
6 items at any one time. |
For how long can material be borrowed? |
14 days. |
Database Access
Off campus database access is not available to Library Membership clients.
Borrowing Procedure
Present the items you wish to borrow and your Library Card at the Loans/Inquiry Desks. All borrowers must have their Library Card with them in order to borrow.
Loan Conditions and Your Responsibilities
Items borrowed from the Loans/Inquiry Desks are issued with a clearly labelled due date slip. All items must be returned or renewed on or before this due date. All overdue items incur fines. An item on loan to any one person may not be transferred to another. The person to whom the loan is made is solely responsible for the safe-keeping and due return of the item. Loans will only be issued to the valid card owner.
Please note, this membership does not include obtaining a CAVAL card as part of the CAVAL (Co-operative Action by Victorian Academic Libraries) Reciprocal Borrowing Program
Renewals
Books are renewable 3 times on or before the due date. Books will not be renewed when they are on hold for another client.
Clients are encouraged to use the My Library facility available on the Library Homepage or the Library Catalogue. This facility enables clients to see items they have on loan; the due dates for each item, as well as enabling clients to renew items.
How to renew books
There are three ways to renew books:
- Renew your own books using the Web. From either the Library Homepage, or the Library Catalogue, select My Library and follow the directions. You will need to select the Other Borrower option.
- Note: When renewing books via the Web make sure the new due date is displayed beside each item as this confirms the renewal. Note the new due date in your diary and/or on the date due slip in the item. The Library takes no responsibility for user error when patrons attempt to renew their own items.
- Present your Library Card to the Loans/Inquiry Desks, with or without the items to be renewed.
- Telephone the Library Loans/Inquiry Desks.
Requesting Holds
You can Request a Hold online, directly from the Library catalogue, for an item currently on loan to another client at the campus where you have registered.
You will be notified by email when a requested item is ready for collection. Books are held on the Holdshelf for 7 days.
How many holds may be requested? |
8 holds at any one time. |
Recalls
The Library reserves the right to recall any item at any time. Items that have been recalled, and become overdue will accrue fines at the rate of $1.00 per day, per overdue item.
Fines and Overdue Penalties
Fines
All overdue items incur fines. All fines incurred at Albury-Wodonga, Bendigo and Bundoora campuses are added together.
| Rates of accrual of fines | |
|---|---|
| 28 day loans | 20 cents per day, per item overdue |
| 14 day loans | 20 cents per day, per item overdue |
| Overdue recalled items, or items with holds | $1.00 per day, per overdue item |
| The Library reserves the right to recall any item at any time | |
When fines of $10.00 or more are accrued across these three La Trobe University campuses borrowers are:
- suspended from borrowing at all campuses
- required to pay the total fine amount.
Notices
- Overdue notices are sent as a courtesy when items are overdue.
- Recall notices are sent to clients if another user has placed a hold on the item. This indicates the item cannot be renewed, and advises the rate at which fines will accrue if the item is kept overdue.
- Hold Pickup notices are sent to clients to indicate that they can pick up a requested item. Hold cancellation notices are sent to clients to indicate that a hold has been cancelled.
- Courtesy notices are sent to clients to inform them that their item(s) are almost due. (If an email address has been supplied to the Library)
- Invoices are sent when items have not been returned after a reasonable time. Invoices include an item replacement cost and a billing fee.
Failure to receive notices does not exempt clients from fines incurred on overdue items.
Items lost or overdue
When an item is lost or not returned after a reasonable period of time, the client will be invoiced for:
- A replacement cost, plus
- A $20.00 billing fee.
Damaged items
When an item is returned in a damaged condition, the client will be invoiced for:
- A replacement cost, plus a $20.00 billing fee, or
- A repair/binding cost as determined by the Library.
Payment of fines or bills
Payment should be made at the Library Loans/Inquiry Desks at Albury-Wodonga, Bendigo or Bundoora Campus Libraries. Payment may be made by cash or cheque. EFTPOS facilities are available at Bundoora Campus.
In January, each client's accumulated fines are reset to zero if less than $10.00 in fines have been accrued, and the borrower has no current overdue items at that time.