You can use Library Search to look for the items you need, we also have Library Search terminals located on each floor of the library. Type in key words or the title of a book into Library Search and note down the shelf mark to help you locate it on our shelves. Please ask a member of library staff if you need help finding books.
Once you've found the items you need, use one of our self-service kiosks located on floors 1 and 2, to borrow your books. If you need any help, come and see us at the Library Service Desk.
You can return books and smaller items to the library using the book returns box located just outside the main library doors. You are welcome to bring books and larger items to the Service Desk on level 1 during staffed hours.
You can ask us to send you some books by post if you are member of the Library with borrowing rights in the UK and Ireland. Please request items using our Postal Loan Request Form (downloads in .docx format). Once you have completed the form, email it to library@newman.ac.uk. You can also email us if you need the form in an alternative format.
We charge £7.50 for each request (you can have up to 4 books per request) to cover postage and packing. You can pay online via the e-store, and we will start on your request as soon as we have your completed form and payment.
By requesting a postal loan you accept our Postal Loans Terms and Conditions, which are also available on the request form. Please note that we cannot post:
Books requested by post should reach you within 2 to 3 days after we have processed your request. We will let you know about any delays in sending them. Please get in touch if you have not received your items after 3 days.
Postal loans are sent by Royal Mail Recorded Delivery and you may need to sign for them on delivery.
Postal loans do not have any special allowances or extra time added to their borrowing period. You must return the books if they are requested by another borrower or if you have reached the maximum number of renewals allowed, according to our standard borrowing rules.
You can return items in person or by recorded delivery post.
Borrow and return Library laptops using the laptop cabinet on Level 1 of the Library. To find out more and see full terms and conditions, visit the Loanable Laptops page.
Usually, the library will try to automatically renew your loans for you at 7am on the date they are due back.
If your loans have automatically renewed, you will not hear anything from us and you do not need to do anything. We will carry on trying to automatically renew your loans until:
We have automatic renewals to help you manage your library account and to try and give you time to use the things you borrow from us. However, if you get an email asking you to return something, please remember that it will often be because someone else also needs to use it. We can't provide everything that everyone needs all the time, so we ask you to be fair and help us to share our resources.
If your loans do not automatically renew, you will receive an email from no-reply@oclc.org saying that you have 7 days to return the item(s). You will need to bring these item(s) back, otherwise you will be blocked from borrowing more items.
Your loans will not renew automatically forever! There is a maximum number of renewal limit, depending on the loan or item type:
These are shelved on level 2 of the Library and have a 7-day loan period. They will renew automatically up to 26 times. (For Privilege borrowers, these books have a 14-day loan period, so they will renew automatically up to 13 times.)
These are shelved on level 0 and have a 6-week loan period. These items will renew automatically only once.
These are not automatically renewed, because we will need to ask permission to renew it from the library that owns it. See details on our inter-library loan page.
Laptops are not automatically renewed: we need to allow time for the batteries to recharge. You will need to return laptops by the time they are due or you will be fined. Once you have returned the laptop you will be able borrow another one.
Once the maximum renewal limit has been reached, you will get an email asking you to bring the items back to the Library. You will need to do this by the due date or within the 7-day penalty free period so that your account does not get blocked. However, as long as no-one else needs the items, you will be able to borrow them again by re-issuing them to your account. Please note that Library staff cannot override this and reissue your items to you without you bringing them in.
When you get an email to say that an item has stopped automatically renewing, it will contain a due date. However, we don't expect you to always be able to return an item on the day we tell you it has stopped renewing! After the due date, you will have a 7-day penalty free period to help you organise and bring back the items.
If you still have not brought the item(s) back after the end of the penalty-free period (that is, they are more than 7 days overdue), your Library account will be blocked. This will mean that you cannot borrow anything else, including laptops, or request inter-library loans, until you have brought back the overdue items. Once you have returned the overdue items, your account will be unblocked.
You can log in to your Library account whether you are on campus or not.
Choose 'Checkouts' from the My Account menu to see a list of items you have on loan and when they are due back. Remember when you are looking at your account that the automatic renewal happens on the date the item is due back. This means that the only items you need to take action on are:
Your Library account has an option for you to renew your items manually. We do not recommend that you do this, as it means you will reach the maximum limits on renewals more quickly.
Last reviewed: 5 March 2025
