Borrow – The Chinese University of Hong Kong Library

Library users who are eligible to borrow must use their library card in order to check out a circulating item.

How to borrow

With a library card, users can borrow at the self-checkout machines or take the item to the Service Counter.

Borrowing quota and loan period

Please refer to the following table for the number of items that may be borrowed at any one time and the length of time items may be kept. Except for HKALL /ILL /non-renewable items or items that are being recalled or requested by other users, loans will be automatically renewed three days prior to the due date.

User types	Borrowing quota and loan period^#
	Total Number of Items	Books		Journals			Multimedia Materials
		Initial loan period	Maximum loan period*	Bound journals		Current/Single issues	Initial loan period	Maximum loan period*
		Initial loan period	Maximum loan period*	Initial loan	Maximum Loan period*	Current/Single issues	Initial loan period	Maximum loan period*
Undergraduate students	200	120 days	N/A	14 days	28 days	1 day	7 days	21 days
Postgraduate students	200	120 days	N/A	14 days	28 days	1 day	7 days	21 days
Teaching staff (Terms A / B)	200	120 days	N/A	14 days	28 days	1 day	7 days	21 days
Research staff
Administrative staff (Terms A)
Honorary Clinical Lecturer
Council Members / Emeritus professors
Retired Teaching Staff	200	120 days	N/A	14 days	28 days	1 day	7 days	21 days
Retired Research Staff	200	120 days	N/A				7 days	21 days
Retired Terms A Admin Staff	200	120 days	N/A				7 days	21 days
General non-teaching staff (Terms B)	60	30 days	N/A	14 days	28 days	1 day	7 days	21 days
Staff members of Terms C	60	30 days	N/A	14 days	28 days	1 day	7 days	21 days
Retired Terms B General Staff	60	30 days	N/A	In-house use only			7 days	21 days
Retired Terms C Staff	60	30 days	N/A	In-house use only			7 days	21 days
SCS (Postgraduate students)	60	30 days	N/A	14 days	28 days	1 day	7 days	21 days
SCS (Others)	60	30 days	N/A	14 days	28 days	1 day	7 days	21 days
Alumni Borrower’s Card	30	30 days	N/A	In-house use only			7 days	21 days
Spouses of CUHK staff	30	30 days	N/A				7 days	21 days
Spouse of Retired Members	30	30 days	N/A				7 days	21 days
Visiting scholars	10	30 days	N/A				In-house use only
JULAC	10	30 days	N/A
JULAC (Diploma)	10	30 days	N/A

# All items are subject to recall and please note once the maximum fine limit is reached, your borrowing privileges will be suspended until payment is made.

^ Unlimited renewals will only apply to CUHK items with a loan period of 30 days or more three days prior to the due date unless the item concerned is being requested or recalled by another user. Borrowers can check their loans online via My Library Record. The new due date is calculated from the date of renewal.

* All loans with a loan period of 14 days or less may be automatically renewed up to the maximum loan period specified above unless the item concerned is being requested or recalled by another user. Borrowers can check their loans online via My Library Record. The new due date is calculated from the date of renewal.

How to locate library materials

Understanding the Classification systems can help you to find the library materials easier and quicker. The Library of Congress (LC) Classification Scheme has been used since 1969 for Western language materials and from 1971 for East Asian language materials. Medical books are classified according to the National Library of Medicine Scheme. Each item in the Library collection is assigned a Call Number, which is a combination of letters and arabic numerals. The call number can be found in the LibrarySearch and on the spine of each book.

Call Number, which is a combination of letters and arabic numerals.

All materials are shelved by Call Number, first by Main Classes, then by Subclasses. Books of QB are therefore follow books of QA. After capital letters representing Main Classes and Subclasses books are shelved according to their assigned numerical subdivision number and then by author letters and numbers. The author letters and numbers are filed in a decimal system. For example: QA76.S844 is shelved before QA76.S87. When Call Numbers are exactly the same, books are shelved according to date of publication chronologically. Please refer to the Locations of Collection for details.

How to locate library materials

Retrieval of Remote Storage Materials

Library materials kept at the Remote Storage are available for the use of our users:

Monographs, references and back issues of Periodicals
The statuses of these materials are marked as “Remote: Pls Request/hold” in the LibrarySearch. Library users may request these materials following the same hold procedure. The Hold Pickup Notice will be sent to users in five working days after the hold was placed. The requested materials can then be picked up at the self-service hold pickup shelves and borrow the items using self-service borrow machines at the University Library or Chung Chi Library, or pick up at service counters of New Asia College Library or Architecture Library.

Back Issues of Newspapers
The statuses of these materials are marked as “Remote: Ask at Circulation” in the LibrarySearch. Library users may request these materials to be used inside the Library. To request, simply fill in the request form. Requester will be contacted in three working days after the request was placed. The requested materials can then be picked up at the Service Counter of the University Library.

Proxy authorization

CUHK faculty member (Terms of Service (A)) may authorize another library card holder to check out library materials on their behalf. For the details, please refer to the Proxy Authorization Form.