Borrowing
Self-service machines are available to issue, renew and return books, using your campus ID card. Follow the on-screen instructions at the machine. You can also use the machines to check your library account.
Books can be returned at either campus library. There are also out-of-hours book returns boxes positioned outside the entrances to the LRCs.
Students
You are automatically a member of the library when you join the University. Your campus ID card is also your library card. You will find your library account number on your campus ID card. You can also borrow items using the barcode on your ChiView account.
University of Chichester students who are intermitting or preparing to study with us are welcome to use the Library (please note there is a £10 administration charge for pre-entry and intermitting students). Students who are continuing to study with us as PGCEs or MAs are entitled to Associate membership free of charge, until the start of their course.
Alumni graduates
The University welcomes our alumni graduates to use the library facilities free of charge. You can browse the shelves, use the study spaces and you can have free library membership that entitles you to borrow ten items, including items from our classroom resources. You can do this at the SIZ counter or for further information email: help@chi.ac.uk. Walk-in access is available which means you can use a university PC in the library to access our electronic resources, by providing two forms of ID, including one with a photograph.
Public access
The libraries on the Bishop Otter and Bognor Regis campus are also available for
and books can be used within the libraries for reference purposes only. Members of the public can purchase an Associate Member library card for an annual fee, although there are some exceptions.
Find out more on Associate memberships
Automatic Renewals
Automatic renewals mean that the Library Service takes care of the routine renewal of your library loans.
Items will renew automatically 40 times unless reserved by another person, in which case they will not renew and will need to be returned.
If a book becomes overdue, either because it has already been renewed the maximum amount of times or has been requested by another person, there are no overdue fines but your account is blocked until the item is returned. This is to ensure that all the people who have requested the item get a chance to borrow it.
Please note fines will still be applied for overdue equipment loans. These items will not be automatically renewed.
Please make sure that you regularly check your university email account and your ‘My Account’ record on the library catalogue to see which loans have been automatically renewed for you and which have been requested by someone else, and need to be returned to the library.
Renewing
If you do need to renew any items this can be done by:
- logging in to My Account on the library catalogue
- using a self-service machine within the library
- emailing library enquiries: help@chi.ac.uk
- telephoning the SIZ (01243 81) 6222
- consulting a member of staff within the library
If you have a query, please contact the library on 01243 816222 or help@chi.ac.uk
Reserving items
If a book that you want is out on loan, you can reserve it on the library catalogue:
- Log in to your My Account.
- Search for the item you want to reserve
- Choose campus for collection
- Reserve
If the book that you want is not on loan and is on the other campus, you can make cross-campus requests from either campus using the online cross-campus request form on the Library Moodle page.
You will receive an email once the book is available for collection. Please collect from the self-service reservation shelves at the appropriate campus and borrow in the normal way.
If the item is not available in the library you can request an Inter Library Loan. If you would like the library to purchase the book to support your course then please contact your Subject Librarian.
Loan categories
Depending on demand, items in the LRC are given different loan categories. These are indicated in the library catalogue.
7 day loans
These loans are marked with a green 7-day sticker on the spine. They are issued for one week.
Standard loans
Books with no coloured sticker on the spine are issued for 28 days.
Reference items
Reference items are marked with a red Library Use Only sticker on the spine. These items are for use in the library only and may not be borrowed.
Journals
Journals cannot be borrowed.
How many books can I borrow?
All undergraduate students
Main collection: 25
Classroom resources: 25
MA/ MSc students
Main collection: 20
Classroom resources: 20
Research students MPhil / PhD
Main collection: 25
Classroom resources: 20
Staff
Main collection: 25
Classroom resources: 20
Alumni and other Associate Members
Main collection and Classroom resources: 10