Borrowing conditions

Most items are for loan and can be checked out at the self-issue machines at all the sites by using your library card and the corresponding password (date of birth: DDMMYY). Receipts will be sent by e-mail.

Please notify the staff about any damages or missing pages in the items before checking them out.

Available items can be requested via the internal loan service. Please note that items from your own pick-up location cannot be requested unless they belong to the closed stacks.

You can reserve items on loan via the KARLA Catalogue Portal. For each item two reservations in line are possible. Special loan periods (more than four weeks) will be reduced to four weeks automatically in case of a reservation.

• The standard loan period is 28 days. Borrowed items have to be returned or renewed within this period to avoid overdue fines.
• You may extend the loan period up to 11 times via your user account, provided that your borrowings have not been reserved or the items are already overdue. Each renewal process only extends the loan period by 28 days. Renewing twice at the same time does not result in a doubled loan period. Items have to be returned after the final renewal. For inter-library loan items, the loan period is determined by the lending library and is not renewable.
• For every borrowing, returning and renewal transaction check your receipts immediately. Loan periods can also be monitored via your user account.
• As an additional service the library sends a pre-reminder email four days before the due date of an item. However, the library does not guarantee the safe delivery of these emails. Therefore this service does not release you from your obligation to check your account and pay a fine if the loan period is exceeded.
• Please update your user data if necessary and ensure that your inbox has enough storage space.

Reminders are generated immediately when loan periods are exceeded, there are no fair dealing days. Reminders will be sent by e-mail. The amount of overdue fines is determined by the State of Hesse (Hessisches Verwaltungskostengesetz), in conjunction with the latest version of the Verwaltungskostenordnung für den Geschäftsbereich des Ministeriums für Wissenschaft und Kunst (Administrative Costs Order). They amount to:

• 1^st reminder: EUR 3 per item
• 2^nd reminder: EUR 6 per item
• 3^rd reminder: EUR 12 per item

Reminders are sent at weekly intervals. Reminder fees are already due as soon as the reminder is issued, not when it is delivered. To avoid further reminders, the items concerned have to be returned. Until the items are returned and overdue fines have been paid, your user account will be blocked. Please keep your personal data up-to-date via your user account.

Fines can only be paid cashless by CampusCard at the self-issue machines. An invoice is issued after request if the amount can only be paid by bank transfer.

Avoid reminder fees: check your loan periods and/or renew items in time.

• Items can be returned at any University Library site during opening hours, regardless of where they were borrowed. Self-service machines or return shelves are available at each site. Return receipts are sent by e-mail. To avoid overdue fines, please check the receipts and your user account immediately.
• You can also return items by mail. Receipt of the item in due time is crucial, we therefore recommend a dispatch by registered mail. The library accepts no liability for delivery delays. Please enclose your address, your library card number and a list of the items included, so that we can check whether it is complete. Do NOT send money. To avoid delays, please use the following address:

Universitätsbibliothek Kassel
Nutzerservice
Diagonale 10
34127 Kassel

For damaged or lost items a compensation will be charged. In addition to the purchase price a handling fee of EUR 15 per volume will be charged (in accordance with the Hessisches Verwaltungskostengesetz). Please contact the user service or one of the service desks.

Keep your personal data up-to-date.

• Students can update their address via E-Campus.
• Non-University users should send an e-mail to info[at]bibliothek.uni-kassel[dot]de.
• E-mail addresses can be changed via your user account.
• Memberships of university members and active users are automatically extended.
• The pick-up site is the location where reserved items, inter-library loan items or items requested via the internal loan service are deposited. You can change your pick-up site via your user account.

You need your personal password for the following functions:

• Renewing, reserving, requesting in the KARLA catalogue portal
• Inter-library loans (requesting items, viewing the order status via in the inter-library loan portal)
• Borrowing, renewing and viewing your account at the self-issue machines
• For extended usage of the Internet at the computers on the library premises

The standard password is generated from your date of birth (DDMMYY). You can change it via your user account, but it should be composed of six characters. You may combine numbers and lower-case or upper-case letters. To reset your passwort, please contact the library.