With some exceptions, library materials may be used within the library by anyone. You must present a photo ID every time you check out library materials.
CU Boulder students, staff and faculty are automatically registered with the Libraries. Your Buff OneCard or any photo ID will serve as your library card. Your library privileges are valid as long as you are registered as a student, or for the duration of employment for staff and faculty. Retired faculty and staff have the same privileges as other faculty and staff.
If you are not currently a CU Boulder student, staff, faculty or retiree and you wish to take items outside the library, you must apply for borrowing privileges. Borrower type definitions, and how to register and/or renew privileges for each are detailed at Borrower Types: Definition and Registration.
We participate in reciprocal borrowing programs with other libraries. These programs allow visiting researchers to obtain borrowing privileges with us, and for CU Boulder affiliates to borrow items from other participating universities.
For information on fees and fines, see our Circulation Policies. Law Library circulation policies vary from ours.
Email us at libraries@colorado.edu with any questions.
Library privileges by borrower type
Borrowing privileges vary depending on your campus affiliation and borrower type (see definitions and registration information), and are assigned in three tiers.
| Borrower type | |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 | CU Boulder faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students CU Boulder retirees CU Boulder POI "External Instructors" CU Boulder Visiting Scholars CU Continuing Education students (degree and non-degree) CU Law School faculty, staff and students Friends of the Libraries |
| Tier 2 | CU Boulder Alumni CU Boulder auditors (community and senior) CU Boulder institute and workshop participants CU System (Anschutz, Colorado Springs, Denver) faculty, staff and students Naropa University affiliates (with voucher) Reciprocal Borrowing Programs (ARL/OCLC, CARL, CLC, GWLA) Research partners State-funded Colorado University/College faculty, staff and students |
| Tier 3 | Colorado high school students CU Boulder faculty and staff spouses/partners Public patrons |
| Tier 1 | Tier 2 | Tier 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fee | Friends only | Naropa only | Public patrons only |
| Renewals [2] | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Holds | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Total item limit | 500 | 100 | 50 |
| Prospector | Yes | No | No |
| Interlibrary Loan | Yes [3] | No | No |
[1] Information about off-campus access to electronic resources
[2] For renewable items
[3] With Identikey
Loan periods and renewals
For all borrower types:
- Reserves and miscellaneous items have varying loan periods and renewals are not allowed on those items.
- Circulating reference collection items and popular reading collection items have a 21 day loan period.
Some types of patron accounts may be short term. Loan periods will not exceed an account's expiration date. Some materials may have policies that differ from the below.
| Books | Journals | DVDs, Microfilms, Maps | ||||
| Loan Period | Renewals | Loan Period | Renewals | Loan Period | Renewals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 180 days | Yes | 14 days | Yes | 28 days | Yes |
| Tier 2 | 90 days | Yes | 14 days | Yes | 14 days | No |
| Tier 3 | 30 days | Yes | 7 days | No | 7 days | No |
Renewals
Items may be renewed through any of the following venues:
- Online using My Library Account
- Via email: libraries@colorado.edu
- In-person at any Service Desk
- By telephone: 303-492-8705
Items with holds and recalled books may not be renewed.
My Library Account
Through "My Library Account", a feature offered within the Library Catalog, you may renew your own books, place or cancel holds, create preferred searches and use other library catalog services.
If you’re unable to access your My Library Account, email us at libraries@colorado.edu.
You may check the due dates of the items you have checked out through "My Library Account" on the Library Catalog main page. If you have renewal privileges, you may renew your items there.
Current CU Boulder affiliates should use their IdentiKey information to log in. If you’re not a student, leave the PIN field blank and submit your request. You’ll then be asked to create your own PIN.
If you should forget your PIN number or have problems creating one, please email libraries@colorado.edu. Even though we can’t see your existing university PIN number, we can delete it for you so you can create a new one.
Last updated November 2022