Borrowing Materials
You can borrow books, items on reserve, and periodicals from the library by stopping by the Library Information Desk in the lobby. You will be asked for your validated WWU I.D. card so remember to bring it with you each time you wish to check out library materials.
Loan Periods
Loan receipts containing item due dates are automatically emailed at the time of checkout. Items are due back before closing time on the date contained in the email and shown on the card/date due slip in back of the item.
Please note that items returned 10 days late are considered lost and replacement fees--including a $15 non-refundable processing fee--will be added to your library account at that time. For a full discussion of fees, please see the current WWU Financial Bulletin.
Undergraduate Students
- Books: 3 weeks
- Reference materials: Use only in the library
- Reserve items: Varies; check with Public Services
- Periodicals: Non-archival issues, 7 days
- Videos and DVDs: 7 days
- Audio media: 7 days
- Equipment: Varies; check with Public Services
- Summit: 6 weeks for books, 6 days for media and specialty items
- Summer borrowing: Upon proof of being registered for summer quarter or on-campus summer employment, normal loan rules apply
Have more questions about borrowing? Call the Library Information Desk at (509) 527-2134 or email Public Services.
Graduate Students
- Books: 3 months/end of quarter
- Reference materials: Use only in the library
- Reserve items: Varies; check with Public Services
- Periodicals: Non-archival issues, 1 week
- Videos and DVDs: 3 months
- Audio media: 7 days
- Equipment: Varies; check with Public Services
- Summit: 6 weeks for books, 6 days for media and specialty items
- Summer borrowing: Upon proof of being registered for summer quarter or, in continuing research situations, fall quarter, normal loan rules apply.
Have more questions about borrowing? Call the Library Information Desk at (509) 527-2134 or email Public Services.
Faculty & Staff
- Books, DVDs, Videos, and Audio Media: 3 months or end of Spring Quarter
- Reference materials: Normally not loaned; check with CLEAR Librarians for extenuating needs
- Reserve items: Varies; check with Public Services
- Periodicals: Non-archival issues, 1 week
- Equipment: Varies; check with Public Services
- Summit: 6 weeks for books, 6 days for media and specialty items
Notes on Faculty & Staff Borrowing:
- Materials from the main circulating collections may be renewed over the phone or via email until the end of Spring Quarter.
- All materials must be brought back to the library at the end of Spring Quarter, where they may once again be re-checked out.
- An Equipment Circulation Agreement must be signed in order to borrow large equipment, such as projectors, screens, tablets, or external disc drives.
- Material on loan may be recalled after three weeks of being checked out should another member of the campus community request the item.
- Standard replacement fees apply for all damaged or lost materials.
Have more questions about borrowing? Call the Library Information Desk at (509) 527-2134 or email Public Services.
Renewals
If no one else has requested an item that you have out on loan from the library's main circulating collection or Summit borrowing, you may request a renewal on that item through your online library account. See How do I renew WWU Library books? for instructions on how to do this.
The book isn't on the shelf
Holds
If a book is currently checked out, you may place a hold on it. Take the title, author, and call number of the book to the Library Information Desk--along with your WWU ID--so we can place a hold for you. You will be notified by email when the item is available. Just stop by the Library Information Desk to check it out.
Off-Site Collections
If the book is stored in one of our off-site collections, you may request that we bring it to the main library so that you may check it out. Take the title, author, and call number of the book to the Library Information Desk and fill out an off-site request. You will be notified either by email or phone when the item is available for pickup.
Request from another library
Books from one of our other WWU campuses
Our catalog contains items located at our various campuses. If the book you wish to read is located at our Portland campus, you may request it through the Research Central (see below). If it is located at one of our other campuses, fill out an interlibrary form for that item. In the comments put the campus location of the book and the call number. We will request it for you.
Summit Catalog
Current students of Walla Walla University have access to Summit borrowing through the Orbis Cascade Alliance. You may search Research Central for Summit items. In Research Central, after finding your item, you may request it by using the "Place Summit request" link that appears when you are signed into your account.
Summit items typically arrive within 3 to 5 business days. You will be notified by email of their arrival and they will be held for you at the Library Information Desk for one week. Checkouts are 6 weeks for most Summit books and 6 days for media items and selected book titles. Due dates will shorten toward the end of the academic quarter. You may renew Summit items one time.
Books or articles from journals not in the catalog or databases - We do not own these materials. If you wish to use materials not owned by Peterson Memorial Library, please check Research Central (for books and media) and the databases (for journals). If an item is not available in our library or in Summit, you may fill out an interlibrary loan form. Provide as much information about the item as possible (author, title--article, journal, book, publisher, place and date of publication). We will try to find this item in another library and request it for you. Interlibrary loans can take up to three weeks to arrive.
What are reserves?
Reserves could be anything (books, DVDs, study guides and other materials). Instructors specifically select these items for their class to use and put the materials on Reserve. This guarantees that all students in the class can have access. Your Instructor will choose the checkout time period, which can vary from four hours to seven days. Occasionally, your instructor will specify that the items need to stay in the library. The Reserve Collection is located at the Library Information Desk. To see if your Instructor has put anything on reserve, use the Course Reserves scope to search Research Central by your instructor's last name (i.e., Thompson), or by course name (College Writing), or by course number (ENGL 122): Find a Reserve Item
Materials such as current test prep books (LSAT, GMAT, GRE, etc) and style guides (APA, MLA, etc.) are also on reserve.