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Borrowing from the F. W. Olin Library

Where Can I Get Items?

Library materials can be checked out at the Circulation Desk or requested from other partner libraries through Interlibrary Loan.

How Long Can I Have Library Items?

  • Books:
    • Faculty: 90 days, new books 28 days
    • Staff, students, and alums: 28 days
    • All users are able to renew items up to 3 times, unless the title has been requested by another user.
  • Periodicals and Media: 7 days, no renewals
  • Equipment (phone chargers, power banks, headphones, etc): 3 hours, no renewals
  • Course reserve items: 2, 3, or 24 hours. Specific loan periods can be found on the front cover of the item. Reserve items cannot be renewed.
  • Interlibrary Loans: Loan periods vary depending on the policies of the lending library. Please log in to your library account or check the paper banding around the item for the due date and renewal options.

Can I Have the Library Item for Longer?

Information about item renewal is available on the library’s FAQ.

To request a renewal or check the status of your loans (including the due date), please log in to your library account.

How Do I Return Library Items?

All items on loan can be returned at the Circulation Desk during open hours.
The book drop to the left of the front doors is available 24/7. All items EXCEPT LPs and CDs may be returned via the book drop and will be checked in at open the following day.

What if Library Items Are Returned Late?

  • Reserves and Equipment: $1.00 per hour ($25 maximum).
  • Interlibrary loans: visit the Interlibrary Loan page for information about any fees associated with late interlibrary loans.

If any items are overdue for more than 40 days, you may be charged a lost item fee of $80.

The library reserves the right to block your library account for excessive fines or if you do not return items needed by other borrowers.

Find answers to frequently asked questions about borrowing in the library FAQ.

Visiting & Borrowing From Other Libraries

Oakland Public Library cards are available to all Northeastern-Oakland students. If you are not otherwise a California resident, use the Mills College at Northeastern University address as your home address. You do not need to show your ID or proof of residency in person to obtain an OPL card. An OPL card not only gives you access to the library’s collection, including ebooks, audiobooks, and streaming media, but also Discover & Go, a program that allows Oakland residents to reserve free passes to bay area museums and other attractions.

San Francisco Public Library cards are also available to all Northeastern-Oakland students, but you do need to show your ID and proof of residency in person to obtain an SFPL card. If you are not otherwise a California resident, use the Mills College at Northeastern University address as your home address, and when you go the library in person to pick up your card, be prepared to present your Husky card, passport, or out of state ID, AND a piece of mail addressed to you at the college and postmarked within the last 30 days. You may send a postcard to yourself via USPS for this purpose! An SFPL card will give you access to the library’s extensive collection, including ebooks, audiobooks, streaming media, and more.

Library cards are not required at either the Oakland Public Library or the San Francisco Public Library to access archival materials like those found in the Oakland History Center or the San Francisco History Center.

Students living off-campus in other municipalities should also register with their local library to access their resources.

Searching Other Libraries Online

To see which other libraries have what you need, search WorldCat Local,  which shows the North American (and some international) libraries that have the books, journals, media, and all types of materials you need. You may request delivery of many of these items from directly within the system.

Suggesting or Recommending a Purchase

If you don’t see a title that you believe the Northeastern University Library should own, please fill out the Recommend a Purchase form.