Borrowing at the Health Care Libraries

Who can borrow?

  • You will need to be a full member of Bodleian Health Care Libraries to borrow items.
  • Please note: Oxford Brookes Faculty of Health & Life Sciences Memberships cannot borrow items from us.
  • Find out more about how to apply to join the Health Care Libraries.

What can be borrowed?

  • The Bodleian Health Care Libraries have collections of books, DVDs and other items available to borrow.
  • Use the library catalogue, SOLO, to find items held by the libraries. Learn more about finding items in the library catalogue.
  • Employees of the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust with a valid Bodleian Health Care Libraries card can borrow up to 10 items at any one time from our Health Care Libraries.
  • If you have a University of Oxford card, find out more about your borrowing allowances on the Bodleian Libraries website.

Renew items

Most items you have borrowed will be automatically renewed where possible for up, to 112 days (16 weeks), usually 1–2 days before the due date. 

Please note: some items such as laptops & items for use in the library, will not automatically renew.

You can also manually renew items if you'd like to set the due date to a certain day of the week. Sign into SOLO to view the items you have borrowed and when they are due back. If it a Bodleian Health Care Libraries item you can email hcl-renewals@bodleian.ox.ac.uk with your library card number and name. 

If an item is not automatically renewed, this may be because:

  • the item has reached its maximum renewal period, usually 112 days (16 weeks)
  • the item has been reserved by another reader
  • your card has expired or is due to expire

If you think there may be a problem contact the library from which you borrowed the item, or if it is a Bodleian Health Care Libraries item you can ask a member of staff or email hcl-renewals@bodleian.ox.ac.uk

Maximum renewal period

All loans, except Same Day Loans, laptops or library use only items (eg headphones or powerbanks), have a maximum renewal period of 112 days (16 weeks) from the date of the original loan. They cannot be renewed again after this period has elapsed.

If you wish to continue using an item after this period, you will need to bring it back to the library to be re-issued.

How to renew

You can renew items online via SOLO:

  1. Sign into SOLO by clicking ‘Sign in’.
  2. Choose ‘Oxford members’ if you have a blue-stripe University card. Choose ‘Non-Oxford members’ if your library card has an orange or red stripe.  
  3. In the ‘My Account’ area, you can view and renew items you have borrowed.  

Visit the SOLO guide for more information.  

You can also renew items:

  • in person at the library desk.
  • by phone: if it's a Bodleian Health Care Libraries item, call (01865) 221936 during staffed hours and give your name and library card number.
  • by email: if it's a Bodleian Health Care Libraries item, email hcl-renewals@bodleian.ox.ac.uk, providing your name and library card number.

Return items

Please return your items promptly. Our library collections are often in high demand, and this ensures fair access for other library users to carry out their studies and research.

Bodleian Health Care Library items can be returned to any of our Bodleian Health Care Library sites. 

Please return any loanable stack items to the library you borrowed them from

Overdue fines no longer apply. However, if you do not return your books within the due date when requested, you will be blocked from any further borrowing until the issue is resolved.