Borrowing
Books and annual reports can be checked out by anyone with a valid UW-Madison ID or a current borrowing card issued at Memorial Library.
- Undergraduates and special students: 28 days
- Graduate students: full semester
- UW-Madison faculty & staff: full semester
Items that can be checked out for 28 days or more may be returned to any campus library participating in Open Return.
Laptops can be checked out for 3 days and must be returned to the Business Library.
Reference books, journals and most audio-visual materials can't be checked out. They must be used in the library.
Renewing
Laptop computers and course reserves can't be renewed.
Other items can be renewed in MadCat, the online catalog.
- Undergraduates and special students: 2 renewals
- Graduate students: 2 renewals
- UW-Madison faculty, staff: 6 renewals
Click on My MadCat Account. Enter your 11 digit ID number and last name.
From the list of Items Checked Out you can mark the items you wish to renew.
Be sure that the due date on the screen changes after sending your request. Some library materials, such as reserves, can’t be renewed and the due date will not change.
For additional assistance in renewing materials, see: http://madcat.library.wisc.edu/help/renew.htm
Interlibrary Loan
If the item you need is not owned by a campus library, you may be able to borrow it from another college or university.
In MadCat, click on UW System Search to see if an item is owned by another UW System library. Click here for more information on how it can be delivered to the campus library of your choice.
If an item isn't owned by any UW library, you can search WorldCat and request books from anywhere in the world. Find the record for the item you want and click on "Get Through Libary Express".
Recall Items
If you need an item that is already checked out, you can recall it from the current borrower.
- Find the item in MadCat
- Click "Place Requests" at the top of the screen
- Log in with your 11 digit ID number and last name
- Select "RECALL from current borrower" and click "OK"
For assistance in recalling materials checked out to another user, click here or ask at the Reference Desk.
If you wish to recall items that are In Transit or On Hold in MadCat, ask a staff member for assistance.
Retrieve Items From Campus Libraries
You can request books from any campus library and have them delivered to the library of your choice. Click here for additional information.
You can request electronic copies of journal articles already owned by UW—Madison libraries. There is a $2.00 service fee. Log in to Library Express and click "Request an Article or Other Copy".
Overdues & Fines
Users are responsible for all materials borrowed with their ID number or library card.
Reserves
The charges for reserve materials are:
- Hourly loans: $2.00 per hour
- Daily loans: $5.00 per day
- Maximum charge: $35.00 per item
If overdue reserve materials are not returned within 7 days of the due date, users will be billed a standard replacement charge.
Laptops
Overdue fines for laptops are $20 per day for every day or portion of a day that the laptop is overdue. The due date of your laptop can be looked up online at the UW InfoLab Laptop Checkout System
Books & Annual Reports
Users are billed for replacement charges 28 days after the due date for all other materials.
There is no daily fine for overdue recalled books. Your library privileges are suspended until the overdue recalled material is returned. If the item is not returned you will be billed for the lost item.
Overdue fines and replacement charges for everything except laptops can be paid:
- in person at the Memorial Library Circulation Office, Room 170, Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm
- by mail with a check payable to “University of Wisconsin-Madison” and sent to Memorial Library, 728 State Street, Room 170, Madison, WI 53706.
To appeal an overdue fine, use the appeal of library charges form, or go to Memorial Library, Room 170.
Replacement charges cannot be appealed. The item must be returned, replaced, or the replacement fee paid. Replacement copies should be exact duplicates of the original. In some cases, exceptions can be made upon library approval. Check before purchasing a replacement.
Contact Deb Ahrens with any questions about overdues or fines.