Borrowing Privileges for the UM Community

Taubman Health Sciences Library

The University Library offers a variety of borrowing programs for members of the U-M community. Those eligible are:

• Students
• Faculty or Staff
• Spouse or Significant Other of a U-M Faculty or Staff Member
• Faculty proxies
• Visiting Scholars

To borrow from a library, you must have a borrowing card with a machine-readable barcode. In almost all cases this will be your M-Card.

Others interested in borrowing privileges should visit the Alumni & Guest Borrowing Privileges page for information.

Students

Currently registered U-M students from all three campuses (Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint) are eligible to borrow. New students who wish to borrow within a week of their registration can have their M-Cards activated at the circulation desks at the Taubman Health Sciences Library, the Graduate Library, the Art, Architecture & Engineering Library or the Undergraduate Library. Otherwise they can bring their M-Cards to any library circulation desk.

Graduate Student Borrowers

• Graduate Student Instructors (GSIs) with current appointments and Research Assistants with a GEO contract are eligible for faculty level borrowing privileges.
• Doctoral candidates who have fulfilled all U-M requirements except the completion of the dissertation may have library privileges extended for a period of up to two years from their most recent enrollment or until receipt of their degree, whichever comes first. Rackham students on detached study may also have library privileges extended to the extent of their leave as registered with the Rackham Graduate School. These extensions can only be made at the Graduate Library Circulation Desk (doctoral candidate extensions can also be made at the Taubman Health Sciences Library).
• Graduate students from the three Michigan Research Libraries Triangle (MRLT) institutions - U-M, MSU, and WSU - can receive guest borrowing privileges at any of the MRLT universities. For more information, check with circulation staff at the appropriate institution (UM students should inquire at the Graduate Library Circulation Desk.

Faculty & Staff

• All U-M faculty and permanent staff from all three campuses (Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint) are eligible to borrow from the University Library. New faculty or staff who wish to register within one week of their appointment may do so at the Taubman Health Sciences Library, the Graduate Library, or the Art, Architecture & Engineering Library. Otherwise they may register at any circulation desk. Please bring your M-Card.
• U-M temporary staff may be eligible to borrow from the University Library and to have access to its electronic resources for the duration of their appointment. They may fill out an application, which must be signed by your supervisor.  This application is available at the Taubman Health Sciences Library Information Desk, or online (NB: link to PDF file, 98 kb).
• All regular faculty from universities and colleges in the State of Michigan are eligible for privileges to borrow from the University Library collections. Contact the Graduate Library for further information.

Spouse or Significant Other of U-M Faculty & Staff

• If you are a U-M faculty or staff member, you may request a library card for your spouse or significant other. The employee must have a faculty level position or a regular staff appointment at a 50% level or greater.
• Borrowing privileges are good for one year, renewable annually, or for the duration of the faculty/staff appointment, if less than one year.
• The spouse or significant other is responsible for any circulation activity occurring on the card including payment for all books or other library material that may be lost while charged to the card.
• Unless a title has more limited circulation, loan periods will be three weeks. Number of books that may be charged is unlimited, although number of renewals may vary among the libraries.
• Spouse/significant other borrowing applications are available at the Graduate Library North Circulation Desk or online (NB: link to pdf file; 90 kb).

Faculty Proxies

• Borrowing by proxy provides borrowing privileges to individuals working for or with a U-M faculty member who has a permanent teaching appointment. This card is issued only upon written authorization of the faculty member and, although the proxy carries the library card, the sponsoring faculty member is wholly responsible for all materials borrowed in his or her name. The borrowing privileges of both the sponsoring faculty and the proxy will be suspended if the proxy card is delinquent.
• The faculty member assumes full responsibility including:
  • Prompt communication with the proxy regarding all notices and correspondence.
  • Return or renewal of books on due date.
  • Immediate return of books that are recalled for use by other borrowers.
  • Payment for all library materials that may be lost while charged to the proxy.
  • Written notification if a proxy is to be revoked or canceled before the expiration date.
• Proxy cards are issued for no more than one year at a time and must be renewed each year. Applications are available at the Taubman Health Sciences Library Circulation Desk or online (N.B.: link to pdf file; 78 kb).

Visiting Scholars

The University Library provides privileges to borrow from its collections to scholars who have been invited to the U-M campus to participate in research or instructional activities. All other visitors who do not have this invited status should refer to the Alumni & Guest Borrowing Privileges page. Visiting scholars should be issued an M-Card through their sponsoring department and need to fill out an application, which must be signed by your Dean, Director, or Department Chair. This application is available at the Taubman Health Sciences Library Circulation Desk or online (NB: link to pdf file; 96 kb). It can also be turned in at the Circulation Desks at the Graduate Library or the Art, Architecture & Engineering Library.

• Borrowing privileges are good for one year, renewable annually, or for the duration of the visit or program if less than one year.