Who can borrow?
All Mount Holyoke College community members have library borrowing privileges. This includes current students, current faculty, emeriti faculty and College staff.
In addition, Mount Holyoke College alums, South Hadley, Holyoke, Granby and Chicopee MA residents, Simmons West students and Five College students, faculty and staff may also borrow from the Mount Holyoke College library. For details on LITS services to these specific communities, see Services for visitors and affiliates.
All borrowers must present identification when checking out items:
- Mount Holyoke College community members must present their OneCard or other valid ID.
- Five College community members must present an active college-issued ID or other valid ID.
- Mount Holyoke alums should go to the Technology Help Desk to get an alum OneCard and come visit us at the Circulation Desk to open their library account.
- Residents of South Hadley, Holyoke, Granby and Chicopee MA aged 18 and over can be issued a Mount Holyoke library barcode at the Circulation Desk. To receive a barcode, residents must present a Massachusetts picture ID that shows a current address in South Hadley, Holyoke, Granby or Chicopee. If this is not possible, a state-issued picture ID and additional proof of address (e.g., a piece of mail or a utility bill) may be used.
Loan periods and renewals
Loan periods vary depending on patron status and the type of material being borrowed. Some common examples are below. You can renew most Mount Holyoke and Five College items online through your library account. To renew items that you have checked out through interlibrary loan, please log in to your interlibrary loan account or email libill@mtholyoke.edu. See more under my library accounts.
Your loan period may be shortened if an item is needed for course reserves or has been requested by another person. If an item gets requested while you have it checked out, you will receive a recall notice stating your new due date. With the exception of some course reserve materials that are needed immediately, recalled items are due 7 days after the recall notice is sent, and you are guaranteed a minimum loan period of 14 days. If you are borrowing a book that other users have also requested, your loan period will automatically be reduced to 14 days at the time of checkout. Requested books may not be renewed.
Fines and payments
To encourage the timely return of items and ensure that materials are available for our users, overdue or replacement fees may be charged on library materials that are not returned by their due date.