Library - Borrowing Books

Library is the best place for everybody to find books needed, including textbooks. There are three collections for storing books, namely, the Main Collection, the Reserve Collection, and the automated Retrieval Collection (ARC).

The Main Collection is where accessible for students holding books, except the Reserve Collection. You can find almost any books related to the units (even textbooks) or matched your interest.

The Reserve Collection is where only keep textbooks and only allows for a 3-hour-loan. If you return the book after three hours, the fine may be applied. During the exam period, the newest edition textbooks are very popular. Generally speaking, if you come late, there is no chance for you to borrow one.

The ARC is somewhere non-accessible for students, where every book has its specialised location, when the request has been put by you, the book will be sent out. Then you can pick it from the Resource Collection Point at Reserve Collection with half an hour. Once it is available for pick up, you will be notified by email (MQ student email), and it will only been hold for three days for you.

To find the location of a book, you need to know the call number first. For example, HF 5686. C7 J83 2010, this book can be found at shelf HF, which locates in Level 2. You can find the shelf by following the order of English letters, firstly find H, then F. subsequently, to find ‘5686’ by following the order of Arabic numerals. Then, the same rule applies.

Regarding the loan time, the books in the Main Collection can be borrowed 16 weeks plus 5 renewals (unless recalled), those in the Reserve Collection can only been borrowed for 3 hours, while those in the Automated Retrieval Collection (ARC) can be borrowed for 7 days.

To return the books, during the opening hours, those borrow from the Reserve Collection should be return to Reserve as well. You need to put the book at a special place that in your left-hand side just before you walk in the Reserve Collection. The others books can be return the return chutes. You can find it in your left-hand side when you enter the library.

It is very important to return books in the right place. Last semester, I wrongfully returned a reserve collection book to the return chute, and then the fines applied, as the librarian will not return the book to the Reserve Collection in time.

Fines would apply for late-returns. For main collection loans, $1 per day to a maximum of $50 fine applies per book. For ARC loans, $5 per day to a maximum of $50 fine applies per book. For reserve collection loans, $2 per hour to a maximum of $50 fine applies per book (MQ library 2014).

If you still have questions about borrowing books at MQ library, we would love to hear from you. Please tweet us @mqmadness or email us at mqmadness1@gmail.com.

Crystal