Circulation, Loans, Fines and Renewals

Loan Periods

Different materials have different loan periods based on user category and item type.

Item Type Students Staff
Reserved Items 2 hours - 2 days 2 hours - 2 days
Open Stack Items 14 days 30 days
Reference Materials Short loan Short loan

Renewals

Users may renew most items. Materials that cannot be renewed include items that have been recalled by another borrower, reserve materials, and items for which the renewal limit has been reached.

Fines and Penalties

If a member of staff or students fails to return the item(s) on or before the due date, the first fine shall be waived. On the other hand the charges highlighted in the table below shall be applied to all consecutive overdue items.

Fine and Penalties for overdue and lost materials:
Nature of Item Duration Students Staff/Other
Reserved items Per hour 300 RWF 600 RWF
Open stack items Per day 500 RWF 1000 RWF
Over-due recall Per day 500 RWF 1000 RWF
Lost item After 60 days Twice the current cost of the item + administrative charges of 40%
Lost items (out of print) N/A Twice the current cost + administrative charges of 40%
Item lost and found Within 2 months Money will be refunded by UR
Important: Borrowing privileges will be suspended if items are kept for 30 days or more beyond their due date, or if a recalled item is one or more days overdue. Privileges will be restored when the overdue items have been returned.

Replacement bills for the replacement and processing costs shall be sent when items are 60 days overdue. The university reserves the right to recover fines from staff salaries and to hold transcripts or certificates until a user pays his/her obligations.

Appeals to Library Charges

Library users have the right to appeal against overdue fines, lost item replacement costs, service processing fees, and damage charges incurred with the URLS. To lodge an appeal to library charges, users must contact the Head of Campus Library services within 21 days of the original notice of fine.

Reference-only Materials

Some materials are designated as "reference-only" and cannot be borrowed. These include:

  • Reference books (encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc.)
  • Rare books and special collections
  • Current periodicals and journals
  • Reserve materials as designated by faculty

Questions About Borrowing?

Contact your campus library for assistance with circulation matters.