Overview

Borrowing privileges vary for different patron groups and for different materials. UW faculty, staff and students must present a University ID card to borrow materials from campus libraries. UW campus library visitors may also borrow library materials subject to their current residence and affiliation.

UW-Madison Affiliates

University of Wisconsin-Madison Affiliates may obtain a valid University ID at Union South. Affiliates include:

• Visiting scholars affiliated with a UW campus department
• Wisconsin Historical Society employees
• UW Credit Union employees
• Memorial Union employees
• Social Work coordinators

Jump to top

Visiting Scholars

Appointments (such as honorary fellows) will need to obtain a Memorial Library card from the desk at the entrance to the Library. Appointments will need to present a UW photo ID card to obtain a General Library System borrowing card.

OCLC and CIC Faculty

Faculty visiting from CIC or OCLC institutions must bring a photo ID and the card given by the home institution to the card registration desk at Memorial Library.

Faculty Sponsored by a UW-Madison department

Sponsored faculty may obtain a library card by providing a letter of sponsorship from a UW-Madison department. The letter must be written on department stationery, state that the department takes responsibility for all overdue/lost book charges, dates of authorization, and is signed by the chair.

Wisconsin Residents

Annual Fee Card

Wisconsin residents may obtain a borrowing card by providing two current forms of identification showing Wisconsin residency (one must have a photo). The card is $40 per fiscal year, renewable every June 1st. Annual payment can be made by check or credit card.

Courtesy Card

The following library visitors may obtain a Courtesy Card with proof of affiliation and photo ID:

• Wisconsin state, Dane county and city of Madison employees
• Faculty, staff and students at Madison Area Technical, Edgewood and Beloit Colleges. Beloit and MATC students will also need to bring a form from their college librarian.
• Private college faculty in the State of Wisconsin
• Donors to the Library
• Spouses, domestic partners, and children of UW-Madison faculty, staff and students
• Wisconsin Public School K-12 educators

Patrons should apply for cards at the Card Application Window of Memorial Library, Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM, and Saturday-Sunday, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM.

Jump to top

Non-Residents

To borrow a book or request an article from a UW-Madison campus library, place your request through your local campus, corporate or public library. For "rush" requests, contact one of the UW fee-based, document delivery services listed below:

Wisconsin TechSearch

• Wendt Engineering Library's document delivery and literature searching service.
• Provides access to all UW-Madison campus libraries' holdings.
• Call 608-262-5917 for more information.

Ebling Library's Document Delivery for Non-Affiliates

• Serves health professionals and non-profit groups in Wisconsin.
• Provides access to collections in basic and clinical biomedical sciences, neuroscience, biotechnology, nursing, pharmacy, pharmacology, toxicology, allied health, and health administration.
• Call 608-262-6362 or 1-800-442-6471 (in Wisconsin) or fax 608-265-5598.

Outlaw

• UW Law Library's document delivery service
• Call 608-262-3394 for more information or visit the UW Law Library.

Jump to top

Off-site Shelving Facility

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Shelving Facility houses low-use and older books and journals from campus libraries. Some print journal back-runs are stored off-site because they are also available online (e.g. titles in JSTOR or Hein Online).

• The University of Wisconsin-Madison Shelving Facility is not open to the public for browsing
• Materials in the facility are included in the Library Catalog
• Materials must be viewed in either UW-Madison Memorial or Steenbock libraries
• Request items 2 business days prior to your visit

To request material from the Shelving Facility, fill out the Shelving Facility Request Form or visit Borrowing/Returning Materials for more information.

Jump to top