North Dakota State University Libraries is committed to getting the materials you need for your research.

To check out library materials, you must present either your NDSU ID or community patron card. Borrowing privileges, such as loan periods, vary slightly by patron type. Expand the menus below to learn about your loan periods and how to borrow library materials.

Borrowing Materials

Items may be checked out at the Main Library, Business Learning Center, and Klai Juba Wald Architectural Studies Library at the circulation desks located at each location.

When items are checked out to your account an email receipt is automatically sent to you and tells you when items are due. As a courtesy NDSU Libraries will also attempt to notify you when materials become overdue.

The NDSU Libraries Circulation Policies apply to all patrons who borrow library materials from NDSU Libraries. For more information contact the Circulation Desk at ndsu.library@ndsu.edu or (701) 231-8888.

Renewing Materials

Wait I still need this book and it's due today!
Don't worry, items may be renewed numerous times for the normal borrowing period, and can be renewed any of four ways: online, in person, via email, or by phone.

Renew Online
Go to the NDSU Library Catalog. Click on “My Account” to see your library account details. You'll see your list of checked out items. Select the ones you want to renew, then click Renew Items. When the page refreshes, you'll see a column with the new due dates.

Renew Over the Phone
Call (701) 231-8888. Make sure to state your name, NDSU ID, and the titles you wish to renew. We will confirm your renewal over the phone and provide you with your new date and an automatic confirmation will also be sent via email.

Renew by Email
Contact ndsu.library@ndsu.edu. Make sure to state your name, NDSU ID, and the titles you wish to renew. We will confirm your renewal and give you the new due date via email.

In Person
You can always renew items in person. Please note that if you have reached your renewal limit you are required to bring items into one of our three locations to renew items in person.

Requesting Materials from NDSU Libraries

Don't have time to come into NDSU Libraries to search for something on the shelf? We can get it for you!
From the NDSU Libraries Catalog, you can place a hold on any physical item by clicking on "Place a Hold." If the item is available, NDSU staff will pull the material for you and email you when it is ready for pick-up.

If the material is checked out by another person, we'll let you know when it is returned. You will receive a notification via email that the item is available for pickup at the library circulation desk of your choice.

For more questions on how to place a hold request, please review our tutorial or contact our circulation staff at (701) 231-8888 or ndsu.library@ndsu.edu.

What about items from the Off-Campus Storage Annex?
NDSU students, staff, and faculty can all request items from the Off-Campus Storage Annex using our NDSU Libraries Catalog for delivery to other NDSU Libraries, or request a journal article from the Libraries Annex collection. Articles will be scanned and delivered via email. For more information, see the How to Request and Item and Request Off-Campus Storage Annex Articles tutorials.

NDSU Libraries patrons can also request an appointment to visit the Off-Campus Storage Annex for research purposes by contacting the Annex at (701) 231-8116 or ndsu.library.pull@ndsu.edu.

Request Materials through Interlibrary Loan

Need something our libraries don't have?
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a free service that provides NDSU faculty, staff, and students access to the collections of local, regional, and national libraries. You can access ILL at For step-by-step directions on how to use ILL, please go to our tutorial.

You can also contact our ILL staff by phone at (701) 231-8885 or by email at ndsu.library.ill@ndsu.edu.

What can I request through Interlibrary Loan?

  • Books (complete or chapter)
  • Articles (journals, magazines, newspapers)
  • Media (CDs, DVDs)
  • Dissertations and theses

You may only request items that NDSU Libraries already own when they are:

  • Currently on reserve
  • Currently checked out by someone else
  • Non-circulating materials
  • Lost or missing

The Interlibrary Loan department reserves the right to evaluate and cancel requests upon staff determination.

Items not available for request include:

  • Textbooks available for purchase at the NDSU Bookstore
  • Periodicals (complete issues or volumes)
  • Rare books
  • Reference items
  • Items from special collections

What are the loan periods for materials?
Electronically delivered items are available through your ILL account for 30 days from the date of posting or 5 views, whichever comes first. Once you download the articles they are yours to keep.

The average loan period for books, media, dissertations, and theses is 4 weeks. Occasionally, we are asked by the original lending institution to return the material before it’s due. When this occurs, we will notify you by phone or email that you must return the material immediately. If possible, we will place another request on your behalf.

How long will it take to receive my items?
The length of time to receive your materials may vary according to the material type and its original location. You can track your status at library.ndsu.edu/ill. However, the dates below represent approximate shipping times.

  • Books, media, dissertations, and theses
    From regional libraries (Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota): 2 to 5 days.
    National libraries (outside of Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota): 1 to 2 weeks.
  • Articles
    Electronic delivery to your e-mail: 1 to 2 days. You will receive your articles electronically unless you choose a different delivery method when you place your request.
    USPS delivery: 3 days to 2 weeks.

You will be notified by email when your materials arrive. Please bring your NDSU ID to the Circulation Desk to pick up materials.

What does it cost to place requests?
There is no cost for placing requests through Interlibrary Loan. However, you are responsible for returning Interlibrary Loan materials by their due dates. The due date for each item is listed on the checkout slip provided with the item, and can also be found by checking your ILL account. If ILL materials are lost, damaged, or not returned, the libraries that own the materials will determine appropriate fees for repair or replacement; these charges will be billed directly to your One Stop account.

If your interlibrary loan account has associated fees the account will be blocked, and Interlibrary Loan will not process requests until the block is removed.

Returning Materials

Okay, I'm done with this stuff now what?
We have several places to return materials throughout campus.

Main Campus

  • Main Library
    • Atrium
  • Memorial Union
    • Adjacent to the vending machines in the hallway between the elevator and One Stop service desk.
  • Quentin Burdick Building
    • First Floor Lobby

Downtown Campus

  • Barry Hall
    • Basement at the Business Learning Center
  • Klai Juba Wald
    • Third Floor at the Klai Juba Wald Architectural Studies Library
  • Renaissance Hall
    • First floor lobby
Notices and Replacement Fees

Automatic reminder notices will be sent to your email regularly to remind you to return materials on time. These messages are sent 5 days before an item is due, on the actual due date, and again 5 days after an item’s due date.

Overdue notices will also be sent by email, and will be sent out 10 days after an item's due date and again 20 days after an item’s due date.

After an item is 30 days overdue, it is considered lost and a $115.00 replacement fee for lost materials is added to the borrower’s library account with a notification sent to the borrower’s email.

NOTE: The replacement fee may be higher in the case of digital cameras and other high value equipment. This will be reflected within the notification sent to your email.

Borrowing privileges will be suspended at all NDSU Libraries for the following reasons:

  • Maximum fines
  • Maximum checkouts
  • Withdrawal from the University

Borrowing Types and Loan Periods

Undergraduate Students

NDSU students may borrow materials using their NDSU ID cards. Undergraduate students may checkout a maximum of 50 items.

Item Type

Loan Period

Renewals

General books and documents

28 Days

2

Shott Collection Books

28 Days

1

Periodicals

5 Days

0

Reserves (limit of 3)

As designated by Professor

0

Reference Material

No Loan

-

Newspaper

No Loan

-

Maps

28 Days

1

Media (limit 5)

7 Days

1

GoPro Cameras

7 Days

0

USB Cords

4 Hours

1

Laptop Chargers

4 Hours

1

Graphing Calculators

1 Day

0

Day lockers

1 Day

0

 

Graduate Students

NDSU students may borrow materials using their NDSU ID cards. Graduate students may checkout a maximum of 100 items.

Item Type

Loan Period

Renewals

General books and documents

180 Days

2

Shott Collection Books

28 Days

1

Periodicals

5 Days

0

Reserves (limit of 3)

As designated by Professor

0

Reference Material

No Loan

-

Newspaper

No Loan

-

Maps

28 Days

1

Media (limit 5)

7 Days

1

GoPro Cameras

7 Days

0

USB Cords

4 Hours

1

Laptop Chargers

4 Hours

1

Graphing Calculators

1 Day

0

Day lockers

1 Day

0

 

Faculty and Staff

NDSU faculty, and staff may borrow materials using their NDSU ID cards and may checkout a maximum of 100 items.

Item Type

Loan Period

Renewals

General books and documents

180 Days

2

Shott Collection Books

28 Days

1

Periodicals

5 Days

0

Reserves (limit of 3)

As designated by Professor

0

Reference Material

No Loan

-

Newspaper

No Loan

-

Maps

28 Days

1

Media (limit 5)

7 Days

1

GoPro Cameras

7 Days

0

USB Cords

4 Hours

1

Laptop Chargers

4 Hours

1

Graphing Calculators

1 Day

0

Day lockers

1 Day

0

Visiting faculty without a faculty appointment can request library access by filling out an NDSU Early Employee ID Request Form and submitting the form, accompanied by a letter from their respective departments requesting access, to Human Resources. Completing this process will allow individuals to check out materials, access library databases, and use interlibrary loan services.

Community Patrons

Community patrons can be issued a Friends of NDSU Libraries borrowing card with a $25 donation to NDSU Libraries. As a Member of Friends of the Libraries, your annual membership benefits include NDSU Libraries borrowing privileges and the award-winning The Libraries Magazine in the fall. VIP Members will also receive special invitations to NDSU Libraries events and programs. 

Sign up or Renew Your Membership

If you would like to make a difference in a student’s life and support NDSU Libraries, please join or renew your membership to Friends of the Libraries by clicking the link below.  You will be directed to the NDSU Foundation's online giving form.

www.ndsufoundation.com/donate-library

Tri-College patrons, NDUS patrons, immediate family/spouses of NDSU employees, and local high school students who provide a valid driver's license or other proof of residence can be issued an NDSU Libraries community patron card free of charge at the Main Library Circulation Desk, Business Learning Center, or the Klai Juba Wald Architectural Studies Library. Community patrons may checkout up to 10 items.

Item Type

Loan Period

Renewals

General books and documents

28 Days

2

Shott Collection Books

28 Days

1

Periodicals

5 Days

0

Reserves

No Loan

-

Reference Material

No Loan

-

Newspaper

No Loan

-

Maps

28 Days

1

Media (limit 5)

7 Days

1

GoPro Cameras

7 Days

0

USB Cords

4 Hours

1

Laptop Chargers

4 Hours

1

Graphing Calculators

1 Day

0

Day lockers

1 Day

0