UvA students and staff need a valid UvA pass to view or borrow material. External borrowers need a valid library card.

Current and important titles for education and research can be found in open collections at the various library locations. You can pull them off the shelf and lend them to yourself. Read more about our open collections.

Our open collections are open to UvA students and staff. At various library locations, access to the open collections is limited to external borrowers.

External borrowers are advised to request materials via CataloguePlus whenever possible. They can collect and return the materials at the University Library Singel.

Do you need materials from the open Humanities collections (Singel University Library and P.C. Hoofthuis Library)? Contact us by telephone on 020 525 1405 and reserve a place for viewing.

CataloguePlus allows you to request materials from our physical collections in open stacks and the Book Depot (IWO), where most of our physical collections are located. You can then specify a library location of your choice to pick up the materials. This goes as follows: 

1. Log in to CataloguePlus at the top right with your UvAnetID or your library card number. Note: New external borrowers must create a password when they log in for the first time, using the Reset password option.
2. Request the desired material via the Request button.
3. Choose the location where you would like to collect the material.
4. As soon as the material is ready for you, you will receive a pick-up message. The material will remain available for seven days.
5. When you pick up the material, you either lend it to yourself via the lendomaat or it will be loaned to you at the desk. Material that is fragile may only be inspected on site. This material can be recognised by the indication '1 day loan' in the catalogue and by a clear strip in the material.
6. Requested materials are usually delivered within 1-2 working days. There is no delivery at weekends or on public holidays.

Heritage materials and special collections can be requested through CataloguePlus and through a number of specific databases. For more information, open the Search Portal of the Allard Pierson in a new window.

Requested materials can be viewed in the Allard Pierson research room. It is mandatory to reserve a workplace in advance. Once you have been notified that the material is ready for you, you can make a reservation via the contact form on the Allard Pierson website.

Some of the titles in CataloguePlus cannot be requested. It concerns:

• Works from the open collection that are only available for consultation, e.g. frequently used study books. For this you have to go to the library collection concerned. NB At the moment external borrowers have limited access to the open collections.
• Material from the Book Depot (IWO) that are only available for consultation, such as newspapers and large formats. For these, you must contact the Book Depot.
• Material that is in the collections of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS). Do you need books from the AUAS? Read more under Borrowing from the AUAS.

For all other material that cannot be requested, please contact us via the contact form. We will be happy to help you.

You can borrow a maximum of 50 books at the same time, but please note: the loan terms can differ per book.

• The standard loan period is 28 days 

• 7 days is for in-demand books 

• Same day return (available for inspection) is for sensitive material

• InterLibrary Loan (ILL) books have different conditions 

Books with the standard or 7day loan period are automatically renewed three times unless someone else has requested the books. You will receive a message via email if another borrower needs the book or if the maximum loan period has been reached. After the maximum loan period has been reached, you can only have the books renewed at a library desk. In your account in CataloguePlus you will find an overview of all your requested materials and your loans and whether your loan period has expired. 

UvA students and staff can return books at all opened locations. External borrowers can return their books to the University Library Singel.

 If it is not possible to come to the Library to hand in your books you can also send them by post. 

University Library of Amsterdam
Box 19185
1000 GD Amsterdam 

Some postal services (e.g. DHL) do not deliver to PO boxes. Then send your package to: 

University of Amsterdam
Reference PO Box 19185 (University Library)
Tafelbergweg 51
1105 BD Amsterdam 

Due to the processing time of the mail it may take some time for the books to disappear from your account.

Shortly before the maximum loan period expires you will receive a request by email to return the borrowed material. We send reminders from the expiry date of the loan period. The first reminder is free of charge, after that a fine per item will be charged. 

• Reminder 1: no fine yet 
• Reminder 2: € 1 
• Reminder 3: € 4 (total € 5) 
• Reminder 4: € 10 (total € 15). Your account will be blocked; borrowing is no longer possible.

Invoice: no later than 4 weeks after the last reminder, you will receive an invoice for the fine, replacement and administration costs (minimum € 75). 

Paying fines 

If you return the material, any replacement and administration costs will be canceled but the fine will still have to be paid. Fines can only be paid by debit card at any open desk of the Library (see our location page). With the exception of the Library Learning Centre REC counter where you can only pay in cash. If you fail to pay we call in a collection agency. 

With a valid library card, student ID card or staff ID card you can borrow books from the library of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) at no additional cost. Books can be requested via CataloguePlus from the AUAS library and collected at a UvA or AUAS library location.

It is also possible to borrow books at the AUAS library locations. For more information about the opening hours: amsterdamuas.com/library

In some cases it is not possible to request the material (directly) at the UvA Library, in this case there are two options:  

1. Borrowing from other libraries: If you cannot find the requested book in our collection it is possible to borrow material from other libraries.
2. Purchase suggestion: If the material you are looking for is important for UvA teaching or research, you can fill out a purchase suggestion using the Library contact form.