Borrowing Policies Overview

Patron use a JCard, JHU Divisional ID Card, or library card from a JHU library with photo ID for access and borrowing.

The loan period is six weeks (for 'fee' users).

The loan period for current JHU students is four months.

The loan period for all faculty and staff is fixed to June 30th of the following year.

There is a guaranteed loan period of 10 days for recalled materials.

Borrowing privileges are blocked when a recalled item becomes 5 days overdue.

Patron Confidentiality - Refrain from revealing the identity of patrons who are borrowing, or requesting any library materials.

Note: There are service changes in place due to COVID-19. Please view the Book Pickups & Returns page on Catalyst for the most up-to-date information about getting materials.

JHU Students, Faculty, and Staff -- Your JCard is your library card.

Check out your books

• at the Service Desk on M-level in the Eisenhower Library building
• with your cell phone or mobile device
  • Download free Hopkins Self-checkout app from the Google Play or Apple App store and log in with your JHED ID
  • Check out books with your phone
  • Desensitize at the station on M-Level if you're taking books out of the building

• at a self-checkout stations on
  • Eisenhower M-level near the Service Desk
  • Brody Q-level next to the guard's desk
  • Brody B-level next to the guard's desk
  • (For DVDs, you still have to go to the Services Desk on M-level to have the lock removed)

Visiting Scholars

• Visiting scholars must speak with their sponsoring academic department or program to start this process
• Once they are added to JHED and given a Jcard, they will have borrowing privileges according to the status assigned by their sponsoring department.
• Please send the appointment letter to circmail@jhu.libanswers.com.

Alumni

Confirm alumni status via the Alumni Directory or call 410-516-0363.

• For alumni, there is no fee to borrow from JH Libraries.
• The loan period with these cards is sixteen weeks; two renewals are allowed, each for a sixteen-week period, unless an item is recalled.

General Public

You may purchase a library card from the Service Desk on M-level.

• For the general public, the card fee is $200/year for MSE borrowing only
• The loan period with these cards is six weeks; two renewals are allowed, each for a six-week period, unless an item is recalled.
• To request materials held at the Libraries Service Center, email lsc@jhu.edu before your visit. (For more information, write to  circmail@jhu.libanswers.com.)
• You may borrow up to 50 items at any one time

Note: Purchase of a library card, or enrollment in Osher or Odyssey courses, does not give off-site access to our online databases and journals, or access to Interlibrary Loan services.

Visitors from Borrow Direct affiliated schools

Eligible students, staff, and faculty from Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton University, Stanford University, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University may request borrowing privileges at the Service Desk on M-level of the Eisenhower Library.

Visitors from Maryland Independent College and University Association (MICUA)

Eligible students, staff, and faculty from Goucher College, Hood College, Loyola University, MICA, McDaniel College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Notre Dame of Maryland University, St. John’s College, Stevenson University, Washington Adventist University, and Washington College may request borrowing privileges at the Service Desk on M-level of the Eisenhower Library.

Email circmail@jhu.libanswers.com your academic ID and a screen capture of logging into your home institution's account for authentication.

Hopkins Retirees, Spouses, and Other Statuses -- Please contact circmail@jhu.libanswers.com.

Users from Baltimore Museum of Art, Space Telescope Science Institute, and Others -- Please contact circmail@jhu.libanswers.com.

Restricted Databases

The following databases require special login and cannot be accessed by most patrons.

Many databases can be accessed through Catalyst, provided that the patron access those databases through campus' network. If a patron has a JHED login but is having trouble accessing a database, you may refer them to the Research Consultation Office (6-4835).