Library Services for Alumni and External Patrons
The University of Canterbury Library welcomes applications for external membership.
Eligibility | Applications | Charges | Borrowing | Information Services | Photocopying | Remote Access | Licensed E-Resources | Interloans | The Academic Year
Eligibility
External membership is available for members of the general public who are not enrolled students or staff of the University of Canterbury and who do not qualify under the reciprocal agreements:
- Canterbury Tertiary Alliance (CTA) library
- University Library Aotearoa NZ (ULANZ) library
External membership will only be approved for those who are resident within the Canterbury region. See Boundary Map of Canterbury Region on the Statistics New Zealand web site.
Applicants will be required to provide proof of:
- a physical Canterbury address for a period of at least three months
- Photo ID such as Driver’s licence or passport
Transferable and Corporate Membership
Membership is personal and non-transferable. Corporate membership is not available.
Applications
Application forms
Application forms must be filled out at the Information Desk of the Central Library. Payment of your subscription and the cost of the Card production can be made at the Cashier’s desk (Level 4 of the ICTS building). Please note that payment can only be made by EFTPOS as there is no cash handling facility. The receipted form is then to be taken to the Card Co-ordinator at 114 Ilam Road (entrance is at the back of the building off the carpark). Both the Cashier’s office and that of the Card Co-ordinator are open from 8.30 am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.
After applying, when can I start using the services?
After you receive your card, it takes up to 24 hours for a record to be created on the Library's computer system. Then you can begin borrowing.
Charges
A minimum of 1 month and a maximum of 12 months subscription may be purchased. All charges are payable in advance, and no refunds will be given.
Full year, 12 months $200
1-6 months $20 per month
6 months $100
6-12 months $200
Alumni membership
Alumni of the University of Canterbury receive a 25% discount off the Library fee on production of an Alumni Membership card which is available from the Alumni Office.
Additional charge
There is an additional Registry charge of $10 for the production of a Visitor Card, required for borrowing from the Library.
External Borrower Loans
See: Borrowing and Fines
Library Services
Access to physical library locations has been restored following the earthquakes in Canterbury. Your membership will allow you to borrow from all open libraries. See Library hours.
AV facilities
You may use the AV facilities when they not booked by University of Canterbury staff or students. External borrowers may not place bookings. Copying from microforms will be carried out by Library staff.
Photocopying
You may use the photocopying facilities.
Please note that payment can not be made using your Visitor card.
You can purchase a casual photocopying card at the Copy Centre (Central Library), and add credit to at the Copy Centre and at the branch libraries. (Payment cannot be made on your Visitor card).
Remote (off-campus) access
You can access the Library catalogue freely on the Web.
Access to Licensed Electronic Resources and IT Accounts
External membership of the Library gives only physical borrowing rights.
There is no provision for IT services, or any login rights to services and databases that are only provided for fully enrolled students or staff of the University of Canterbury.
Interloan (Interlibrary Loan)
We regret that the Interloan service is not available to external
patrons. If you are a member of a public library, they will be able
to obtain books and articles for you on interlibrary loan.
The Academic Year
Please note that hours are reduced over the summer period.
High Demand periods
There are times in the year when library services and space are in very high demand. These are typically the last two weeks in June (preparation for mid-year exams), and October and the first two weeks of November (preparation for final exams). During these time external patrons need to be aware that priority services and seating will be given to University of Canterbury students.