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Loans and borrowing: Postal Loans

The Loans service remains a primary Library service, with over a million items you can borrow.

Postal loans

If you are away from campus, we can send you books via our postal loans service. There is no charge for the service (the cost of posting items to you will be met by the Library). 

We can post items with any loan period within the UK, and long loan items to international addresses.

How do I request a postal loan?

  • Login to WebCat with your University ID & password and check on the availability of what you need.
  • Select: Requests & Document Supply
  • Select Request something from our collections
  • Enter the details of the item(s) required
  • Supply us with your address (use Comments field)
  • Submit your request

We aim to dispatch postal loans / requests within two working days of receiving your request. 

Postal services in some areas of the UK are being severely impacted by COVID-19, and users could experience delays in the receipt of items.  If your request is urgent, please specify the latest date you need the books when you make your request.

Please email libenqs@soton.ac.uk if you have any questions.

How long can I keep an item?

Long loan items and one week loan items can be borrowed until they are requested by another user or recalled by the library. Login to your library account to see when books need to be returned.

How do I return an item?

If you are a UK-based member of the University of Southampton you can use our tracked postal return service to return library books. This is funded by the University and you will not have anything to pay. 

This service is also open to UK-based students, academics and postgraduate researchers who have left the University. The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are not covered by this service.

Please click the Collect+ link and enter your email address. This will generate a postal returns label for you to print. Please securely wrap your book(s), attach the returns label and take the parcel to one of the 7,500 drop-off locations. 

Please keep your proof of posting receipt until Collect+ have acknowledged receipt of your items. There is no limit to the number of books you can send in one parcel.