Library Membership & Borrowing
All registered UNZA students and staff are automatically members of the library and may borrow materials using their valid UNZA ID card. External users and alumni may apply for associate membership at the circulation desk.
Loan Periods & Limits
| User Category | Loan Period | Maximum Items | Renewals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate students | 14 days | 4 books | 2 renewals |
| Postgraduate students | 28 days | 8 books | 3 renewals |
| Academic staff | 56 days | 12 books | 4 renewals |
| Short loan items | 2 hours | 2 items | Not renewable |
Renewals & Reservations
Renew eligible items online through the library catalogue or at the circulation desk, provided no other user has reserved the item. Place reservations on checked-out items; you will be notified when the item becomes available.
Fines & Lost Items
Overdue fines apply to late returns of loan items. Short loan materials incur higher fines due to high demand. Lost or damaged items must be replaced or paid for at current market value plus processing fees. Unpaid fines may result in borrowing privileges being suspended.
Inter-Library Loans
Materials not held at UNZA may be requested from other libraries in Zambia and abroad through our inter-library loan service. Submit requests at the circulation desk or via the online form. Processing times vary depending on the lending library.
Loans
Student/staff identity cards should be presented when taking out library books.
Books from the Main Collection (Open shelves) are available on an open access basis and may be borrowed. Once you have made your selection, take the material to the circulation desk with your identity card where it will be issued
Bonafide students and staff of the University of Zambia are eligible for borrowing privileges upon presentation of a valid University of Zambia ID card. Privileges include:
- 2-week loan period for undergraduates with a renewal limit of up to 2 times
- 3-month loan period for postgraduates, and academic staff with a renewal limit of up to 6 months
Books and other materials from the Reserve Collection (short Loan) may be requested in the Short Loans Section. Student or staff identity cards must be presented before material will be issued. This is a closed-access area. Materials in this section are reserved for undergraduates for a period of two and a half hours or overnight only. Overnight loans are possible from 17:00 hrs Monday to Friday and from 15:00 hrs Saturday and Sunday. All materials issued out for overnight must be returned by 10:00 hrs the next morning.
There are several platforms that offer crypto loans to students as well.
Security system
On leaving the Library building, borrowers must hand over all library materials to security staff at the check point. The security staff will then check that items are issued correctly or have been properly borrowed. It will now be safe to leave the library.
Returns
When returning library material before or on the due date, borrowers must wait for items to be cleared from the system. They will be informed of any outstanding fines. Fines must be settled before more items will be issued.
Renewals
Books and other library material may be renewed twice for undergraduate students or up to six months for postgraduate students and academic members of staff of the University of Zambia provided that no other reader has reserved the material. Any library material must be renewed before the loan period expires. Material to be renewed must be brought to the circulations desk.
Reservations
Items which are on loan to other borrowers may be reserved in advance by request at the circulations desk or on the Web Based Catalogue at Library Catalogue. The prospective borrowers will be notified as soon as the item is returned to the library. Items which are not collected within three days of the date the borrower was notified will be returned to the open shelf.
Fines
If borrowed items are not returned within the loan period, readers will be fined K 2.00 per item per day for the first 14 days or for the first three months for materials from the open shelf and K2.00 per item per hour for material from the short loan section.
Overdue notices
Overdue notices are sent daily by mail or by email. Please supply the library with your email address to avoid printing charges of K5.00 per overdue notice. After a third and final reminder, the replacement costs of the item may be claimed from the borrower when a bill will be sent to the borrower.
Lost materials
Borrowers are responsible for the loss or damage of library materials issued to them. A lost item will cost the replacement value of the item or a minimum of K200.00 or it can be replaced by an identical copy.
Penalties
Anyone found attempting to remove library material not issued to them will be subjected to strict disciplinary action which may include: suspension of library membership, withholding of examination results, and the imposing of a fine at the current market value of the item or any other appropriate action including suspension or dismissal from the University of Zambia.