Who Can Borrow?

Students, staff, and professors with an active affiliation with the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul can borrow items from the library.

Required Document: UFRGS Card

Haven't obtained yours yet or lost it? Learn more about the UFRGS card here.

Library access is open to the public, with limitations only if there are access restrictions on specific items.

 

Types of Loans

Loans, according to the Regulation of Collection Circulation in the UFRGS Library System and the Regulation of Circulation of BIBIPH, are as follows:

 

Home Loan

The item can be borrowed for the following periods:

  • 7 days (undergraduate students and technical staff)
  • 15 days (graduate students and professors)

In case of late return, a fine of R$1.20 per day and per overdue item will be charged.

 

On-Site Consultation

The item is loaned for up to 3 (three) hours, with no possibility of renewal, primarily applicable to periodicals (scientific journals) and dictionaries.

In case of late return, a fine of R$1.20 per hour and per overdue item will be charged.

 

Library Consultation and With Authorization

Items such as maps or technical reports, which, due to their dimensions, uniqueness, or content-related restrictions, need to be consulted within the library space.

 

Returns

Items from home loans can be returned in three (3) ways:

  • At the service counter, for immediate return registration;
  • Via the return box;
  • By mail.

Please note that, according to the Regulation of Collection Circulation of the UFRGS Libraries, materials must be returned to the library from which they were borrowed.

For other types of loans, returns must be made at the service counter.

 

Return Box

Returning via the return box has specific characteristics:

  • The box is checked at the beginning of each morning;
  • Items are considered returned on the previous business day;
  • Fines for the overnight period are waived, but not previous fines.

Examples:

Case 1: A user has an item with a due date of the 3rd. They leave the item in the box after 5 pm on the 3rd. The library team opens the box on the morning of the 4th and registers the return of the material, which will incur a fine of R$1.20 since the return was recorded on the 4th. In this case, the fine for the overnight period from the 3rd to the 4th will be waived.

Case 2: A user has an item with a due date of the 1st. They leave the item in the box after 5 pm on the 3rd. The library team opens the box on the morning of the 4th and registers the return of the material, which will incur a fine of R$4.80 since the return was recorded on the 4th. In this case, since we always consider the return on the previous day, the debt of R$1.20 for the overnight period between the 3rd and 4th will be waived, and the fine for the delay on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd will be maintained.

In this return modality, the receipt is issued later during the system registration.

Attention

The return in the box occurs when items are placed inside the box. Items left on the box are NOT considered returned.

 

By Mail

Need to return the material but are not in the city? One way to avoid fines is to return it by mail. There are specific mailing options for books with reduced costs. The addressing for BIBIPH will be as follows:

Instituto de Pesquisas Hidráulicas/UFRGS – Campus do Vale

A/C BIBIPH
Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500
Porto Alegre/RS – Brasil

CEP 91509-900

The return date is considered the date on the postal service stamp.

In this return modality, the receipt is issued later during the system registration.

 

Renewal

Renewal can be done for items borrowed in the home loan category and without reservations, by users with no outstanding issues (other overdue items, fines, or registration problems).

Renewal can be done through SABi , UFRGS Mobile (available for Android and iOS), and at the counter (in person or by phone).

 

Reservations

When an item has a return date in SABi, it indicates that the material is borrowed until that date. Therefore, the material can be reserved.

When the reserved item is returned, an email will be sent notifying that the item can be picked up.

The material remains reserved for 2 (two) business days; after that, the reservation is canceled, and the item becomes available for the next person in the reservation queue.