Patrons may borrow materials from our library's circulating collections. Faculty, students, and staff are eligible for the Michigan Tech HuskyCard. Community members and other patrons are eligible for our Courtesy Borrowing Card.
HuskyCard
Michigan Tech faculty, staff and students may use their HuskyCard to borrow materials from the library's circulating collections. This includes books, media, standards, maps, government publications, productivity tools, and course reserve items.
Courtesy Borrowing Card
Eligible community members may request a Courtesy Borrowing Card by providing current identification and a local address. To be eligible for a Courtesy Borrowing Card, an individual must be 18 years or older, and a summer or permanent resident of Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga or Ontonagon County. Visit the Library Service Center to obtain a card or for more details.
Circulation
Below are the loan and renewal periods for materials in the library's circulating collections.
The library also makes productivity tools available. These tools can be borrowed from the Library Service Center on a first-come, first-served basis.
| Faculty, Staff, Graduate Students, Honors Institute Members, and Undergraduates |
Loan Period* | Automatic Renewals |
|---|---|---|
| Main Collection | 15 weeks | 3 fifteen-week renewals |
| Leisure Collection | 5 weeks | 1 one-week renewal |
| Periodicals | Building Use Only (staff, and graduate students) 3 days (faculty) |
None |
| Reference Collection | 5 days | 1 five day renewal |
| Standards Collection | 5 days | None |
| Courtesy Card Holders | ||
| Main Collection | 5 weeks | 3 five-week renewals allowed |
| Leisure Collection | 5 weeks | 1 one-week renewal allowed |
| Periodicals | Building Use Only |
None |
*Loan periods may be impacted by recalls. See Requesting section for more information.
Requesting
Michigan Tech faculty, staff, and students may request Van Pelt and Opie library materials through their Library Account. There are two types of requests, holds and recalls.
- Holds are placed on items currently available in the library. Library staff retrieve the item and place it on the hold shelf at the Library Service Center. The patron is notified that the item will be held ten days for pickup.
- Recalls are placed on materials currently on loan to another patron. Recalls shorten the loan period to three weeks for items with a 15 week loan period and one week for items with a five week loan period
Curbside Pickup
Materials may be picked-up or returned via our curbside service. Appointments for a curbside pickup or delivery may be made by phone at 906-487-2508, or by email at library@mtu.edu.
Overdue Materials
- Borrowed items kept beyond their due date are considered overdue. The library will send regular overdue notices to the patron via email. Please see the library’s Borrowing Rules and Fees chart for details and timing of these notices. Unreturned overdue items will be declared lost. Patrons who fail to return overdue items will be charged the replacement cost of lost library materials.
- See the library's Lost/Damaged Materials/Resources Replacement Policy for details.