Borrowing, Renewal of Due Dates and Fines

Borrowing

You can borrow books located in the open stacks and reading rooms of the library. Newspapers and journals can be used only in the library. Call numbers of the books you need can be found in the e-catalogue ESTER.
You can borrow books if you are registered as a patron in the University of Tartu library by using an ID card or patron card. To borrow a book please visit our service points on the 2nd and the 3rd floor or use our self-service machines.
If you want to place a hold on a book that has already been borrowed, request it via ESTER or ask for help from a librarian.
CD-s can be borrowed at the Music Department for 14 days, music books and printed music for 30 days.
Borrowing of library materials is regulated by the guide “Library Materials User Guide”.

When the book you have requested is returned, you will get a message via e-mail. You can pick up the requested book from the Smart Locker in the lobby of the library. Books will be held in the Smart Locker for 3 working days.

Book return

Books can be returned to the service points or 24/7 to the book return machine on the right side of the library main entrance.

How to find...

...a book

Search for books in the e-catalogue ESTER.
See how to use ESTER from here.
Search for earlier books in the digitised loose-leaf catalogues.
E-books can be searched for in databases. Databases are accessible only to the members of the University of Tartu.
See "How to Find a Book from Open Shelves".

...an article

Estonian articles can be found in the database ISE. After the title of the article, you can see the title of the publication where the article was issued. As a rule, the full text of the article is not available in this database, but it provides a link to the publication in ESTER, where you can find the libraries which hold this publication and their call numbers.
Articles published since 2017 can be searched for in the database DIGAR. Only a selection of Estonian articles is now added to the ISE database.
Articles published in foreign journals can be found among e-journals and databases open to the library, and among print journals subscribed for by the library.

...dissertations or student papers

To find dissertations, in ESTER, open – the entire collection, then – the section THESES, DISSERTATIONS.
All dissertations defended at the University of Tartu since 2004 are accessible in the UT digital archives. Digitisation of older theses is in progress.
Recent theses are also accessible in the UT digital archives under the respective structural unit.

...course lists

The link in the upper menu of the opening page of ESTER takes you to course lists. You can search by the name of the lecturer, the title or the code of the course.

Renewal of due dates

You can renew due dates:

yourself in the e-catalogue My ESTER
via e-mail: laenutus@ut.ee
in every service desk at the library
by phone: 737 5770, 737 5702, 737 5773

The due date can be renewed no more than 10 times.

Due dates are not renewed, and new items are not lent:

if the due date has been exceeded by more than 30 days,
if another user has reserved the item,
if the borrower already has a debt of unpaid fine of €2 or more.

Fines

Starting from the fine of €2, the library information system blocks the user's borrowing and renewing privileges. Please pay your fine as soon as possible.

According to clause 38 of the University of Tartu Library Rules, the University of Tartu has the right to turn to the collection firm for the collection of unpaid fines.

Fines and delays:

€0.10 for an item per day.

Fines can be paid:

by bank card in all service points of the library;
by transfer to the bank account no. EE241010002019753006.

To make sure that information about the transfer will reach the library, fill in the following information:

receiver of the transfer: Tartu Ülikool;
explanation: VIIVIS, name of the payer, number of the library card or your identity code.

Payment can be seen in the library information system at the end of the next work day after the payment. Such time lag depends on the inter-bank transactions.