Borrow, Reserve + Renew
We provide friendly and accessible service to all our users, including undergraduate, graduate and extended learning students, faculty, staff, alumni and visitors.
Getting Started
You must have a current Emily Carr University OneCard or a Community Borrower card to borrow materials. If you haven’t used your OneCard in the library yet, activate it at the Service Desk.
Things to Know
Library Cards
Degree Students, Faculty + Staff
Your ECU OneCard is your library card.
Bring your OneCard to the Library Service Desk to activate your account. Library accounts expire on the last day of each semester.
Extended Learning Students
Continuing Studies and Teen Program students are eligible for a free Community Borrower card for the semester in which they are registered. Your ECU OneCard is your library card.
ECU Alumni
To receive your free alumni borrower card, bring a current photo ID and proof of address to the Library Service Desk.
Borrowers from other B.C. Post-Secondary Institutions
Credit students, staff and faculty from B.C. colleges and universities participating in the CPSLD reciprocal borrowing agreement are eligible for an ECU Community Borrower card. Check to see if your institution is listed here.
All items must be returned directly to the ECU Library.
Bring your current post-secondary ID card (proof of current registration or employment is required if not clearly stated on the card) and proof of current address to the ECU Library Service Desk to activate borrowing privileges.
General Public
| Borrower | Cost | Duration | ID Required |
| Community Borrowers | $30 | 12 months | Photo ID with current address |
| Indigenous Borrowers | Free | 12 months | Photo ID with current address or equivalent |
Members of the General Public can borrow books and other library materials with Community Borrowers card.
To sign-up for a Community Borrowers card please present photo ID and proof of current address at the Library Service Desk. Community Borrower cards will only be issued to individuals aged 16 and up.
Magazines and films are in-library use only. Access to the Artists’ Books collection and the Archives are by appointment only.
Research Help and access to library computers, scanners and printing are available, however, these services are provided primarily for enrolled students. Please be considerate of computer and scanner use, especially during busy times in the library. Members of the public may be asked to vacate computers and scanners for student use. Study Rooms are for enrolled student use only.
On-campus access to most library eResources is available by signing up for an Open Athens account at the service desk. We also have many Open Access databases which do not require a password.
Renewals, Holds + Course Reserves
Renew + Request Online
Most items can be renewed twice. See the “What can I borrow and for how long?” section below for details.
- Log in to your Library Account using your ECU email username. If this is your first time, use the last four digits of your phone number as your password.
- Go to Items Checked Out.
- Select the items you want to renew, click Renew Selected Titles, then Go.
You may not be able to renew if:
- Another patron has requested the item.
- You’ve already renewed it twice.
- Your account has expired, is about to expire or is blocked.
Contact us for other ways to renew or if you are having issues logging in to your account, or consult our Sign-in Issues help.
Course Reserves
Course Reserves are materials instructors set aside as required or suggested readings. These high-demand items have shorter loan periods to allow equal access to all students. Instructors may also place eBooks or streaming media on Reserve to centrally locate all library resources related to their specific course. The Course Reserves List can be sorted by course code or instructor name.
Course Reserve items have variable loan durations (2 hours, 1 day, 3 days, or 1 week) and cannot be renewed.
What can I borrow and for how long?
All borrowers can have up to 25 items out at a time.
Renewals for semester-long loans must be done by library staff via email. Semester-long loans are subject to be recalled by other patrons. Please check your email frequently for recall notices.
Undergrad Students + Essentials Certificate Students
| Item Type | Loan Period |
| Books, exhibition catalogues, graphic novels | Semester-long |
| DVDs, VHS, films, sound effects, games | 7 days |
Grad Students (includes low res), Faculty + Staff
| Item Type | Loan Period |
| Books, exhibition catalogues, graphic novels | Semester-long |
| DVDs, VHS, films, sound effects, games | 7 days |
Continuing Studies, Community Borrowers + Alumni
| Item Type | Loan Period |
| Books, exhibition catalogues, graphic novels | 3 weeks |
| Games | 7 days |
| DVDs, VHS, films, sound effects | Library use only |
Late + Replacement Fees
The library has eliminated most overdue fines on books and media. Please renew and return items responsibly.
The late fee for interlibrary loans is $1 per day.
Borrowers are charged the full replacement value for any items that are lost or damaged. Items which are overdue by 30 days will also automatically move to lost in our system and the patron account will be charged the replacement value.
If you have been assessed for a replacement fine we encourage you to contact us! We will take overdue books back and remove the fine. We can also assess the true cost of replacement which sometimes will be less than the automatically generated replacement cost.
If you have been assessed for fines or fees and would like more information or have questions or special circumstances, please contact Emma Somers.
Borrowing from Other Libraries
Looking for something we don’t have? As an ECU student, staff, or faculty member, you have access to resources from other libraries.
Borrowing from other Libraries for ECU Students, Faculty + Staff
ECU degree students, faculty and staff can borrow materials from other B.C. college and university libraries. Before visiting, contact the library to ask about registering as a reciprocal borrower and find out what documents you must bring. Please return all borrowed items directly to the library from which they came. Search other B.C. library book collections here.
Interlibrary Loans
Current students, faculty and staff can use our free Interlibrary Loans (ILL) service to request books, eBook chapters (licensing prevents lending of entire eBooks) and articles in journals (physical or electronic).
There are several ways to place an interlibrary loan request:
1. Use the General Search catalogue. Turn off the ‘Available in Library Collection’ filter to see articles that are outside the ECU collection and available through Interlibrary Loan. Place your request directly in the catalogue.
2. For articles not found in the General Search catalogue, or for eBook chapters and physical books, use this form. Select ‘Returnable’ for books and ‘Non-returnable’ for articles and eBook chapters.
3. Contact the ILL department at 604.844.3077 or ill@ecuad.ca. You will be notified by email when your request is ready.
Delivery times:
- Articles + eBook chapters: 3–5 business days. Delivered to your email as a download link.
- Books: Up to 10 business days, or longer if shipped from outside B.C. (Business days are Monday to Friday).
Loan times, renewing and returning:
Lending libraries set all loan periods for physical items, usually three weeks. The loan period will be shown on the item. Unfortunately, you cannot always renew ILL items. To request a renewal, contact the ILL department by phone or email, or visit the Library Service Desk. Please return all ILL materials to the Emily Carr Library, NOT to the lending library (i.e., where the book originally came from).