Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Registered U of G students, faculty, and staff can access library resources via Omni (and other databases) from anywhere at any time. Sign in to get full access.

• Community borrowers cannot login to Omni due to licensing restrictions imposed by online publishers
• Alumni have online access to a subset of our electronic resources
• Registered distance education students, see Distance Education
• For users affiliated with the university, please see Sponsored Users and the Service Summary Table; please note the sponsoring department or unit on campus is responsible for requesting sponsored accounts - this is not done by the Library

• Service dogs are welcome in the library
• Pets are not permitted

• Not at this time. See our Building Use policy

Yes, you can. You may bring your laptop to attend your online courses. You can also find library computers in the basement and on the second floor.

In accordance with the University’s copyright guidelines, current U of G students, faculty, and staff may request that a portion of a physical item in our collection be digitized. Search in Omni to get started.

Yes. Current U of G students, staff and faculty can request physical items from Omni partner libraries. 

• Request items through Omni.
• Select your pickup location. You can choose pickup locations at other Omni partner libraries as well.
• You will receive an email notification when the item is ready. (Note: the email comes from the library you requested the item from).

• Most seating is available on a first come, first served basis.
• U of G students, faculty, and staff can book study rooms.
• Graduate students can book one of 15 closed study offices for up to four hours each day. 

Masks are not required in the library. Many of our community members will still choose to wear a mask while in our facilities. As a community, let’s support one another’s decisions and remember that each person’s situation is unique.

• Yes, the lost and found is located on the first floor by the emergency exit near Starbucks.

Library fines can be paid in-person using debit, Visa or Mastercard or over the phone using Visa or Mastercard. Contact us.

Follow the steps here to configure Google Scholar to work with U of G library resources.

• Students, faculty and staff can connect to the Wi-Fi through a laptop or tablet with an 802.11 a/g/n/ac compatible wireless network card (most newer laptops come with this capability built-in) and a University of Guelph central login account.
• Still stuck? Learn more about how you can access the wireless network or visit the IT Help Desk in the library

Alumni may request electronic access to some U of G e-resources. Community borrowers and Alumni can explore our Open Access resources.

To borrow our print collection, please drop by the Ask Us Desk and inquire about an alumni borrower card. Once you get your card, you can request U of G items through Omni.

• Students: Learn how to access course reserve materials via ARES
• Instructors: Learn how to use ARES to place materials on reserve for your course

You may print, scan, or photocopy. Please load money onto your printing account online via Papercut. We do not accept cash onsite.

• Printers/Photocopiers can be found on the first floor, near the public computers
• Find instructions on using the printers including how to load money onto your account

• Contact us via phone, email, or chat about any issue related to the library.
• Approach our staff in person at the Ask Us Desk.

Search the library collection in Omni.

• Once you have found the item you'd like to request, sign in and then click "Request."
• Under "Pickup Location" select the location you would like to pick up the book. The main campus library in Guelph is "McLaughlin Library."
• You will receive an email with more information once your item(s) is ready.
• For McLaughlin Library pickups, your item(s) will be available under your last name on the shelves behind the Ask Us Desk in the library.

Most users can borrow:

• Books for 120 days
• DVDs for 14 days

See Borrowing Policy for more information.

Requests for items from one of the other libraries in the Omni consortium take approximately 3-5 business days to arrive. You will be notified by email when it's available for pickup. Requests for items outside the Omni consortium may take longer, depending on the lending library.

Most users can borrow up to 500 items, including 2 DVDs at a time.

See our Borrowing Policy for more information.

Your question might be answered in one of our topic-specific FAQs:

• E-book FAQ
• Copyright FAQ
• Qualtrics (Survey Tool) FAQ
• Researcher Identifiers (ORCID) FAQ

Still can't find what you're looking for? Contact us.

Yes, food and drink are both permitted in the library.

The library is open to everyone, including visitors and community members. Library hours.

If you are a new student and have not been issued your U of G ID card, you may not yet have been entered into our library system. Library staff will need to create a temporary library account for you before you can get your books. Please contact us at library@uoguelph.ca

• Staplers can be found on the first floor, next to the printers

There is a book return inside the main entrance. Books can also be returned 24/7 behind the library by the loading dock (around the back of the library, near the Summerlee Science Complex).

Books can also be returned to any Omni partner library.

Please contact us at library@uoguelph.ca