Borrow
You can borrow physical or digital items from our collection and beyond. Find items to borrow using our search tools.
COVID-19: Access to library shelves is limited. We recommend requesting a hold or contacting us to get items.
Borrowing from the library
Your Cougar Card is your library card. All UH students, faculty, and staff can borrow from the library, free of charge.
- Renew your checkouts
- Request a hold
- Request a patron account (for employees)
- Course reserves
Borrow beyond our collection
If we do not have an item, get it from another library using interlibrary loan (ILL).
- Document delivery (book scans and articles)
- Request a purchase
Borrowing policies
Lending periods and item limits on physical checkouts depend on your status.
| Lending period* | Item limit | Media item limit | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduates | 6 weeks | 99 items | 5 media items |
| Graduate students | 15 weeks | 250 items | 10 media items |
| Faculty | Unlimited‡ | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Staff | 6 weeks | 99 items | 10 media items |
| Alumni | 6 weeks | 30 items | 5 media items |
*Items from UHCL/UHD/UHV, reserves, media, and others may have different lending periods ‡Faculty checkouts are due on April 15 but renew automatically
Log-in to your library account to see items you’ve borrowed and their due dates.
If you returned an item and it still appears on your account, you can claim the returned item.