CURBA Cards

The Canadian Universities' Reciprocal Borrowing Agreement (CURBA) is an agreement that allows all Canadian university students, faculty and staff to borrow from another university library.

Canadian university libraries participate in CURBA on a regional basis. Each library belongs to a regional group - or consortium - of university libraries. Each of these regional consortia issues a CURBA-recognized borrower's card.

Dalhousie graduate students, faculty and staff

Graduate students, faculty and staff with a valid CAUL card are entitled to borrowing privileges at all participating libraries.

Dalhousie undergraduate students

Undergraduate students with a valid CAUL card are entitled to borrowing privileges at participating libraries with the following exceptions:

• University of Toronto
• Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD)
• Quebec university libraries

CURBA at other libraries

Borrowing privileges and loan periods vary from region to region. It depends on the library. For more information, ask the library you want to borrow from.

• The lending library's policies and regulations related to loans, renewal, recall procedures, and fines will apply to all loans.
  
• Lost or damaged materials should be reported to the owning institution.
  
• Students, faculty and staff are responsible for paying any fines, lost book charges or processing charges incurred.

CURBA services at Dalhousie

If you are coming to Dalhousie from another Canadian university to do research, check with your home library prior to coming to obtain your CURBA-recognized borrower's card.

• General Loan period - 3 weeks
• Videos/DVDs - 3 days
• In-person borrowing available at all Novanet libraries with the exception of the Nova Scotia Community College libraries
• Renewals are available on materials that have not been requested by other users (3 renewal limit at Killam and Sexton libraries; 2 renewal limit at Kellogg and Law libraries)
• Holds may be placed on Dalhousie Library material that is signed out.
  Searches may be requested for materials that show as "in library" but are missing from the shelves.
• In-person use of electronic resources via express stations
• Reserve materials not available for loan
• Recall services not available
• All materials borrowed must be returned by borrower to a Novanet library
• Document Delivery (Fees are charged on items requested from outside the Novanet libraries.)
   

Participating library consortia

CAUL/CBUA: Council of Atlantic University Libraries/Conseil des Bibliothèques Universitaires de l'Atlantique (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador) - an CAUL (Council of Atlantic University Libraries) card with an expiry date.

CREPUQ: Conférence des recteurs et des principaux des universités du Québec (Québec) - a CREPUQ Carte de Présentation/Introductory Card with an expiry date.

OCUL: Ontario Council of University Libraries (Ontario) - a valid library card from a member institution or an IUBP (Inter-University Borrowing Project) card.

COPPUL: Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) - a COPPUL card (grey for graduate students, faculty and staff; yellow for undergraduates) with an expiry date.

For more information please visit Canadian University Reciprocal Borrowing Agreement.

Dunn Library Contact: Anne-Marie White
Kellogg Library Contact: Jan Pelley
Killam Library Contact: Helen Wojcik
MacRae Library Contact: Jolene Reid
Sexton Library Contact: Amanda Sparks