About the Library

Borrowing

Current NAIT students and staff automatically receive borrowing privileges; your NAIT ID card is your library card.    

Alumni, retired staff, TAL cardholders from other libraries, and visitors should read Library Services for Alumni, Retired Staff, Visitors, & TAL Cardholders for more details about borrowing, library cards, and other services.


Library Notifications - E-mail

NAIT Library sends e-mail notifications to borrowers via e-mail.  All notifications from NAIT Library are a courtesy only and non-receipt of an e-mail notification is not a valid reason to waive fines. You are responsible for  returning or renewing loans on time regardless of receipt of e-mail notifications. To avoid fines and fees check My Account & Renew Books regularly.

Your NAIT e-mail will be used to send you notices about the following:
Cancellation Sent when your hold request has expired or been cancelled without having been fulfilled.
Item Available Sent when material that you have placed on Hold is available for pick up.
Overdue Sent when material is overdue.
Overdue Recall Sent if a Hold has been placed on material that has not been returned by the due date.  If this material is not returned within 48 hours, you will be charged $15.00 in addition to regular overdue fines.
Reminder Sent 2 days before material is due.

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NAIT ID Cards for Staff and Students

Staff can obtain a replacement or new Staff ID Card at the Human Resources Office - PE Building, 2nd Floor HR Reception. The HR Office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. If you have any questions you may contact HR Reception at 780.471.7466 or hrs@nait.ca.

Student ID Cards are available from the following locations:
• Academic Success Center: W111PB (HP Building) from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday
• Library: U310
• Souch Campus: Main Office
• Patricia Campus: Cafeteria (This ID station is only open during student intakes)

Students must provide their ID number and photo identification (e.g. Driver’s License, Passport or Canadian Citizenship Card, or another government issued document with their photo and name). ID cards for students can only be created 24 hours after their tuition has been paid.

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Borrower Responsibility

You are responsible for the care and return of any material borrowed from or used in the Library. You are responsible for the return of any material borrowed on your card and for any charges incurred.

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Loan Periods & Borrowing Privileges

Students
Maximum number of items: 20

Item Type Loan Period Renewals
Books 3 weeks 2
Periodicals 1 week 1
Automotive Manuals 3 weeks 1
ARCs, GSCs & Maps 1 week 1
Standards Library use only n/a
Audiovisual Media Library use only n/a

Distance Students
Maximum number of items: 20

Item Type Loan Period Renewals
Books 4 weeks* 2*
Periodicals We will send a copy of a specific article n/a

*Students enrolled in distance courses will have a loan period of 4 weeks, including shipping time, with  two renewals for 3 weeks if no holds placed.  One week grace period for return shipping will be added.

Staff

Item Type Loan Period Renewals
Books 4 weeks but flexible 2
Periodicals 1 week 1
Automotive Manuals 3 weeks 1
ARCs, GSCs & Maps 1 week 1
Standards 3 days None
Audiovisual Media 2 weeks but flexible n/a
Equipment Flexible up to 2 weeks* - an overdue charge of $15 per day applies n/a

A $15 fee is charged for an overdue item not returned within 48 hours after notification that another person has put the item on hold.

*All bookings for equipment are subject to availability. We urge you to make bookings as far in advance as possible to ensure availability for dates needed. Bookings can be made:

If you have questions please contact us in person at the Audiovisual desk, by phone at 780.471.8788 or via email at liblending@nait.ca

Alumni 
The Library invites all NAIT graduates to borrow materials.  Alumni Library  Cards can be purchased for a $10 non-refundable annual fee (cash only) with proof of alumni status at the Library Lending Service desk.  Your card will be valid for one year from the date of issue and subsequent cards can be renewed directly at the Lending Services desk. 

To provide proof of alumni status, Alumni Connection members can print off their My Profile page and provide that to the Library. Non-Alumni Connection members can obtain proof of alumni status by sending an email to alumni@nait.ca with their name, program and grad year asking for verification that they graduated from NAIT. Alumni status verifications will be sent to the Library within one business day.

 Your Alumni Library Card provides the following borrowing privileges:

Maximum number of items = 5

Item Type Loan Period Renewals
Books 3 weeks 2
Periodicals 1 week 1
Automotive Manuals 3 weeks 1
ARCs, GSCs, Maps Library use only n/a
Standards Library use only n/a
Audiovisual Media Library use only n/a

Please note that alumni library card holders cannot access online resources from off campus, nor can they access any resources whose licenses restrict use to current NAIT students and staff only.

TAL Borrowers from Other Libraries

Maximum number of items = 5

Item Type Loan Period Renewals
Books 3 weeks 0

TAL borrowers coming to NAIT's Library from other libraries should be aware that we restrict access to some of our material. We DO NOT loan the following to TAL borrowers:

  • All materials designated as Archival, Special Collections, Maps, Reference, Course Reserves, and Periodicals
  • Historical (specifically designated titles)

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Fines & Suspension of Privileges

Books/Magazines/Pamphlets $1/day
Automotive Manuals $1/day
Daily course reserves $1/day
Hourly course reserves $1/hour
Any overdue items not returned in 48 hours if you have been notified that an Overdue Hold has been placed by another client $15 plus accrued fines

Suspension of Privileges
With the exception of NAIT staff, privileges are suspended if you have fines of $20 or more. Privileges can be restored by paying down the fines to an amount less than $20 or by paying the entire amount.

If an item of yours is overdue and someone else places a Hold on it, you will be notified to return the item. If the item is not received within 7 days, we will apply a $15 late hold charge to your record. This charge must be paid before any further requests for material will be filled.

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Get a TAL (The Alberta Library) Card

You can request a TAL card from the Library. If you are a current NAIT student or staff member and a member in good standing of the NAIT Library, you will receive an Alberta Library Card that you can use to borrow materials at any participating library.

How Do I Use It?

  • When you wish to borrow materials, present The Alberta Library Card, along with appropriate identification, at the lending library.
  • You will be registered as a borrower at that library and a barcode will be placed on your TAL card.
  • You will not be charged a fee when borrowing books from participating libraries.

What Are the Rules and Terms of Use?

  • In general, you may borrow a maximum of five items from each library. Renewals are not usually allowed.
  • The first time you visit any of the participating libraries, ask what their loan policies and TAL use restrictions are.
  • You are responsible for the care and return of material and for any fines incurred.
  • Returning material is easy: take your books to any participating library that will then return them to the owning library.
  • Report a lost or stolen TAL card or a change of address to all libraries at which you are registered.

TIP: If you do not wish to go to another library in person and if you are able to wait a bit for the material, consider having us do the work for you through our interlibrary loan service.

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Place a Hold on a Book

Students and staff can place a hold on any item currently out on loan. In other words, if someone has already checked out the item you are looking for and you would like to have it next, you may place a hold on that item. Holds can be placed in two ways:

  • In person at the McNally Library Lending Services Desk
  • Through the library website:
    • Use the search box on the library website to find items you want.
    • If the status is Available, you cannot place a hold.
    • If the status is “Checked out”, click Request, then click Hold. You will receive an e-mail notification when your Hold is available.
  • If the item has other HOLDS, yours will be added to the bottom of the queue and filled when your turn comes.
  • When you are called, you will have 5 days to pick up the item; after that, it will go either to the next person waiting or back into the Library collection.

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Renew a Loan

Books can be renewed twice unless someone else has placed a HOLD on the item you want to renew. Renewals can be requested:

  • In person
  • By phone (McNally Library has a special Renewal Line at 780.471.8436) 
  • Through the library website:
    • Click the "My Account & Renew Books" link below the search box
    • Enter your student portal username & password, if prompted
    • Click the My Account link at the top right of the page
    • Click on the renewal boxes beside the titles you would like to keep longer

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Return a Book

On Main Campus, return to any of the following BOOK RETURN locations:

  • Adjacent to the front (east) door to the Learning Resources Centre building (accessible 24 hours)
  • Adjacent to the ramp in the Learning Resources Centre building
  • South Lobby (across from the Information Office)
  • In the South Learning Centre (adjacent to Chai’s)
  • 2nd floor of the Business Centre (adjacent to the elevators)
  • Engineering Annex (adjacent to the Dock)
  • HP Centre (adjacent to entrance of NAITSA Computer Commons W203)

On Patricia and Souch campuses, return materials to the Administrative Support person.

 

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Contact Information


McNally Library Lending Services Desk
Room U310 (3rd floor Learning Resources Centre)
Call: 780.471.8777  
Toll-free: 877.222.1722  
liblending@nait.ca

 

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