General rules and guidelines concerning the astronomy reference library
Please note that the astronomy reference library is not a part of the Uppsala University library database system. You cannot use your university library card or search for our astronomy books through the main university search engine. To borrow you have to go through the astronomy department library system.
Also note the separate information and rules which apply for employees and for undergrad students of the department respectively.
Invited, visiting researchers, please follow the rules
for employees, and please do not forget to return all books to the shelves at
the end of your stay.
How to borrow books from the reference library
- To borrow books from the reference library you must first have registered with the librarian. To do this, contact the librarian and fill in the form you will be given. You are not allowed to borrow anything from the library without being registered first.
-
Every time you borrow a book you must place a lending slip in its
place. The lending slip you put in the bookshelf must contain at least:
- Name and author of the book
- Your name
- Date of borrowing (including year)
- Once the lending slip is in place you must now inform the librarian that you borrowed the book so your loan can be registered in the library borrowing database. Do this either by talking to the librarian directly or by placing a copy of the lending slip on the librarian's desk.
How to return your borrowed books
- Place your returned book back in the book shelf where you took it and retrieve the lending slip.
- Go hand the librarian the slip so the book can be marked as "returned" in the database (and so that you won't receive and reminders later). If the librarian is not present, put book + slip on the librarian's desk to make clear it has been returned.
Books that may not be borrowed
- Books marked with red "Not for borrowing" stickers. (The actual text on the tag may vary but the meaning is the same for all red markings)
- Loose issues of journals
- Newly arrived books, i.e. books on the shelf marked NEW
- Publications under the signum HAND (Handbooks)
Employees (astro,space,IRF) and invited researchers
- To borrow you must be registered with the librarian.
- There is no time limit on book loans, but please return the book when you are not using it anymore rather than letting it sit on your shelf indefinately.
- Be careful to remember to borrow books "properly". Just bringing it over to your office for a "quick look" is the best way to loose books permanently from the library. This is especially critical for Space physicists who are not sitting in the same corridor.
- Note that department policy is that books you order for your work -- also with your own grant money -- is always formally a part of our joint reference library. This means you must hand then in to the librarian for registration. You will then formally borrow them from the library for your use.
Master thesis students
- Master thesis students may borrow from the entire library with the same rules as researchers, except there being a time limit to loans, set to the approximate length of the project.
Other Undergrad students
- Undergraduate students who are not doing their master thesis at the department are primarily only allowed to borrow books from the shelf with books marked STUD. Books from other signums may only be read within the library.
- Exceptions can be made for bigger project works and similar, ask your teacher to talk to the librarian in that case.
Other visitors
- As mentioned the astronomy reference library is primarily a research library and is not part of the University library system. However, if there is nevertheless a particular book you can't find elsewhere and want to borrow, contact the librarian directly.
(Page last updated ).

