The Divinity Library staff and collections support the research and teaching needs of Duke Divinity School, Duke University, and the wider community. The sections below contain information for faculty about borrowing privileges, textbook adoptions, purchase requests, and more.

Divinity Faculty may access the library's electronic resources using their NetID and password, and may borrow from the print collection using their DukeCard.

The due date for books from the Divinity Library's main collection (as well as Duke University Libraries' main collections) is May 15, the end of the coming academic year. Books from special collections (such as New & Noteworthy) or from other libraries (such as interlibrary loan or Duke's Business, Law, or Med Center libraries), have their own lending schedule. 

Library books can be recalled by/from other patrons at any time. When a library book is recalled, the patron who has it checked out will receive an email notifying them they have 7 days to turn the book in. Please be mindful of this when planning extended travel or other absences from Duke!

Library books can be renewed on the My Accounts page. Books that have been recalled by another patron cannot be renewed.

Submitting Textbook Lists

Faculty can now input Textbook orders using eCampus:

  • Log in to fast.ecampus.com/school/duke 
  • Choose your course(s)
  • Add your textbooks by entering the ISBN and selecting "required" or "recommended"
  • Select Save to confirm
  • Select Preview, copy the link, and email your page to the Divinity Librarians: divlib@duke.edu

Divinity Reserves

Once you share your textbook lists, Divinity Librarians will place the library's copies of your required readings in our print and electronic reserve collections.

  • Print Reserves are available behind the circulation desk for 3-hour loan. Textbooks are organized by course instructor's surname.
  • Electronic Reserves can be accessed online here. 
    • NOTE: Whenever possible, the library purchases a license that allows for unlimited access to the book. However, some books only have licenses that allow 3 simultaneous users, or even 1 user. This information is usually noted in the catalog record. To keep limited-access books available to other users, library patrons should select the option to "Read Online" rather than Download the book.

Videos on Reserve

Over 10,000 videos are available at the Lilly library for classroom use. The video collections of NCSU, NCCU, and UNC-CH are also available but must be reserved well ahead of time. To reserve videos from Lilly or other libraries, fill out the Reserve Request Form on Lilly Library's website.

Scanning Requests

Faculty may bring books for scanning to the Divinity Library Circulation Desk and fill out our scanning request form. Faculty may also submit their scanning requests online using the Divinity Library's article request form. You may indicate whether you would like the scan to be emailed or added directly to your Canvas site (please include your course subject/number on the form). If you drop off a personal copy of a book for scanning, we will return it by placing it on the library's hold shelf under your surname.

IMPORTANT: Fair Use

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17 U.S. Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Fair Use is an exception that allows for the reproduction of a section of a copyrighted text for educational purposes. Generally, Fair Use allows for the reproduction of 10-15% of a copyrighted work. See this Checklist for fair use analysis for further information.

Print and Copy Requests

If you need a large file printed, or a resource copied for your teaching, you or your RA may upload the file using the online Copy/Print Request Form. Print and copy jobs will be available for pickup behind the Divinity Library's circulation desk.

Scanning and Digitizing in the Divinity Library

Free scanning, both to USB and for sending via e-mail is also available on the library’s KIC scanner, located in the Reading Room, or the Click Mini scanner, located near the Circulation Desk.

Faculty may request library privileges for research assistants or other academic collaborators who are not in the Duke system. This is a two-step process: (1) request a NetID, and (2) request library privileges. If the individual is going to be a long-term assistant or collaborator, please be aware that both pieces (the NetID and the library privileges) must be renewed every year.

Requesting a NetID: All Duke faculty, staff, and students are issued an identifier in the Duke system -- the NetID -- and Duke faculty can request a temporary NetID for the individual they are sponsoring. These requests can be made here: https://oit.duke.edu/service/sponsored-accounts/ You will need your assistant/collaborator's non-Duke email so that OIT can contact them to set up a password for their NetID.

Requesting Library Privileges: Once the NetID is set up, you can request that library privileges be added to it. This process begins here: https://library.duke.edu/using/sponsoring-library-access You will need basic contact information for the person you are sponsoring, including their Duke NetID and UniqueID, their email address, phone number, and local address. There are three kinds of library privileges you can request:

  • Electronic materials access (including eBooks, databases, etc.)
  • Print borrowing privileges (in order to check out physical books -- a cost code is required in the event the sponsored individual incurs fines due to lost, damaged, or late materials)
  • Interlibrary Loan privileges (for books from TRLN or other libraries -- a cost code is required which will be charged for every request, as well as for lost, damaged, or late materials)

More information about sponsored library accounts is available here: https://library.duke.edu/using/sponsoring-library-access

Duke students who work as research assistants and are designated as a faculty member's proxy may check out books and execute holds/recalls on behalf of faculty. 

  • Faculty members who wish a Research Assistant to serve as their proxy need to send an e-mail to divlib@duke.edu with the name of the student and the length of time the student will be serving as proxy.
  • When the RA approaches the desk with items for check out, library staff will double-check the student’s status as a designated proxy and then charge items to the faculty member’s account.
  • NOTE: RAs cannot place holds or recalls on behalf of a faculty member. The RA can place a hold or recall using the RA’s own NetID only. The RA can request Duke Library items in this way, but must tell the circulation staff that the book is actually not for him or herself, but for a faculty member. The desk staff will then check to confirm the proxy check out status, delete the RA’s name from the hold/recall, and check the book out to the faculty member. This can only be done with Duke Library books; faculty must plan to request interlibrary loans using their own account.

Faculty are welcome to suggest titles for inclusion in the collection. Simply e-mail your suggestion to divlib@duke.edu or alternately fill out this form. If an Item is needed immediately, please consider filling out an Interlibrary Loan request form as well.

The Interlibrary Requests department assists scholarly research by obtaining library materials available within and outside of the Duke Library system. ILR locates needed materials in other libraries, borrows books and microforms and obtains photocopied material on behalf of eligible Duke patrons. See the Interlibrary Requests page for more information and forms for submitting requests for books, articles, and other items.

The libraries of Duke University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill participate in a cooperative library lending agreement. Faculty members, currently enrolled students, administration officials, and members of the university staffs may obtain borrowing privileges from the participating libraries. See the TRLN website for more information.

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