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Book collections

Short Loan Section

  • Library materials in these collections can only be loaned out for a short period.
  • They can be used inside the library during the day, overnight or over the weekend.
  • If these materials are borrowed overnight or over the weekend, they must be returned an hour after the Library opens in the morning; otherwise, a hefty fee will be charged, and you may be blocked from using the overnight / over weekend service for an extended period.
  • Short loans consist of the eReserves, Reserved and the Prescribed Collection.
  1. eReserves and Reserved Collection
    • eReserves are the additional reading materials/items prescribed by a lecturer for specific modules, to gain a better understanding of a specific course. Check your tutorial guidelines, or contact your lecturer for information about where your assigned course readings are located.
    • eReserves can be accessed online or in person at the relevant campus library Reserved Collection.
  2. Prescribed Collection
    • Prescribed books are selected and approved, by the lecturers responsible for a course or module, as compulsory reading for students. This collection is usually situated next to the reserved collection and is made available in the same manner as reserved physical items.

Open Collection

  • Contains the bulk of the library's collections. Subject-specific material, both old and new, is available and may be borrowed by any NWU user. The period you can borrow these sources depends on your lending category.
  • Currently, the Mahikeng Library, Ferdinand Postma Library, Vanderbijlpark Library, Natural Natural Science Library and the Theology Library use the term Open collection. The Music and Education Branch Libraries use the term Loan collection.

Reference Collection

  • This collection consists of materials designed to be consulted for a quick reference rather than read from cover to cover. For this reason, they can't be borrowed and may only be used in the library. Examples include encyclopedias, calendars, dictionaries, pharmacopoeia, and indexes. Our eReference Works are available online.

Journal Collection

  • Journals are collections of articles published regularly, such as weekly, monthly, or quarterly. They are also known as periodicals, magazines, or serials. In addition to our physical collection, which must remain in the library, we provide access to online journals through our subscribed databases.