Frequently Asked Questions

NUK membership allows you to borrow and take material to the library's reading rooms and home, access e-books, arrange inter-library loans, reproduce library materials, access specific information services, and use the desks in the Main Reading Room, the Newspaper Reading Room, and the special library collections reading rooms.

All citizens of the Republic of Slovenia and foreign nationals over 15 years of age with permanent or temporary residence in the Republic of Slovenia, employed here or enrolled at an institution of higher education based in Slovenia, can join the library.

People who want to become library members are required to present a valid identity document with a photograph and place of residence. Those without permanent residence in Slovenia are required to present a certificate of temporary residence, employment, or study in the Republic of Slovenia.

Library members can be legal entities such as independent libraries or other institutions and organizations hosting a library, institutions and organizations performing public services in the field of librarianship, and other legal entities that require library materials for educational, research, and cultural purposes. They are only allowed to use the services of interlibrary loan and transmission of document.

Upon joining the library and renewing memberships, users pay the NUK membership fee based on the NUK price list. NUK membership is free for users under the age of 18, the unemployed, people living in difficult social situations, students of the University of Ljubljana, members of the Slovenian Library Association and honorary members.

Membership for natural persons typically lasts for one year (12 months) from the day of registration. Users can also join the library for a period of three (3) months.

For students of the University of Ljubljana, membership lasts until the end of the school year on 31 October.

For the unemployed and people living in difficult social situations, membership lasts for six (6) months from the day of registration.

Upon joining the library you will receive an electronic NUK membership card, which costs €3,50. The NUK membership card is not transferable. The Urbana card valid in some public libraries cannot be used as a membership card.

A one-day membership is available for the use of the reading rooms and using borrowed materials there. The fees are based on the NUK price list.

A one-day membership can only be extended for three months or one year, or for six months for unemployed persons with evidence from the Employment Service of Slovenia.

Only library members aged 18 and older with permanent residence in the Republic of Slovenia and 4th-year secondary school students can borrow material for home use. Library members without permanent residence in the Republic of Slovenia can only borrow material for home use with the guarantee of an adult person with permanent residence in the Republic of Slovenia; a written guarantee must be signed by the guarantor.

Library material is kept in storage areas and in the library’s special collection rooms. Information on the accessibility of material for home loan is available in the KatNUK electronic catalogue where the material for home loan is marked in green. If the accessibility information reads “in preparation” or “for info contact library,” ask the librarian at the Registration and Circulation Desk (ground floor left, Room 4) or call us at (01) 2001 143.

You cannot borrow archival publications from the fundamental national collection (Slovenica), material kept in the Main Reading Room and Newspaper Room, reference material, manuscripts, rare and valuable materials, newspapers, materials of unusual size, as well as ephemera and grey literature for home use.

For home borrowing, library materials must be ordered in the computer catalogue - KatNUK (COBISS+). At the bottom of the materials information page, in the Reservation tab, select the "Circulation Desk" pickup location and click on the "reserve" button to start the ordering process. Log in with your membership card number and password and complete your order. You can also order materials from the Stock tab by clicking on the "reserve" button, selecting the "Circulation Desk" pickup location and logging in.

If you wish to cancel your order, you can email izposoja@nuk.uni-lj.si or call us on (01) 2001 205.

You can reserve material that is not restricted or prohibited for borrowing, but is currently on loan to another user. Reservations can be made via the COBISS+/My Library online service, in person or by telephone. When the material is available for lending, the library will notify you in the way you have chosen via COBISS+/My Library, i.e. by email or telephone.

If you wish to cancel your reservation, you can email izposoja@nuk.uni-lj.si or call us on (01) 2001 205.

If you cannot find desired material in the NUK library collection, you can order it from other or foreign libraries via the Interlibrary Loan service. This is a paid service based on the NUK price list.

Your password for ordering, placing reservations, and renewing a loan period is set up when you register in the library. You can change it later by yourself via the COBISS – My library web service.

When the material is available for collection, we will send you a notification to the email address you provided when you signed up for the library.

You will receive the materials from the warehouses at 1 Turjaška Street (prefixed with b, GS, U or UK) within 30 minutes of placing your order.
 
The delivery time for materials from the dislocated warehouse (signed DS, MDS or UDS) is given in the section Delivery of materials.

As a rule, ordered or reserved items will stay on the hold shelf for up to 7 working days after an order is submitted or a notice is sent that the items are available. After this period, the items will be returned to storage or lent to another user. If you fail to collect ordered items, you will be charged the fine for unclaimed items. You can cancel an order at izposoja@nuk.uni-lj.si or call (01) 2001 143.

The NUK membership card is not transferable, meaning you can only order and collect items in person. In case of clear grounds (illness, for example), another person may borrow items on your behalf with your authorisation (print out a form or send information about the authorized person to izposoja@nuk.uni-lj.si).

You can borrow a maximum of 15 items at one time. If you need to borrow more items, please send a request to izposoja@nuk.uni-lj.si.

The loan period is 30 days. If the item has not been reserved by another user you can renew the loan for up to three times. After 120 days it must be returned for inspection. You can borrow it again immediately if it has not been reserved.

Borrowed material can be renewed online at COBISS – My Library, by e-mail at izposoja@nuk.uni-lj.si, by telephone at (01) 2001 143, or in person at the Registration and Circulation Desk (ground floor left, Room 4).

Material borrowed for home loan can be returned to the library in person or by registered post. Another person can return the items on your behalf.

If you have not renewed your loan period on time, you will be charged an overdue fine per item per day based on the NUK price list.

If you have lost or damaged library materials whilst on loan to you, you can provide an exact replacement of the same item and pay for the cost of processing based on the NUK price list. If the item cannot be replaced, you will have to pay compensation for its loss and the cost of processing based on the NUK price list.

Only library members can borrow material in the reading rooms (Main Reading Room, Newspaper Reading Room, Manuscript Reading Room).

You can find information about the availability of the material in the computer catalogue - KatNUK (COBISS+), where you will get information about the available pickup location for the selected material in the Reservation tab at the bottom of the page and in the Stock tab.
 
If you cannot find the material you are looking for in the catalogue, we recommend that you ask for help from the Information and Lending Department (ground floor, left, room 9) or call us on (01) 2001 188.

You can order reading room materials in the computer catalogue - KatNUK (COBISS+). You can order reading room materials at the bottom of the page in the Reservation tab by clicking on the "reserve" button. When ordering, select the pickup location or reading room where you would like to use the material. Log in with your membership card number and password and complete your order. You can also order materials via the Stock tab. You will receive an email notification when the material is ready for you. Some types of material can only be used in a specific reading room. 

If there is no "reserve" button in the catalogue information in the computer catalogue - KatNUK (COBISS+), then you can order the material in person at the NUK by filling in a handwritten (yellow) promissory note or by contacting the special collections of the library. If you need an article, we can send it to you by email.

Material from the storage at 1 Turjaška Street (not prefixed with the letter DS or marked b, GS, U or UK) is usually delivered 30 minutes after the order is placed.

Special collections materials are normally available the next working day if ordered by 11:00.

For delivery times of material from the remote warehouse (prefixed with DS, DS1-, FL, GDS, MDS, NG, PDS, PKGDS, UDS), see the section Delivery times.

Copying of library material (photocopying, digitization, microfilming, etc.) and printouts or transfers of data from electronic information resources are available to library users against payment in accordance with Copyright and Related Rights Act, and the provisions of license agreements concluded by the library at the time of acquisition of material. Prices are determined in the price list of the library services.

Depending on the type and condition of the material, the information officer assesses whether you can use your own technical equipment, or if copying is possible only with the library’s technical equipment; in the latter case, you will fill in the Copy Order and receive copies within 5 working days at the latest.

You can borrow an e-book via the biblos system for 14 days and via the EBSCO system for 1 day to 1 month.

You can borrow 4 items via the biblos system and 15 via the EBSCO system at one time.