Purchase a Library Card

You must purchase a McGill Libraries Borrowing Card in order to borrow items from the Libraries.

Cost: $100 for 6 months or $200 for 12 months.

McGill Libraries Borrowing Cards

McGill Libraries Borrowing Cards are valid in all McGill libraries, subject to the borrowing policies of individual collections.

A McGill Libraries Borrowing Card may only be used by the person to whom it is issued.

Fines or other sanctions are imposed for late returns and cards may be cancelled if misused.

Note: Registering for a McGill Libraries Borrowing Card does not provide remote access to the Library’s electronic resources to those not already eligible, nor does it give you access to all library services and resources.

To register for a McGill Libraries Borrowing Card:

Complete the application for the McGill Libraries Borrowing Card.

Visit the Service Desk at any McGill library location except the Rare Books & Special Collections Library or the McGill University Archives.

Bring a photo ID and proof of address.

Once your application has been processed, you will be provided with a McGill Libraries Borrowing Card that you can use to borrow items.

Your borrowing card will expire either 6 or 12 months from your date of registration, depending on the length of subscription you purchase.

Special Collections Consultation Card

Members of the public are welcome to consult rare material at the Rare Books & Special Collections Library and at the Osler Library of the History of Medicine at no charge. To do so, please see the staff member at the front desk at either library. You will be asked to present a photo ID card and to fill out a registration form. The staff will create a McGill Library Consultation Card for you and show you how to submit an online request for the material. Material must be viewed on-site and staff will show you how to handle the items, which are often very delicate or fragile.   

To save time, if you have several items to request, please ask us to retrieve the items ahead of your visit by emailing the rarebooks.library [at] mcgill.ca (Rare Books & Special Collections Library) or the osler.library [at] mcgill.ca (Osler Library of the History of Medicine). If you have already obtained your McGill Library Consultation Card, you may also place hold requests using the McGill Library Catalogue.

Note: Consultation Cards are valid only for consultation of rare items housed at these two libraries. The Consultation Card cannot be used to borrow books from the McGill Library.

Your Library Account

Your library account allows you to:

  • View the library items (and Interlibrary Loans) that you have checked out and when they are due
  • Renew items 
    • Please Note: regular loans will automatically renew if your account is in good standing and the item has not been requested/recalled.
  • View and pay overdue or recall fines
  • View the status of hold requests and cancel requests you no longer need

Access your McGill Libraries Borrowing card account

Sign in to your library account: select "Login with a barcode". Use the barcode on your McGill Libraries Borrowing Card (begins with 290), and the password you selected during the registration process.

Email Notices

Notices for items due soon, holds, recalls and overdue fines are sent to you by email.  You will also receive an email if an item cannot be automatically renewed.

The reminder notices are meant to alert you that a borrowed item will be due soon.

Note: You are still responsible for returning items on time even if you do not receive the email notices. Please check your library account for up-to-date information.

All library notices will be sent to the email address you provided during registration for your McGill Libraries Borrowing Card.