What is the UVSP Lending Library?
The UVic Sustainability Project’s Lending Library is located in our office in Room B020 in the SUB basement. The library hosts a growing collection of books and items, donated, purchased second-hand, and curated by our community. The Lending Library is designed to promote education and imagination on sustainable topics, while supporting our community in developing sustainable skills, exploring everyday and embodied practices of sustainability, and organizing events and actions that contribute to a more sustainable campus community.
DROP-IN HOURS
Our current drop-in hours are:
If you want to make an appointment or have any questions, please email our communications officer at [email protected] .
- Mondays, between 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM
- Tuesdays: 12:30 PM to 5:00 PM
- Thursdays, 11:30 AM to 6:00 PM
- Fridays: 1:00 PM to 12:00 PM
If you want to make an appointment or have any questions, please email our communications officer at [email protected] .
What can I borrow?
The Lending Library offers a wide range of tools and equipment to suit various hobbies and sustainable activities. There is equipment for food processing, sewing, and more! A full inventory will be added online soon, but if you have any inquiries please feel free to email our Communications officer at [email protected] .
- Books
- Find all kinds of environmental reads—critical, fiction, and lyrical—as well as field narratives, field guides, and ID books!
- Textile and Crafting tools!
- We’ve got all your mending & making resources, including a sewing machine sewing kit, and resources to teach you mending skills!
- Food Processing Equipment!
- Looking for food processing guides and sustainable cookbooks or a canning kit? We’ve got them here for you to borrow!
- Outdoor Recreation
- Our library is home to a grab-and-go backpacking kit, as well as binoculars, hand lenses, and more!
Have any suggestions for items, or would like to donate a tool/equipment/book that aligns with our library goals? We'd love to hear from you! Feel free to email our Communications officer at [email protected] .
Inventory
Coming soon!
BOOKS
ITEMS
How do I Borrow?
1. Sign up to become a Borrower.
To be able to borrow from the UVSP Lending Library, you must become a borrower. Once you are registered, you are free to borrow year round, until you would like to no longer be a borrower.
2. Visit the UVSP Office (SUB B020)
Come visit the Library in our office! Feel free to peruse during UVSP Lending Library operating times. Our current hours are Wednesdays between 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM or Thursdays at 11:30 PM to 2:30 PM.
3. Check out items to borrow.
Items in the Lending Library may be loaned for an initial period of up to two weeks and books may be loaned for an initial period of up to one month. The borrowing period for items and books are different in recognition of the different demands and needed time of use for the different items. Loans are permissible year-round, including over reading break, winter break, and the summer semester, though pick-up and drop-off of loans is restricted to UVSP hours of operation.
- What if I want to extend something?
- The end date of the initial loan will be communicated to the borrower at the time the item is taken out from the library. Subsequent extensions of the loan may be requested in person or over email, but approval of alterations to the borrowing period is at the discretion of the UVSP. The primary factor which influences whether loans may be extended is current demand for the material on loan. When a loan is extended, the duration of the extension may not exceed the duration of the initial borrowing period. For example, a sewing machine borrowed for two weeks may have the borrowing period extended for up to an additional two weeks. Any extension of the borrowing period will not exceed the original length of the borrowing period. After a book or item is returned to the UVSP for a one week period, the most recent borrower may begin a new book or item loan if the book or item is available to borrow. The UVSP has implemented these borrowing guidelines to support fairness for our growing community of borrowers and for borrowers who require longer durations of time to complete projects.
- The end date of the initial loan will be communicated to the borrower at the time the item is taken out from the library. Subsequent extensions of the loan may be requested in person or over email, but approval of alterations to the borrowing period is at the discretion of the UVSP. The primary factor which influences whether loans may be extended is current demand for the material on loan. When a loan is extended, the duration of the extension may not exceed the duration of the initial borrowing period. For example, a sewing machine borrowed for two weeks may have the borrowing period extended for up to an additional two weeks. Any extension of the borrowing period will not exceed the original length of the borrowing period. After a book or item is returned to the UVSP for a one week period, the most recent borrower may begin a new book or item loan if the book or item is available to borrow. The UVSP has implemented these borrowing guidelines to support fairness for our growing community of borrowers and for borrowers who require longer durations of time to complete projects.
4. Return your items to the library.
All materials are to be returned on time, cleaned (if applicable), and in equivalent condition to that of when they were borrowed. If items are not returned according to these guidelines, the UVSP will communicate with the borrower about these expectations not being met and may take additional actions circumstantially. These additional actions may include:
The UVSP is committed to clear communication with borrowers around these issues, and equity and fairness towards borrowers who fail to return items on-time or return damaged items, as well as the community that uses our Lending Library.
- Requesting the borrower to re-clean an item.
- A UVSP staff or Board member having a conversation with the borrower about the terms of the borrower agreement and consideration for other users of the Lending Library.
- Having a UVSP staff or Board member review best-use practices for the use/storage of an item with the borrower.
- In cases where inventory is severely damaged or unreturned, keeping the borrower’s $20 deposit in order to replace or repair a book or item. In these cases, a borrower’s membership will need to be reactivated by paying another $20 deposit.
The UVSP is committed to clear communication with borrowers around these issues, and equity and fairness towards borrowers who fail to return items on-time or return damaged items, as well as the community that uses our Lending Library.
How do I become a Borrower?
Eligibility
Any UVic current student, faculty, staff, or any person able to demonstrate another concrete connection to the UVic community may become a borrower with the UVic Sustainability Project (UVSP) Lending Library. The extent of our current eligible membership base has been decided to support access to sustainable opportunities for learning, connection, and skill-building for all members of our community, while also recognizing the limitations of what our group is currently able to offer through the Lending Library and the specific needs of the UVSS members whose student fees support this program.
A non-exhaustive list of non-student, non-staff, and non-faculty connections to the campus community includes:
- Associate Members of the UVSP
- UVic Alumni.
- Neighbours to the UVic campus.
- Individuals from local, UVSP-aligned, organizing and non-profit organizations that serve students.
- Family members of current students, faculty, or staff.
The UVSP will happily consider other campus-connections put forward by prospective borrowers as well.
Membership
Any UVic student, faculty, staff, or any person able to demonstrate another concrete connection to the UVic community may opt to become a borrower with the UVSP’s Lending Library.
The only requirements to attain membership are:
1. To agree to the UVSP’s Lending Library Borrower Agreement and sign a liability waiver.
2. Pay a $20 refundable deposit to the UVSP. This deposit will only be kept in instances where a borrower severely damages, or fails to return, books or items borrowed from the UVSP’s Lending Library. The deposit may be paid by cash, credit card, or a cheque made out to “University of Victoria Students’ Society” with “UVSP Lending Library membership” written in the memo line.
At any time an individual decides they no longer wish to borrow from the Lending Library, they may email the UVSP to request the return of their deposit, which will be returned to them by cheque. To receive a cheque, you must provide the name used on your bank account and inform UVSP whether you will pick up your cheque in the SUB general office or if you would like it mailed to you (mailed cheques require submission of your mailing address). Regular deposit refunds will be issued within two weeks of UVSP staff receiving a request for a refund. If, for any reason, a refund cannot be issued within two weeks of UVSP staff receiving the request, UVSP staff will communicate with the person issuing the refund request with an updated timeline.
The only requirements to attain membership are:
1. To agree to the UVSP’s Lending Library Borrower Agreement and sign a liability waiver.
2. Pay a $20 refundable deposit to the UVSP. This deposit will only be kept in instances where a borrower severely damages, or fails to return, books or items borrowed from the UVSP’s Lending Library. The deposit may be paid by cash, credit card, or a cheque made out to “University of Victoria Students’ Society” with “UVSP Lending Library membership” written in the memo line.
At any time an individual decides they no longer wish to borrow from the Lending Library, they may email the UVSP to request the return of their deposit, which will be returned to them by cheque. To receive a cheque, you must provide the name used on your bank account and inform UVSP whether you will pick up your cheque in the SUB general office or if you would like it mailed to you (mailed cheques require submission of your mailing address). Regular deposit refunds will be issued within two weeks of UVSP staff receiving a request for a refund. If, for any reason, a refund cannot be issued within two weeks of UVSP staff receiving the request, UVSP staff will communicate with the person issuing the refund request with an updated timeline.
Borrowers Agreement
Any member of UVic Sustainability Project (UVSP) Lending Library may borrow from the Lending Library with the following provisions regarding the current inventory of the Lending Library and all inventory acquired heretofore:
- Each borrower is responsible for the care, protection, use, and safe return of any items borrowed.
- Each borrower assumes and shall bear the risk of loss, damage to, theft or destruction of all loaned materials, and the potential resulting retention of a deposit, additional material-related training, or sanctions. However, in these circumstances, the UVSP will approach resolution, repair, and replacement in these circumstances with fairness as our highest priority.
- The materials are loaned to the borrower with no warranties, express or implied, including any warranty of fitness for a particular purpose.
- The borrower may not transfer in any manner the property or the borrower’s obligations under this loan agreement. However, others may use materials from the Lending Library alongside the borrower, as long as the borrower is present and assumes the resulting liability.
- All components of loaned inventory items are what is expected to be returned to the library once a loan has concluded.
- Respectful treatment of the UVSP staff and volunteers who run the UVSP’s Lending Library is expected of borrowers. Harassment of and discrimination against our staff and volunteers will not be tolerated.
