Borrowing

At this time Alumni and Guest access to the library is temporarily unavailable.

Welcome SU Alumni!

We are pleased to offer a variety of library services to Seattle University alumni. These services include: borrowing Lemieux library books, journals, and media, access to Special Collections, and basic research assistance. An Alumni Borrowing Account does not give borrowers access to licensed online resources (ebooks, articles, databases, streaming audio and video, etc.).

Getting Started

Seattle University Alumni

• Request an Alumni Borrowing Account

  • A Circulation staff member will contact you when your account is ready to use.
  • When you are ready borrow materials, please bring a photo ID to the 3rd floor Circulation Desk.

Law School Alumni

• Please request your alumni borrowing accounts at the Law Library first.
• Once your borrowing account is created with the Law Library, all you need is a photo ID to borrow materials at Lemieux Library.​

Summit Visiting Patrons

Any Student, Faculty, or Staff from another Alliance Member Library is entitled to the same rights when they walk into a library as they are when they are at their home Library. However they must be verified.

Patrons requesting visiting patron privileges and or requests to pick up at a different member Library must physically visit the library in person in order to be verified.

Patrons will need to bring their ID (University, College, State Issued) and must be able to log in to their Library account.

Find the Orbis Cascade Alliance member library nearest you.

In order to maintain our reciprocal on-site borrowing program, staff at each Alliance library will need to verify that the visiting patron is a current student, faculty, or staff at a Summit library, and then enter a patron record for the visiting patron into their own patron databases. We call this "adopting" each other's Summit-eligible patrons.

Calling other libraries to verify patrons is difficult given the various hours of operation, levels of library staff working Circulation desks, busy phone lines, etc. This "workaround" is an efficient way for Alliance libraries to determine eligibility for Visiting Patron service: we will ask the visiting patron to log into their home library accounts at the circulation desk, and from there the staff member can see the patron's address on record, the patron's User Group, and the patron record's expiration date.

Sponsored Guests

Lemieux Sponsored Guest accounts can be created for volunteers, members of visiting programs or conferences, and groups with which the library has a reciprocal agreement. Arrangements must be made in advance, please contact the Lemieux Library Circulation Desk at 206-296-6233 or email libcirc@seattleu.edu to request a guest account.

Alumni can check out up to six items at any time from the general collection. No renewals are allowed.

• Books are loaned for 6 weeks
• Media (DVD/VHS/CD) and periodicals are loaned for 6 days

Lemieux Sponsored Guest accounts can be created for volunteers, members of visiting programs or conferences, and groups with which the library has a reciprocal agreement. Arrangements must be made in advance and approved by the Circulation Manager, Aaron Morgan. Further approval from Library Administration may be necessary. 

Privileges

• Search a select number of library-licensed databases at the two walk-up computers located on the 2nd floor. Please bring your own flash drive or other device to download information. 
• Research assistance for alumni includes: basic instruction in the use of the catalog and to our guest databases; brief answers to research questions during on-call hours; or referrals to other collections and services.
  • Alumni with in-depth questions related to Catholic religion or liturgy will be referred to the Archdiocese of Seattle. 
• Access to Special Collections materials is available by scheduled appointment. Materials include rare, limited editions, fine press and artists' books, plus university archives.
• Through the SU Digital Library, search the entire history of Seattle U's student newspapers, The Spectator (1933-2012), and its predecessor The Palestra (1922-1927). 
• Other amenities include quiet, attractive study spaces available throughout the building. Sixteen group study rooms are available to alumni on a walk-up basis.
• Free book scanner located on the 3rd floor. 

Limitations 

• Alumni do not have access to: Interlibrary Loan, Summit, computer labs, wireless internet, or printers and copiers.
• Alumni cannot place holds or requests for books and media. 
• Due to vendor restrictions, remote access to library-licensed databases subscriptions is only available for current students, faculty or staff.
  • Alumni are encouraged to utilize their local public library system for remote access to library databases, such as Seattle Public Library and King County Library System. 
• SU alumni do not have access to Law Library materials.
• Access to the Library after 8pm is exclusive to current SU students, faculty, and staff with a valid SU Campus Card. Alumni, guest borrowers, and campus visitors without a current SU Campus Card are welcome to visit Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons Sunday - Thursday before 8pm, and all day Fridays and Saturdays. More information can be found on our Card Access libguide.

Questions?

Contact libcirc@seattleu.edu and receive a response within 24-48 hours.

Visit the Alumni Office to learn about other benefits, events, and professional development opportunities for SU alumni.