This section of the site provides a quick summary of all the information VC students and staff need to begin using their campus Information Centre to its maximum potential. If you do not find what you’re looking for, please contact us. We will be happy to help you with your research needs. We hope this guide will provide a useful starting point for access to your campus Information Centre.

Information Centre hours

Information Centre opening hours vary between semester and vacation periods but the following provides a good guideline:

Information Centre opening hours

Loans & renewals

• Lending privileges: Undergraduate students according to policy may borrow 3 items for 7 days, and can renew each item twice, unless someone else has requested the item. Postgraduate students can borrow 8 items for 14 days. Borrowed items may be renewed twice unless requested by another patron. Renewals can be done online, in person at the Information Centre or telephonically. All items must be returned to the circulation desk. That includes interlibrary loan items.
  Reserving: Reservation of books is free of charge and unlimited.
  Fines: Fines are charged for overdue books at R10 per item per day for open shelf items, and R10 per hour on short loan items and are capped at R500. Lending privileges are suspended when a student refuses to pay a fine. If an item has been lost or damaged, and placement value will be payable to the Information Centre.

• Intercampus loans: The Intercampus loans service allows you to borrow material not available on your campus from any other Varsity College or IIE Information Centre. Intercampus loans are organized once a week (every Wednesday). Chat to your Information Specialist for more information.
• Interlibrary loans: Varsity College is part of Sabinet (Southern African Bibliographic Information Network). This free service allows books, research papers, and other materials that aren’t available on your campus to be requested from various higher education institutions across the country.
  These interlibrary loans are intended to support the academic research needs of Varsity College staff and students. Each campus Information Specialist processes and requests all material on behalf of the campus. All Sabinet-requested material is delivered and collected at the Information Centre. Due dates for interlibrary loan materials vary per lending institution.

Computer bookings

Information Centre computers are in limited supply and must therefore be booked at the circulation desk. Please see your campus Information Specialists or visit the Information Centre webpage to reserve a PC at your campus.

Recommending a book

Varsity College staff members can recommend a book for purchase by completing an online recommendation form. Book acquisitions are subject to approval.

Help and support

A range of support services exist for all students and staff of Varsity College. Your simplest solution is to visit your Information Centres circulation desk for face to face assistance.

Please click here to view the IIE’s terms and conditions