Q: Can we use the hallway outside the Library?
A: The Link Alcove, located on the second floor of the Health Sciences Library at UVA, serves as a dedicated space just outside the library entrance.  Its primary purpose is to support health system entities in the occasional need to promote resources and services to UVA Health affiliates.  For UVA Health affiliated groups requesting the space to host a bake sale, please click on UVA Health policy links for fundraising and solicitations.  Repetitive reservations are considered on a case-by-case basis, allowing bookings up to two months in advance. 

Q: Do you have any group study/meeting rooms?
A: The Health Sciences Library has 13 group study rooms for formal classes, small conferences, meetings, and individual study. The Library also has seven study rooms available for individual or small group study on the second floor.  The second floor rooms are available on a first come, first serve basis.  A reservation system is in place for rooms on the first floor to balance the need for group facilities with that of regular study spaces.  To reserve a room, please click on https://guides.hsl.virginia.edu/hsl-spaces.

Q: When is the After Hours Study Area available, and who has access to it?
A:  Most of the Library is available after hours for anyone affiliated with UVA Health. Please use your ID to swipe in at the Library's main entrance.

Q: Do you have a public bulletin board where I can post this notice?
A: If the notice has to do with an event related to the Health System, you may leave it at the Service Desk and it will be posted in the display case in the hallway near the main entrance, as space permits.

Q: Do you validate parking tickets?
A: No. Parking receipts can be validated at the department or hospital floor where you are visiting. Free parking is available on weekends in the 11th Street parking garage. There is no special parking available for using the Library.

Q: Is there a book drop for the Health Sciences Library?
A: Yes. There is a wall-mounted book drop in the corridor outside the Library.  It's labelled Library Depository.

Q: Do you have a lost & found area?
A: The Service Desk has a designated space for holding lost/found items for a limited time. Service Desk staff will be happy to check the area for you anytime an item is reported missing. Personal possessions found in the Library, the corridor outside the Library, or the patio on the lower level, may be turned in at the Service Desk. 

Q: I'm a doctor, living in Charlottesville. I came to the Library to do some research and couldn't get in the door from the street.
A: Due to security concerns, the Health System locks the door at the foot of the stairs just outside the Library. Only patrons with Health System IDs can enter through that door. During business hours, the two unlocked entrances closest to the Health Sciences Library are the front entrance to the West Complex and the University Hospital Lobby. Both of these entrances are handicapped accessible. During non-business hours, patrons without a Health System or UVA ID must go around the building and come in through the Emergency Department entrance. At all times, patrons with a non-Health System UVA ID can gain access via Pinn Hall's Jefferson Park Avenue entrance.

Q: Do I need a special card to be able to borrow from the Health Sciences Library?
A: Residents of Virginia 16 years of age and older may borrow books from the HSL by presenting a valid Virginia driver's license or other state of Virginia issued photo ID at checkout. Students at Virginia colleges and universities may also check out books with their valid student ID. Only UVa affiliates may check out journals, and only Health System affiliates may check out equipment. Please see our User Eligibility Policy for details, or call the Service Desk at (434) 924-5444 if you have questions.

Q: Will I be notified when my books are overdue? Do you charge fines?
A: Two overdue notices are sent for items that are overdue. The first notice is sent one day after the due date. The second notice is sent one week later. We prefer to send notices electronically, so make sure we have your correct e-mail address on file. The Library does not charge fines on overdue items. Once an item becomes more than two weeks overdue, the Service Desk Department will bill for the replacement cost of the item by sending a bill notice. 

If you're not sure when your books are due, you can check your own record via Virgo Classic. Select the "Services" heading on the red toolbar, then either "Review My Account or Renew My Materials". You must click on "Services". Do not use the drop down menu. Call the Service Desk at (434) 924-5444 if you have problems with the online renewal. If you do not have online access to Virgo Classic, please call the Service Desk to renew your items.

Q: What are my options when I'm billed for the replacement of a book?
A: To clear a bill from your record, just return the book to the Service Desk, or pay the bill. Bills for lost items may be paid in cash or by check (checks made out to UVa) at the Service Desk.

Q: What happens if I fail to respond to an overdue notice from the Library?
A: Once an item becomes more than two weeks overdue, the Service Desk Department will bill for the replacement cost of the item. Student accounts delinquent for more than three weeks are referred to Student Financial Services (SFS) for collection. Once an account is referred, the account can be cleared by returning the overdue item to the Service Desk, or by paying SFS for the lost item. This referral will block your record at all UVa libraries, and will also block all registration efforts and the release of transcripts from all state institutions.

Q: How can I print or photocopy in the Library?
A: Printing and copying at the Health Sciences Library is managed by Printing and Copying Services (PCS)  http://www.virginia.edu/uvaprint. In the Health Sciences Library there are two printers located on the main floor and on in the Cabell Room. 

Black and white printing and copying on 8.5 x 11-inch paper costs $.08 per copy. Color copies on 8.5 x 11-inch paper costs $.60 per copy. To print you must purchase a Cavalier Advantage copy card or activate a print account on your student or Health System badge. There is no coin-operated printing in the Library. A $5 bill is required to make a first time purchase of a Cavalier Advantage card with a $2.00 processing fee deducted. To activate a print account on your student or Health System badge, you must call Cavalier Advantage at (434) 982-5735. A one dollar bill is all that is required for your first use of this account.

Q: I need an article from a journal (or a book) that we don't have here. How do I go about getting it?
A: If you are affiliated with the Health System (faculty, staff, student), you are eligible to request materials not owned via the ILLiad online ordering system. ILLiad is available from the Library's homepage, so you may place orders while in the Library, from your office, or off-grounds.

Q: Your catalog says the journal I need is at Ivy Stacks. Where would I find it?
A: The journal you need is located in our remote storage facility on Ivy Road. You may obtain it by submitting a request via ILLiad. Circulating items may be checked out or used for photocopying. Items designated "RARE" do not circulate, and must be used by prior arrangement with the Library's Historical Collections Department (434-982-0576).

Q: May I return books from other UVa libraries at the Health Sciences Library?
A: Yes. The items will be checked in and placed in transit to their destination library.

Q: How can I put books on Reserve in the Library for my class?
A: Reserve requests for books may be made electronically by using our Reserve Request form.

Q: In cleaning out my office, I've found lots of journal issues and some books that I'd like to give to the Library. Shall I just bring them in and drop them off at the Library Service Desk?
A: While the Library appreciates the opportunity to be offered gifts of books and journals, limited space does not allow us to accept donations that we cannot use. Before bringing items to the Library as donations, please contact Lewis Savarese at lms9qw@virginia.edu, so that a determination can be made as to whether we need the items in our collection or not.

Q: How can I ask the Library to purchase a particular book or to subscribe to a certain journal?
Please use our Purchase Request form. Once you submit the form, our Collection Development Department will review it and make a decision. You'll be notified as to the outcome. If the item you recommend is a book, your name will be listed on the order as the first person to notify once the item is available.