Services for Visitors

Borrow Items

If you do not have a current affiliation with Duke, you can obtain borrowing privileges for one year by joining the Friends of the Duke University Libraries with a donation of $100 or more.

A Friends' borrowing card allows you to check out print materials from:

To receive a borrowing card, please visit the Circulation Desk at Perkins, Lilly or Goodson Library, or visit the Friends of the Duke University Libraries website for more information on how to give. A minimum gift of $100 is required to obtain or renew a borrowing card. If you plan to give online, please allow at least 48 hours before requesting a card to allow your gift to process.

Please contact the Ford Library at the Fuqua School of Business directly for information about borrowing materials from their collection.

Visitors from TRLN Universities

The Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN) is a partnership of:

  • Duke University
  • North Carolina Central University
  • North Carolina State University
  • The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

To borrow items, patrons from these institutions can visit the Duke University Libraries and present their home institution ID card. TRLN patrons will be required to to confirm their current affiliation with their institution by successfully logging into their home library account.  TRLN patrons may use library public computers.

BorrowDirect Plus Visitors

Faculty, staff and students from BorrowDirect member institutions can present their school ID card to obtain borrowing privileges at the Perkins, Lilly, Music, Law and Divinity Libraries as well as the Library Service Center. Privileges are issued at the Perkins Library service desk weekdays 8 AM to 7 PM. Visitors will be required to confirm their current affiliation with their institution by successfully logging into their BorrowDirect account.

Use a Computer

Most visitors can use a library computer for one hour. Obtain a password from staff at a service desk. Visiting scholars should ask staff at a service desk for permission to access a computer for the duration of their visit.

Duke University provides a separate, low-bandwidth wireless network just for visitors. If your home institution is a member of eduroam and you have joined the network before leaving home you will be able access secure, high-quality wifi on our campus.

Request Materials from the Library Service Center

The Library Service Center (LSC) houses materials off-site. Use this form to request materials to be delivered to one of the campus libraries.