All River Campus Libraries will be closed to patrons from Thursday, December 24, 2026, through Sunday, January 3, 2027. Buildings will be open to library staff only, with one exception: Gleason Library stays open 24/7 as a study space. iZone is also closed. Full service resumes Monday, January 4, 2027.
The last day to visit Rush Rhees Library before the break is Wednesday, December 23 (open until 5:00 PM; Rush Rhees is open 24/7 during final exams, December 18–23). Carlson, Art & Music, and POA will follow their regular winter break hours. See https://www.library.rochester.edu/about/hours for details.
Plan Ahead: Request Deadlines
We cannot guarantee that every request will be ready before the closure, but submitting by these dates gives you the best chance of having materials processed and available for pickup before the break:
- Friday, December 4: Interlibrary Loan requests for physical items (books, DVDs, and other materials that are returned)
- Friday, December 11: Hold and pickup requests for University of Rochester materials
- Friday, December 18: Interlibrary Loan requests for articles and book chapters (delivered electronically)
We will continue to process requests after these dates, but they are less likely to be ready before the closure. Items requested from other campus libraries can take 3–5 extra days to arrive, so earlier is better.
Borrowing and Returns
- Items that would have been due during the closure now have a new due date of December 23, 2026. Check your library account for your current due dates.
- If you need these materials over the break, you can always renew eligible items through "My Account" in DiscoverUR or by visiting a Q&i desk at Rush Rhees, Carlson, or Art & Music Library.
- Book drops at Rush Rhees and Carlson remain open during the closure. Items returned to a book drop during the closure are backdated to December 23, so you will not be charged.
- Hold pickup is not available December 24 – January 3.
Interlibrary Loan During the Closure
- You can still submit requests through ILLiad at any time.
- Article requests that include a complete citation (ISSN, author, title, journal, volume, issue, year, and pages) may be filled automatically during the closure.
- All other requests will be processed starting Monday, January 4, in the order received.
- Physical ILL items cannot be picked up until the libraries reopen.
Getting Help
Questions sent to ask@library.rochester.edu will be answered during the closure, but responses will be slower than usual. Regular service resumes January 4.
Course Reserves
Spring 2027 Course Reserves requests are handled separately. Faculty should watch for the call for submissions from their liaison librarian, or visit https://www.library.rochester.edu/services/course-reserves-faculty.
Last updated: November 11, 2026
