Frequently asked questions

Yes. You can return your documents to the loan desks at any of our sites, or leave them in the returnboxes available at the Unithèque, Internef, Riponne, Renens and HEP Vaud sites.

Yes. You can have DVDs sent from one site to another; the only exceptions are Cinespace DVDs, which can only be borrowed from the Unithèque site.

A fine of CHF 0.20 is charged per document for each working day, starting on the first day the item is overdue. To avoid fines, renew your documents online using the Renouvaud catalogue.

Any costs incurred as a result of loss of a document, including administrative expenses, will be payable by the user. Contact our accounts department.

All your requests (orders from the stacks + reservations) can be found in your user account, on the “Requests/Reservations” tab.

To renew an inter-library loan collected from a library in Fribourg, contact the inter-library loans service of the library you collected the item from, in this case, Fribourg.

Yes, we automatically send an email two days before an item is due back and as soon as another reader has reserved one of your items. We also send an email once an item you have reserved is available.

You can request documents from outside the Renouvaud network through the inter-library loans service. The costs depend on the document’s place of origin. Once you have logged in, complete the online inter-library loans form, which you will find on the menu of the Renouvaud catalogue.

To renew an inter-library loan collected at BCUL, contact the inter-library loans service: +41 21 692 47 96 or peb@bcu.unil.ch

You can borrow up to 30 items at once, all media combined, as well as 10 digital books (eLectures) More information about lending conditions

Registration and borrowing are free of charge.

Documents that form part of the legal deposit must be requested through the catalogue and can be used at the Riponne site during opening hours.

Documents at the Unithèque site that are not available for lending or which can only be used in the library must be requested by email at least two days in advance.

Are you a member of the UNIL/CHUV/HEP Vaud community? If so, you have remote access (via a VPN) to the resources paid for by your institution.
Not a member of the UNIL/CHUV/HEP Vaud community? Some digital resources are available to everyone, including those marked with the ‘open access’ symbol (an open orange padlock). Others can be used at the BCUL and CHUV sites.
More information

Are you a member of the UNIL/CHUV/HEP Vaud community? Access the resources paid for by your institution remotely by logging in to the VPN.
Not a member of the UNIL/CHUV/HEP Vaud community? Some digital resources are available to everyone, including those marked with the ‘open access’ symbol (an open orange padlock). Others can be used at the BCUL and CHUV sites.
More information

You are welcome to view the open-access collections without any formal procedures or request a day ticket to access items kept in the stacks, in the Rare Books Collection or the Manuscripts Department.

It is up to you whether you use your RERO, NEBIS or City of Lausanne library card as a reader card in the Renouvaud network. You can validate your card at one of our desks. More information about registration conditions.

You can access your account from the Renouvaud catalogue.

From the “Loans” tab in your reader account, by replacing “Active loans” with “Previous loans”.

Contact your library to renew your account and update your details.

You can reactivate it.

The Swissbib platform is not available since 2020, when federal and cantonal funding came to an end.

A large number of Swiss academic libraries joined Swisscovery, a platform managed by SLSP SA, leaving non-academic libraries outside Vaud behind.

Users no longer have access to a catalogue covering most Swiss libraries using the same search tool.

Although Swissbib is no longer available, Renouvaud offers the opportunity to search the catalogues of over 130 libraries in the Vaud canton network.

Renouvaud is well aware of the difficulty created for users by this situation. It intends to introduce a tool by the 4^th quarter of 2021, allowing users to use its search engine to explore the whole of the Swisscovery catalogue. This will also allow Swisscovery users access to the Renouvaud catalogue.

Only staff who need to access personal data to provide a service (such as a loans or information desk or the disputes service) are authorised to access them. All access rights are granted individually and are strictly monitored.

Yes. Items from the following CHUV libraries (University Library of Medicine – BIUM, University of Lausanne Psychiatric Library – BCUL Cery and the Library of the Institute of Humanities in Medicine – BIHM) can be returned to BCUL desks or left in the returnboxes.

Data are stored on the servers of our software provider, the company Ex Libris. The servers are physically located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Ex Libris complies with the highest security standards in terms of data processing and protection of information. In addition, Dutch law offers similar guarantees to Swiss law with regard to the processing of personal data.

No, libraries run by the city of Lausanne are not part of Renouvaud. More information on libraries that are part of Renouvaud Science and Heritage.

The Renouvaud network and the libraries using swisscovery are separate. Except for inter-library loans, items from these libraries cannot be returned to a Renouvaud library and vice versa.

Workshops are organised on request. Make an appointment with one of our librarians.

Log in to the Renouvaud catalogue to use various services, such as requesting or reserving documents.

Scriptorium online help

Renouvaud online help

eLectures online help

Check out the frequently asked questions and startup guides.

Write to info.riponne@bcu.unil.ch and let us know:

• for tablets: the type (Android or IOS and version), the reading app (Aldiko, Bluefire, Bookari) and browser (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, etc.) you are using
• for computers: the model (PC, MAC), operating system (e.g. Windows 10, MacOS 10.15 Catalina), browser (Firefox, Chrome, Safari etc.) and the version of Adobe Digital Editions installed (3.xx, 4.xx)
• for e-book readers: the make and model (e.g. Kobo Aura, Bookeen Saga)
• whether the problem relates to all your borrowed items or just some of them
• a description of the problem or error message, if necessary with a screen shot

This information is important so that we can answer your question.

Use the Chrome browser to access eLectures.

• PC and Apple (except version MacOS 10.15 or later)
  The solution is to revert to an ADE 3 version. The procedure is as follows:

1. Delete the book from the e-reader
2. Delete the authorisation in Adobe Digital Editions
3. Uninstall Adobe Digital Editions version 4
4. Install Adobe Digital Edition version 3
5. Authorise ADE with your Adobe credentials
6. Download the book again from your eLectures account

• Apple: MacOS 10.15 or later (Catalina) 
  This is a known case. The problem occurs with some recent digital books, some e-readers and versions 4 (and later) of ADE.

As you cannot install version 3 of ADE, select some older titles from the catalogue. You can read new items on a computer, smartphone or tablet.

You cannot renew an e-book on eLectures. Wait until the day it is due back and then borrow it again or reserve it if it has been borrowed by another reader.

Your account may have expired. Contact info.riponne@bcu.unil.ch.

There can be problems with some e-readers when they are used with version 4 (and later) of Adobe Digital Editions. More information about what to do next.

Attend one of our workshops!

Already registered with us? Go straight to the platform electures.ch and log in with your reader card number (ID) and BCUL password.
Not yet registered? Pre-register online, then write to info.riponne@bcu.unil.ch, attaching a digitised copy of a Swiss identity document or one that has been produced in Switzerland.

You can borrow up to 10 e-books at once on eLectures. More information about eLectures lending conditions.

Yes, BCUL accepts donations, particularly if the documents relate to Vaud canton in the broad sense of the term (places in Vaud, writings by people from Vaud, or works that have been published or printed in Vaud).

If you would like to donate documents, please contact the Riponne site for documents relating to Vaud, including as much information as possible on the type and quantity of documents. Our collections managers will then assess the offer before accepting or not. Donations that are sent without making contact first will, in principle, be refused.

Our donations policy explains in detail how we deal with donations.

The Unithèque site is not accepting any donations until further notice, since the works to extend the building are currently limiting the availability of storage areas.

At the Unithèque, Internef, Riponne, Renens and Provence sites:

• using a Campus Card for the UNIL community
• if you have guest access; if so, printing credits can be purchased at the counters (minimum CHF 5)
• A change machine is also available at the Riponne site.

At the HEP Vaud site, with an HEP Vaud student card

Unithèque, Internef and Riponne sites:

• members of the university community and students from other universities can connect their mobile devices to the internet using the eduroam network
• other users can access the ‘public-unil’ network and at the Riponne site, the ‘public bcu’ network (collect a ticket at the entrance to the library)

More information

The HEP-VD Public network is free of charge at HEP Vaud. Contact the reception desk for access. The HEP-VD network is reserved for students and staff at HEP Vaud.

Contact the librarians at one of our counters or ask your question online.

Members of the UNIL community can book rooms free of charge at the Internef site.

Rooms can be rented for the day at the Unithèque site. Contact secretariat.bcud@bcu.unil.ch