Loans
The library offers a national and international interlibrary and direct loan service, in accordance with the provisions of art. 50 et seq. of Presidential Decree no. 417 of 5 July 1995 and with art. 7 of the BncF internal regulations.
Direct loans
How to register
Direct loans are granted to all members of the library, registered with the Loans Department, resident in the Tuscany region and aged 18 or over.
The loan service is also available for limited periods to:
- Italian citizens or citizens of European Union States who are able to provide documented evidence of their study or research requirements as well as their domicile within the region.
- citizens of non-European Union countries who are able to produce documented evidence of their study or research requirements and their domicile within the region, along with certification concerning their period of stay.
To register for loans, it is necessary to present a valid identity document and the library entrance card, together with the documentation listed above.
In summary, the following documentation is required for access to the library loan service:
- For residents of the Tuscany region: an original and valid identity document.
- Residents of Italy, Vatican City, the Republic of San Marino and of European Union States: an original and valid identity document, and documentation demonstrating domicile and relative study, research or professional requirements.
- Residents of non-EU countries: an original and valid identity document, documentation demonstrating domicile and relative study, research or professional requirements, and permit of stay (if a request has been submitted for renewal of a permit of stay, it will be necessary to present confirmation of the relative request).
Self-certification is permitted in cases governed by legislation.
Any variation in residence, domicile, telephone number or email address must be promptly reported to the Loan Department.
Registration with the loan service is valid for one year for residents of Tuscany and is renewable. The duration of all other forms of membership may be subject to limitation. Duration will be communicated on registration in accordance with the documentation presented.
How to request a loan
Card holders who have been granted access to the loan service may request loans from their personal area, which is accessed by entering their username (Tax Code followed by 7 numbers) and password.
Having searched the library’s online catalogue and identified the relative document, select the “Loan” distribution point for collection and click on “Make a request”.
The document may be collected within 7 days from receipt of notification of availability, which will be sent to the user via email. If the document is currently on loan to another user, it can be booked.
Pre-registered users are not authorised to make loan requests. Access to the service is granted by the relative sector.
Interlibrary loans (ILL)
A national and international interlibrary loan service is available between all libraries that have accepted reciprocal loans and have committed to respecting the regulations that govern the service. Works either received or sent for national or international loan may only be consulted on site.
The library director may suspend interlibrary loans for any organisations responsible for repeated and serious breaches of the regulations governing the service, as well as request compensation in the event of damage or failure to return the loaned documents.
Users registered with the library are authorised for interlibrary loans.
Shipping costs are to be paid by the user.
In the event that requested material is not collected, the user will be temporarily suspended from the loan service and will, in any case, be required to pay shipping costs.
For information on costs and the terms and conditions of the service, please contact the Loans Department (bnc-fi.prestito@cultura.gov.it).
Material not available for loan
As a safeguarding measure, loans are granted for books printed over the last 70 years, with the exclusion of those printed in the last 3 years (including the current year).
Therefore, for 2025, printed books published prior to 1955 (included) and between 2023 and 2025 are not available for loan.
Similarly, for protective measures, the following are not available for loan:
- Rare manuscripts and materials, as well as materials held in historic or special collections
- Works held in the Consultation halls
- Engravings, prints and maps
- Works in a poor state of conservation
- Periodicals and serial publications
- Volumes that are more than 40 cm or less than 10 cm in height and less that 6 cm thick
- Official publications from central or local State or territorial administration
- Publications divided into issues
- Multimedia materials
- Commercial catalogues
- Published music and operatic librettos
- Doctoral theses
- Travel guides
- Miscellaneous items bound in volumes or brochures with fewer than 50 pages
- Dictionaries, encyclopaedias, atlases, bibliographies and catalogues
- Schoolbooks
- Works with attachments or with limited print runs
- Publications with folded tables
- Materials organised into groups (almanacs, biographies, gift books, company articles of association, etc.).
- Microfilm negatives and microfilm destined for the Consultation halls in place of the relative original document
- All other material that, for whatever reason, is unsuitable for removal from the library
Two works, for an overall total of four volumes, may be borrowed at a time. Loans are granted for a duration of 30 days and may be renewed for a further 30 days if the volume in question has not been requested by other users.
It is forbidden for any materials borrowed to be passed on to third parties. Penalties will be applied for any damage or loss.
Dates and deadlines: useful information
Loans are granted for a duration of 30 days and may be renewed for a further 30 days if the volume in question has not been requested by other users. Extensions may be requested in person or by writing to bnc-fi.prestito@cultura.gov.it, or via the dedicated function available from the user’s personal space on the OPAC portal, on the condition that the item in question has not been reserved by another user.
Any delays in returning loaned items may result in temporary suspension from the service.
Opening hours for Loans are as follows:
- Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (requests to be submitted by 11.30 a.m.)
- Tuesdays from 1.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. (requests to be submitted by 4.30 p.m.)
- Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (requests to be submitted by 11.30 a.m.)
Within these times, books will be available to users as of the first applicable distribution session following submission of the relative request. Requests must be submitted at least 30 minutes before the relative material distribution session; otherwise, the requested material will be distributed during the next available session.
Once a request has been submitted, the relative items will remain available for collection for a period of 7 days from notification of availability, which will be sent by the library by email.
The loan service is suspended for 15 days per year for inspections, and all loaned items must be returned by the end of the day before the service is due to be suspended (relative dates will be published on the website). During the period of suspension, no direct or inter-library loans will be granted.
Additional information
A book and manuscript loan service, albeit in a rather restricted form, was provided for in the first comprehensive regulations for Italian libraries issued in 1869 (Royal Decree no. 5368 of 20/11/1869). The subsequent regulations issued in 1885 extended access to the service and classified loans granted “in the city, in Italy and abroad” to readers with or without third-party guarantees (Royal Decree no. 3464 of 28/10/1885). The regulations issued in 1995, which remain in effect to date, further extended access to the loan service, setting out the categories of user that continue to be admitted to this day.
The Historic archives of the library contain, among other items, loan registers, which provide precious insight into how the services have been used over time.
Contacts
Supervisor
Simona Mammana
bnc-fi.prestito@cultura.gov.it
tel. 055/24919 57
