The Patients' Library was established in 1932 and serves the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics community. The primary mission of the Patients' Library is to provide patients, their families, and visitors with materials for recreation, education, and therapy. A secondary mission is to provide staff members with materials for recreation, education, and health information. To accomplish these goals the library has a variety of recreation materials and houses the Health Information Center.

Policies for Patients and Visitors

1. Inpatients, housed outpatients, and their families and visitors may check out materials from the library. All materials must be checked out in the patient's name.

2. Outpatients and their families and visitors may use library materials in the library. In certain circumstances the Library staff may allow items to be checked out by outpatients.

3. Patients are responsible for items checked out in their name. Please, make sure that all materials are returned to the library before you are discharged. Library materials may not leave the hospital and patients are financially responsible for materials not returned to the library.

4. The checkout period for movies and VCRs is one day and these items can only be renewed if others are not waiting for them. The checkout period for all other items is seven days and they may be renewed if no one else has asked for them. Materials may only be renewed twice.

5. Due to the demand on the collection, the following are limits to the number of items a patient may check out at one time:

Books and Magazines: No limit
Movies: Total of 4
Audiotapes: 5

Policies for Staff Members

1. Staff may check out three books at a time, for a period of two weeks. Only one of the three books may be a bestseller. Staff may also check out magazines and books on tape. All Health Information materials are available for staff check out as well.

2. To insure materials are available for patients, all movies, audiotapes, and other AV items are reserved for patient and visitor use only.

3. If a patient or visitor requests the book you are reading, you may be asked to return it to the library at once. You may request the book again after the patient or visitor is finished with it.

4. The checkout period is two weeks. You may renew a book once if no one else has reserved it. You may renew a book in person or over the telephone. Materials should be returned in a timely manner to ensure availability for others.

5. Please return all books directly to the library during open hours, or to the drop box outside the library office door. Please DO NOT put any library property in other book returns or in the donations box in the main lobby.

6. If you receive an overdue notice, please respond promptly. All staff members are financially responsible for any library materials that are lost or damaged while in their possession.

Other Policies

The Patients' Library has offered library services to patients and their families at the UI Hospitals and Clinics since 1932. We hope you will take advantage of our many services. Please let us know how we can help make your stay more pleasant!

Gifts and Donations: Click here to see more information about Gifts and Donations.

If you have a disability and require an accommodation to utilize services of the Patients' Library, please contact the Library at 6-2468.

For more information, please call or visit:

Mindwell Egeland, Director
mindwell-egeland@uiowa.edu
Patients' Library
UI Hospital and Clinics
200 Hawkins Drive, 8016 JCP
Iowa City, IA 52242-1009
319-356-2468