UAlbany Library & APL Community Borrowing

What is Community Borrowing for Albany residents and UAlbany students?

City of Albany adult residents with an APL card in good standing can access University at Albany resources, including books, and media, plus on-site access to databases.
University at Albany students can easily get an APL card for access to all of APL’s digital and physical collections.

More libraries, more sharing, more power to the people!

Stop by your local APL branch and ask for a university account application. We’ll submit the paperwork to the university for you. Learn more about UAlbany Libraries.
Once your application is processed (about 1 week), you’ll get instructions from the university on how to log in to the UAlbany system and start using your card on campus. The best part – no additional card to carry! Use your linked APL card to access university resources:
- Borrow items (up to 30 at a time) from either the University Library (Uptown Campus at 1400 Washington Ave.) or the Dewey Graduate Library (Downtown Campus at 135 Western Ave.).
- Request material for pickup at convenient 24/7 Downtown Campus storage lockers.
- Access UAlbany’s databases in person at the Uptown Campus library (1400 Washington Ave. at the west end of the Academic Podium).
Questions about your community borrowing account? Call the university at (518) 442-3569 or email circulation@albany.edu

Apply for a card in person at an APL branch or on our Get a Card page.
Use your school email and UAlbany’s campus address (1400 Washington Ave., Albany, NY 12222) when you apply for an APL card.
With your new APL card:
- Access seven neighborhood branches’ worth of books, music, movies, comics, museum passes, and much more.
- Access downloadable e-books, magazines, and comics through the free Libby and Comics Plus apps.
Questions about using APL? Call us at (518) 427-4300 or email askalibrarian@albanypubliclibrary.org