Rhode Island residents who are not students and are at least 18 years of age may apply for a Rhode Island Resident Card. A photo ID (examples:  RI License or RI ID or RI Voter Registration) accompanied by official documentation (examples: tax document or voter registration) proving Rhode Island Residency must be provided.  The card must be renewed, in person, on a yearly basis.

Borrowers must have their Rhode Island Resident’s Card with them in order to check out library materials.

All persons who have outstanding library bills will be denied borrowing privileges.

Rhode Island Resident Card holders - 

• can check out books & movies from the two URI Libraries: Kingston and Narragansett.
• can only have 5 items on their card.
• have the same loan period as our undergrads. 
• can order books from the 2 URI University Libraries but they cannot order materials from any of the other HELIN libraries.
• will not have access to out of state material via these libraries’ Interlibrary Loan services.  Please see your local public library for that service.
• will not be able to access our subscription databases from off-campus.  The license agreements limit off-campus access to students, faculty, and staff.  However, you will have on-site access to e-books and journals.

Rhode Island Resident Card holders will be able to pick up books at either URI campus. For example, they can request, via the online catalog, that a Narragansett Campus book be sent to URI's Kingston campus.

Rhode Island Resident Card holders will not be able to use their RI Resident Card at any of the following HELIN Libraries nor they will be able to borrow from them via the online catalog:

• Brown University

• Bryant University

• Community College of Rhode Island

• The Dominican House of Studies

• Johnson & Wales University

• Providence College

• Rhode Island College

• Roger Williams University

• Salve University

• Wheaton College

• The 11 Hospital/Medical Libraries

• The Rhode State Law Library

Borrowers are responsible for returning or renewing all items charged out on their cards.

Borrowers are responsible for notifying the Library of any changes in contact information, including address, telephone number and e-mail.

Because the University of Rhode Island does not belong to the HELIN Consortium and nor do we share a catalog, onsite reciprocal borrowing does not exist between URI and HELIN Libraries (the exception being Salve Regina). 

Students from HELIN Libraries who are not Rhode Island residents are advised to contact their library's Interlibrary Loan Unit if they need to obtain a book from the Robert L. Carothers Library's collection. 

Robert L. Carothers Library & Learning Commons

Call Us
(401) 874-2672

Email Us
librarycirc-group@uri.edu
(Please allow 1-2 business days for a response)