The University of the Western Cape (UWC) Library has collaborated both regionally and nationally, in order to offer reciprocal borrowing privileges to our researchers. Our regional collaboration, CHELiN, enables our researchers the opportunity to acquire membership at our partner institutions; the University of Cape Town (UCT), Stellenbosch University (SU) or the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT). Our national collaboration, CHELSA, enables our distance users and researchers travelling beyond the Western Cape region to use institutions nationwide, such the University of South Africa (UNISA) in Pretoria or Nelson Mandela University (NMU) in Gqeberha. 

A registered postgraduate student (excluding short-course and Honours students) or a member of staff of any of the CHELiN or CHELSA institutions may visit the Main Libraries and some Branch Libraries and use the materials available in the participating institutions. The home institution will provide researchers with a referral letter that will allow them borrowing privileges, for the duration of an academic year, subject to the rules and regulations of the hosting institution.