Graduate Student Loan Closet

What is the loan closet?

Members of The Women’s Club of Rice University volunteer their efforts to operate the Graduate Student Loan Closet. This program loans small household items to the graduate students and postdoctoral researchers of Rice University for a low annual membership fee. The borrowing cycle can be renewed annually for the duration of their studies or appointment. Borrowers may return items they are not using to the Loan Closet at any time, but must return all items when they graduate or their appointment ends.

Yes, you can keep your items for another year, at a reduced rate* — see details below.

Hours

We are open year-round, but the days and times each week vary.  Our goal is to be open one day each week. In October and November, our volunteers’ availability plus special civic and social events along with the Thanksgiving holidays resulted in the following schedule:

•   2 October, Wednesday, open 3-5 p.m.
• 10 October, Thursday, open 3-5 p.m.
• 15 October, Tuesday, open 3-5 p.m.
• 23 October, Wednesday, open 3-5 p.m.
  • Closed 31 October, Thursday, Happy Halloween!
  • Closed 5 November, Tuesday, Election Day: Register to vote, if you are eligible, by October 7 (see Rice News story.
•   7 November, Thursday, open 3-5 p.m.
• 12 November, Tuesday, open 3-5 p.m.
• 20 November, Wednesday, open 3-5 p.m.
  • Closed 28 November, Thursday; Happy Thanksgiving!

If you are arriving on campus and need a special appointment, please contact Vicky Agee and we will try to accommodate you.

Questions? Email Vicky Agee, victoria.agee@gmail.com.

*Renew for your second, third, fourth, fifth year!

Please remember if you wish to keep items you borrowed previously, you need to come by the loan closet to pay your reduced rate renewal fee each year: $20 for 2nd year borrowers, $15 for third year, $10 for fourth, $5 for fifth and beyond.

You may also mail your renewal payment to Victoria Agee, 2223 Watts St., Houston, TX 77030 if you are unable to come during the hours the Loan Closet is open.

Remember, your registration is good for 12 months, no matter when you join. For example, if you first borrowed items and paid your initial fee in April 2024, it is good through March of 2025. Plus, the annual membership fee is reduced each year you continue your membership.

New stock

We have been blessed with many new donations; if you are lacking something you need, feel free to drop by and borrow more items. You can request items if we are out of stock, and you can also ask about special items you haven’t seen on our shelves. In 2018, we responded to one student’s request for a Moka pot –used to make single-serve Italian or Cuban-style drip coffee. When the pot arrived, it went on the Hold shelf for the student collect. Other Loan Closet members saw the item on the Hold shelf and began requesting their own Moka pots!

Mailing List

Even if you haven’t yet visited the Loan Closet, you can join the mailing list. Receiving the hours announcement for each month will help you plan your first visit. Sign up for the mailing list at: https://mailman.rice.edu/mailman/listinfo/loan-closet.

Where are we?

The Loan Closet is located in  RGA 141, on the first floor of the Rice Graduate Apartments, 1515 Bissonnet St, Houston TX 77005. The Loan Closet is in the corner of the complex closest to both Bissonnet and Mandell streets.

How a Loan Closet Works

Postdocs and grad students pay a one year membership fee of $25 and get to borrow as much as they need from existing stock.

When the borrower leaves Rice, they return the items to the Loan Closet. Volunteers will sanitize them as best as they can, then lend the items out to the next group of grad students. The recycling process makes it a Loan Closet instead of a shop where you buy things.

If borrowers want to keep the items for a second year, they come in and pay another annual membership fee. When we get more stock – like lamps, blenders, etc – borrowers can come in and choose additional items as well. The membership fee covers everything borrowed for one year.

When you arrive, you will complete a membership card, pay your annual fee, and choose your loan items.

*Annual Membership Fee for Borrowers – cash only at this time

• First time borrowers pay $25 for an annual membership and can borrow all of the items listed below.
• Second year borrowers pay $20 for their annual membership and can keep their items and borrow additional items when new stock is available.
• The membership fee continues to decrease each year to a minimum fee of $5 per year.

Because our fees are so reasonable, we do not pro-rate for partial years.

Currently, the volunteers can only accept cash for membership fees. There is a Chase Bank ATM on the Rice campus in the RMC (student center), inside or near the book store (may change with construction). There are also several banks on Kirby near Bissonnet: Wells Fargo, Bank of America, and International Bank of Commerce.

The new Loan Closet location is in RGA 141, on the first floor of the Rice Graduate Apartments, 1515 Bissonnet St, Houston TX 77005.  The Loan Closet is in the corner of the complex closest to both Bissonnet and Mandell streets.