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Finding Books


Please review guidelines:

  • To be eligible for this service you must live more than 30 miles from campus, be currently enrolled or teaching, and do not travel to the Eugene campus for class.
  • Material may be mailed to your home address so you should verify that the mailing address in your library account is accurate. To log into your account, see About Your Library Account. If the mailing address is incorrect please email ecirc@uoregon.edu. In the subject line type: "DistEd Address change". Staff will update your library account address.
  • Review the information about mailed material: Material that is mailed to you is first checked out on your account. Library staff will mail it via US mail to your home address. Delivery time is 7-14 days. A mailing label will be enclosed to return the material to the library. It is your responsibility to return the item at your expense. It must be received by the library no later than the due date, or you will be assessed fines or other charges.
  • You may renew most items one time. If you still need the material after the renewal due date you must return it to the library and the request the item again.
What is my best option for obtaining books? See Flowchart

UO Library:

Books that are AVAILABLE in the UO Catalog may be delivered via US mail to your home.

To do this: Look at the complete record of the book. Click on the request / place hold button. Select the "Distance Ed" location in the drop-down box. Books that are currently checked out may also be recalled and then sent to you (a recalled book may not be available for up to 2 weeks - if you live near an Orbis Cascade library you may want to consider finding an alternative copy of the book in Summit.)

Summit catalog:

Orbis Cascade is a consortium of Pacific Northwest libraries. The Summit Catalog combines individual member catalogs, including the University of Oregon Library, into a single unified database. Using the Orbis Cascade Alliance can offer the best option for identifying and quickly obtaining books if you live near an Orbis Cascade library.

Most Orbis Cascade materials will have a 3 week loan period and can be renewed for an additional 3 weeks unless other patrons have placed holds on them. Some materials (such as videos, CDs, etc.) may check out for three days only, and these cannot be renewed. Materials checked out through Orbis Cascade Lending do accrue overdue fines if they're returned late.

Journal articles are not included in the Orbis Cascade Lending Program.

Check the Summit catalog. After identifying the books you need, there are two options for obtaining these books. When looking at information about a title click on # libraries have this item to see the libraries that own the item*.

If it is owned AND available at a library near you, you may use on-site borrowing. You may borrow materials from any Orbis Cascade library by going to that library and presenting your UO ID card. You are subject to the policies of that library when you borrow directly from them. They set the due dates, overdue fines, and other conditions for borrowing. Be sure to take your UO ID with when picking up Orbis Cascade material.

If it is owned AND available at another library* you may request the item be delivered to the Orbis Cascade library nearest you. Materials will generally be delivered to an Orbis Cascade library within 3 working days. Use the REQUEST THIS ITEM link. Identify yourself as affiliated with UO but change the Pickup Institution to the library near you.

You may renew these items. Most materials can be renewed one time. If you still need the material after the renewal due date you must return it and request the item again.

* if the University of Oregon owns the item AND it is listed as Available at the UO, you will not be able to use Orbis Cascade to request the item. See above.

Your local library:

 

Occasionally, for convenience or due to time constraints, you may want to use your local library. Keep in mind that other libraries are supporting a different group of users and/or curriculum and may not have the materials you need. The library may also not have the resources, either in materials and staff, to handle many requests.

Access to many library catalogs is available through the Internet:

Interlibrary Loan:

If you are unable to find the books you need through the UO Library you may search and request material from WorldCat.

When you have found a title in WorldCat that you would like to borrow, click on the Interlibrary Loan icon at the top of the record. Complete the entire form. Be sure that for Library for Pickup; and Status; you indicate Distance Education. Be sure to give a complete address as that is the address that will be used when shipping the book. The loaning library will ship the item to the UO. When it is received at the UO, staff will mail it via US mail to the address you provided. You are responsible for return postage. The due date on your material reflects the date that materials must be received by the library - overdue fines will be assessed for late material. For books you are unable to find in WorldCat use the Interlibrary Loan Department's Form.

Electronic books:

Most books owned by the UO Library are not available electronically.

To browse the what is available electronically you can start with an Advanced Catalog search. Do a keyword search in the library catalog AND limit to location to Internet. From a catalog record for a netLibrary title, such as Silk Stalkings, a link will take you to a netLibrary summary page, where you can browse the eBook online or create an account and check it out for 12 hours. You can peruse the book page by page, use the table of contents to navigate, or search the full text for specific words or phrases.

For reference material available full-text see: Encyclopedias.

Maintained by: Katy Lenn, klenn@uoregon.edu
Last Modified: 08/25/2006