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• What if the Book I Want Isn't Here?

Looking for Books and Journals
What if the Book I Want Isn't Here?

The University of Oregon Libraries have an impressive collection, but there are times when you need access to something that is not available in our collection.

Below are four steps to take in getting the book you need.

Step 1:
Double check the library catalog by doing an Author or Title search.

Step 2:
Search Summit, a library catalog that lets you search the holdings from the more than 30 members of the Orbis Cascade Alliance (nearly all libraries from four-year institutions in Oregon and Washington). An item found in this database can be requested online and will be available at Knight Library within 3 business days.
NOTE: Summit can also be used to request books owned by the UO Libraries that are not currently available (e.g., checked out to another patron, on hold, missing, on reserve, or in the reference collection).

[click here for a visual guide to Summit borrowing]

Step 3:
If neither the UO Libraries Catalog nor Summit has the book you want, search WorldCat, which combines the holdings of almost 3,000 libraries around the world. You can request items online; they'll arrive at the UO in about a week.

[click here for a visual guide to WorldCat borrowing]

Step 4:
If you still can't find the book you need, but you have evidence that it exists (for example, you are looking for a specific title or edition of a book), submit a request using the UO Libraries' interlibrary loan form and we'll take care of the rest. (To find the form yourself, select "Interlibrary Loans (ILL)" from the Services menu at the top of most web pages on the Libraries' web site, then select the appropriate form.)

For help, please contact a librarian.