Problems?
Bumps in the road...
- The book you need is checked out.
- Cornell Library doesn't have the book.
- It's at the Annex (What's the Annex?)
- Cornell doesn't own the journal
- (for an article you need).
- Someone else has taken out the journal issue you need.
- You can't find anything good on your topic!
Solutions
The book is checked out to someone else.
Search BorrowDirect. If one of our partner libraries owns the item, it will be shipped to you within about 4 days.
If it's not available via BorrowDirect, you can Recall the item from the current user. (Note: This takes time. The first borrower gets at least 2 weeks with the item, and another week following the Recall notice).>
Cornell library doesn't own the book.
Search BorrowDirect. If one of our partner libraries owns the item, it will be shipped to you within about 4 days.
If it's not available via BorrowDirect, try the Interlibrary Loan option.
It's at the Annex.
The Annex is an off-campus storage facility. Choose the Requests or Request Item button to have it sent to a campus library. Turnaround time is approximately 1 day, longer over the weekend.
Cornell doesn't own the journal.
Request a scanned copy of the article you need via Interlibrary Loan. It may take several days, occasionally longer, to receive the scanned article.
Someone else has taken out the journal issue you need.
If it is due back within a few days, place a hold on the item. If it's not due back for some time, request the article through Interlibrary Loan.
For more information, see Borrowing and Delivery.
You can't find anything good on your topic!
It happens. Don't struggle for hour upon hour. Ask a Librarian!
Request items not at Cornell
Borrow Direct is a reciprocal borrowing program for print books, among a group of large research libraries, mostly located in the northeast. If Cornell does not have a book you need or if our copy is unavailable, you can borrow it from another university. It is fast -- usually only a few days.
Interlibrary Loan can get material (print books and scans of book chapters or journal articles) that Cornell does not own, from libraries throughout the U.S.