The University Libraries strive to fulfill all the information needs of the University community.
When material is not available in the UMass Lowell libraries or in our full text databases, UMass Lowell faculty, staff and students may request
it from another library. To find books from other libraries, we recommend WorldCat Local Navigator.
Using Worldcat Local, you may search the collections of our own libraries while simultaneously searching the collections of our partner libraries
in the Boston Library Consortium (BLC), as well as libraries across the country. Results are prioritized by availability so the items that can
be in your hand most quickly are listed first. Material that you can borrow immediately from the UMass Lowell Libraries will appear at the top
of the list. Items in BLC libraries will appear after our own material. Materials in other libraries in Massachusetts are listed next,
followed by libraries across the country and beyond. You will be able to see which group holds an item in the first level of results.
It will appear in green text as “Libraries that own this item.”
About Searching in WorldCat Local
WorldCat Local includes material in many different formats, including books, journal articles, CDs, and videos. (The functionality for articles is still in development.) The UMass Lowell Libraries subscribe to many databases that offer hundreds of thousands of journals in full text to our patrons. At this time, the full scope of our online holdings is not accessible through WorldCat Local. Journal articles maybe requested through our electronic databases and ILLiad. They are usually delivered electronically, often within 24 hours. If you are looking for articles, please use our electronic databases to find full text journal articles and citations electronically. If you have a specific article that you would like to request through interlibrary loan, please submit the request through ILLiad. When using WorldCat Local it is often helpful to use the limiters on the left side to restrict your search results to just books. More on finding journal articles.
Requesting Material in WorldCat Local
If a book is owned by the UMass Lowell Libraries, click on the title to see if it’s available (not checked out), which library it’s in and what its call number is. If it is a book that you would like to access, just come into the library and retrieve it from the shelves. If the book is held at Lydon Library and you need to pick it up at O’Leary Library, you can make that request in our Online Catalog. Books will usually be delivered within 48 hours. (More on picking up Lydon Library books at O’Leary Library.)
If the book you would like is not available here, you can request that we borrow if from another library for you. Simply click on the title. A list of libraries that own the book will appear with a blue box on the right side that says, “Request this item.” Click the box to begin your request. You will be asked to select your library. UMass Lowell Libraries are usually preselected, but will be shown in the drop down menu if not. You will then be asked for your “barcode” and last name. The barcode is the 16 digit number found on your UML ID card. It is not your ID number, UMS number, or ISIS number. Only library users who have registered for borrowing privileges at the UMass Lowell Libraries will be able to use this system. Once you log on, you will be asked for your e-mail address. Requests cannot be placed without entering a valid e-mail address. You will able to specify at which library you would like to pick up the requested item(s). You can also add special instructions here, but unless there are extremely critical instructions, it is best to leave these empty in order to expedite processing. (For example, typing I need this ASAP! will actually slow the request by moving it into a review status instead of automatically moving on to the loaning library.) Click “Continue” to submit the request. It is helpful to write down your request number. Requests for items are usually filled within a few days if the requested item is available from a Boston Library Consortium institution. For other libraries, material is usually delivered in about 7-14 days. You will be notified by e-mail when the book is ready for pick up or if it is not available.
The Massachusetts Virtual Catalog
The Massachusetts Virtual Catalog (MAVC) is still available. Use this system to search and request material from Massachusetts public libraries as well as many college libraries. The libraries involved in the MAVC use a state-wide delivery service that enables us to receive material more quickly than regular mail allows. Items requested through the MAVC are usually delivered to UMass Lowell within a week, and often sooner. One of the benefits of sharing a Virtual Catalog with the public libraries is that the public libraries purchase different materials than academic libraries. In general, public libraries' collections are rich in fiction (especially current, popular fiction) and nonfiction aimed at general readers. See the MAVC FAQ for more information on the MAVC.
For more information, use the following links: