Borrowing Library Materials (Circulation): Borrowing from OhioLINK

What is OhioLINK Borrowing?

Current students, staff, and faculty, as well as Courtesy Card members, can borrow many books and other materials from any of the 80+ OhioLINK partner libraries, using your UToledo Rocket Card.

What can be borrowed?

Individual libraries determine whether their items can be borrowed.  When you are in the OhioLINK Library Catalog, click on the phrase "# OhioLINK Libraries have this Item" to see the status at a particular library.  Any item with the status of AVAILABLE can be borrowed (unless they are housed at the Center for Research Libraries (CRL)).  Usually these items include books, proceedings, theses & dissertations, and some sound and video recordings.  Items with the status LIB USE ONLY, LOCAL USE ONLY, MISSING, IN PROCESS, etc., cannot be borrowed.  This includes most magazines, journals, and other periodicals.  

How long until the item arrives?  How will I know it is ready?

The requested items will be delivered to the library by a courier service, and usually arrive within 3-5 business days.  OhioLINK books are not delivered on weekends or holidays, even if the library is open.  The book will be held for 10 days for you to pick up.   You will be notified when your OhioLINK items are ready for pick-up by e-mail only, at your University of Toledo e-mail address.  You can also check the Requests (Holds) portion of your Library Record to follow the progress of your request:

• After the request is initially placed, the Status will be REQUESTED
• When the other library sends the item, the Status will be IN TRANSIT
• When the item is received at its destination, the Status will be OHIOLINK REC'D.

How long can I keep the book out for?

OhioLINK items can be checked out for 3 weeks, and can be renewed up to six times (for a total of 21 weeks) as long as the item does not have a hold placed on it at the original library.  Renewals can be made online through your Library Record or in person at the circulation desk.

Fines for overdue OhioLINK items are $0.50 per item per day.

If you find materials that are not available to be borrowed through OhioLINK, either because no OhioLINK library owns the item, or no copy is available for borrowing, you do have other options.

See our Interlibrary Loan (ILLiad) page to find out more about requesting items from libraries outside of the OhioLINK system.  ILLiad can take significantly longer to retrieve a book, however, since it is mailed through postal mail.  ILLiad can also be used to obtain copies of single articles, however, and these are delivered electronically.

When you find an item in the OhioLINK Library Catalog that you would like to borrow, follow these steps to request it:

1. Click on the green 'Request' button. 
2. Choose "U of Toledo" from the list and then click the "Submit Above Information" button.
3. Fill out the form with your Name on the first line ('John Doe'), and your Rocket Number, with the R and all of the zeros, on the second (R00123456, for example).
4. If you do not want to have the item delivered to a University of Toledo location, change your pickup institution.  (See Pick Up Anywhere for more information.)
5. Select a library location at the school where you will pick it up, and then click the "Submit" button.
6. Depending on the item, the system may pick a school for you that will send the book.  At other times, it may ask you to identify the copy that you want from a list.  Be sure to choose one that has a status of AVAILABLE! Click the "Submit Above Information" button at the bottom of the screen.
7. You should see a confirmation screen that says 
   "Your request for TITLE was successful.
   Item requested from OTHER SCHOOL.
   Your request will be delivered to LOCATION at YOUR SCHOOL when it is available."

If you're not in Toledo, you do not have to have your OhioLINK requests delivered to a University of Toledo location... they can be picked up at any of the 80+ OhioLINK institutions.  You may want to use this service if you are a distance-learning student and live far from Toledo, or if you live near another OhioLINK school and need a book during a vacation or break.   To use this service, simply follow the steps outlined above, only use the name of the other school in Step #4.  (You still need to use University of Toledo in Step #2).  Some schools are listed as pickup locations within a local library group, such as OPAL or CONSORT.  If you don't see the school on the main list, try selecting one of these 'schools' and look at the pickup locations.

If you are trying to request a book that is available at the University of Toledo to be sent to another school, the system will not allow the request.  Please call the Circulation Department at (419) 530-2323 and they will be able to assist you.

You will need your University of Toledo Student ID to pick up your materials at the other school.

Students and faculty at other OhioLINK schools can check out material from UToledo libraries, but they must identify themselves as visiting patrons and present their school's ID card (and sometimes a PIN) at the Circulation or Access Services Desk.

Items will be checked out just as if you had ordered them through OhioLINK:  you will be able to check them out for 3 weeks, and renew them online.  Items can be returned to the University of Toledo or to your own institution's library.