Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery

Document Delivery

The Albin O. Kuhn Library provides document delivery services for the faculty, students and staff of UMBC. If the library doesn't own the material patrons need there are several ways to try to locate it.

Books

• check catalogusmai to determine if other libraries within the University System of Maryland (USM) own the title.
• if yes in USMAI - patron places a hold/recall on the title. The book will be sent to the library for the patron to pickup.
• if not in USMAI - patron can place an Interlibrary Loan request. ILL will try to borrow the book from another library. (we've got a good success rate!)
• check Worldcat which contains records of any type of material cataloged by OCLC member libraries. Includes manuscripts written as early as the 12th century
  • patrons can check for books, conference proceedings, etc.
  • patrons can check locations of libraries owning titles
  • patrons can access library online catalog
  • patrons can place ILL requests

Articles

• check our A-to-Z Journal List which includes
  • print journal holdings
  • full-text articles in databases
  • electronic journals

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

• ILL orders articles, not owned by the library, for faculty, staff and students and can usually provide quick delivery, when patrons provide accurate and complete information.
• free for faculty, staff, students (most fees paid by the library)
• article delivery usually very fast
• electronic desktop delivery
• books average 1-2 weeks (they come by mail from other libraries around the world)
• can also place ILL requests through Ebsco, FirstSearch, CSA, MdUSA and SilverPlatter databases

Ingenta and Infotrieve

• look up and order articles
• library subsidizes cost up to $50 for faculty, staff and graduate students.
• patrons should set up accounts within each database
• try both databases, they overlap some, but each has plenty of titles the other doesn't
• fairly fast, electronic desktop delivery (designate ARIEL for fastest delivery - the Ariel address is 130.85.150.114)
• ILL can often get articles faster and cheaper
• use ingenta or Infotrieve if you need ASAP or on weekends