Guides: Library Resource Liaison Guide to Services and Information: overview

Borrowing

Borrowing Periods
This link takes you to a table that includes a row for loan periods for undergraduate students. You can borrow a book for 28 days and continue to renew it all semester.
Borrow Direct and EZ Borrow
Borrow Direct allows you to borrow books from Ivy League University libraries plus Johns Hopkins, University of Chicago, CRL, MIT. EZ Borrow includes libraries from Pennsylvania and a few from out of state including NYU.
Inter-Library Loan and Additional Document Delivery Options
Browse the left hand column to take advantage of more options for connecting to articles and books through Penn's document delivery services. If what you need is not available in Borrow Direct/EZ Borrow, do not hestitate to place a request through ILL.

Contact interlib@pobox.upenn.edu or (215) 898-7558 for questions or assistance.
LIBRA
The libraries' off site storage facility. Request books and journals; request scans of journal articles. The libraries run two deliveries per day. Links taking you to a request form are in Franklin records.
Reciprocal Borrowing Agreements
On-site borrowing was recently instated for the Borrow Direct libraries including Brown, University of Chicago, Columbia , Cornell, Darmouth, Duke, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, MIT, Princeton, and Yale.

In addition Penn as agreements with the Tri-Colleges: Swarthmore, Haverford, and Bryn Mawr as well as Drexel University. Follow the link for guidelines.
Lola, Biddle's Law Library Catalog
Equipment Lending at WIC
Visit the Media Lab at the Weigle Information Commons to learn more about borrowing equipment. Laptops can be borrowed from the Rosengarten Reserve Area, lower level of Van Pelt Library.
Center for Research Libraries
Newspapers from around the world (microfilm, print, some digitized and online), foreign language dissertations, area studies, agriculture among other areas—materials that are too specialized and expensive or hard to maintain for anyone library to purchase. Penn is a member, can search their catalog directly. Lengthy loan periods six months or more. Part of Borrow Direct.
VCat
Penn Libraries' Video Catalog. Franklin also contains DVD's and videos, but VCat provides more extensive information about them.

Connecting via the Libraries' Proxy Service

When you connect to databases and journals through the libraries records and links, you should be asked to login before going to the site. If you go directly to the database or journal via a Google search or the sites direct URL, this won't happen. The links below will assist you in connecting to resources available to you through your Penn affiliation no matter where you are:

Connect through EZ Proxy
A guide to the libraries' proxy service: Look for PennText or Article linker icons to access online resources available through Penn Libraries' subscriptions and purchases. Use this link: http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017/25333 to search directly through PennText
Proxy Bookmarklet
This works similarly to the libx tool below. The button is a page reloader. If you're looking at an article in a database, and it doesn't know you're a Penn Libraries patron, simply click the button, enter your Pennkey / Password, and you're in. Browse your resource first, find the content you need, click the bookmark to log in, and continue.The button is a browser bookmark. Once it's added to your browser, access to these resources is one click away no matter where you are.
LibX
LibX is a browser plugin for Firefox and Internet Explorer that provides a search toolbar, live links to Franklin searches, and right-click searches of selected text in Franklin or Google. This link takes you to a site where you will be able to download the Libx extension for Firefox or Chrome.

Get Things Done

Many links for getting started appear on the Libraries tab of PennPortal.

Another way to get started is to find your librarian by reviewing the Subject Specialist list. Your subject specialist can help with research needs and other aspects of using the library.

Chat online with a librarian -- no question too simple, no question too hard -- harder questions might lead to appointments

Drop by the Info Desk and Other Ways to Get Help
email, reference chat, stop in and ask questions, find out different ways to interact through this link
Butler Assistive Technology Room
Including Speech-to-Text, Text-to-Speech and other technologies that help you study and learn with a variety of approaches. Follow the link for more information

Journal Articles

Using the Catalog and Articles+ to identify books and journal articles. Click on the Catalogs and Articles+ tab (it should turn blue) at the top of this page, type in your search statement or the name of a book, journal article, book chapter, or author.

Sometimes things don't work as well as they should -- if you find that you are being prompted to pay for an article to download it -- don't pay for it. It is probably a mistake in the system either from the publisher's side of things or ours. And remember, that we can always use Inter-Library Loan (ILL) to get journal articles (and its quick!) if we don't have subscription access.

Work around: search the title of the journal in Franklin Catalog, go to the journal site through the catalog link, you may need to select the correct volume and issue (from your original citation), and then look for the title.

Look Journal up in Franklin:

Follow "connect to full text" link and go to journal site--choose correct volume and issue:

Links to Workshops

Workshops Calendar
Different series are color coded. Check back frequently for updates. For instance, "Digital Scholarship" workshops are pink.
More Workshops
From across the libraries
More Library Events
Including Kislak speakers and exhibits

Course Reserves

Print reserves: Instructors may place books, journal articles and other materials on reserve. To ensure maximum availability, reserve materials are generally charged out by the hour or overnight. The main reserve room at Penn is Rosengarten Reserve, located in the Undergraduate Study Center on the ground floor of the Van Pelt Library and open all night during the fall and spring semesters.

Plagiarism Software

Books By Mail

Books By Mail
Books By Mail is a service offered to graduate students and faculty members to facilitate their research while living 75 miles or more away from campus. But, you may also be able to make use of this service if you are having difficulty physically getting to the library. Contact the Community Outreach Librarian for more information. ancil [at] pobox upenn edu

REFERRALS

Make an Appointment
Ask the student you are helping to fill in this form -- which will automatically go to the librarian specialist -- have them do it while they are with you
List of Specialists by subject
Find the most likely specialist. Share the email with the student but also contact the specialist with the students name, email, and question (if possible)

Library Home Page

Franklin Catalog and Articles +
Search the libraries print and online collections including additional resources beyond Penn but available to all Penn people. -- click on the small arrow icon in the upper right hand corner of the Franklin record to email the record, activate Zotero or Mendeley, download in RIS format. Browse subjects, facets for locations, language, dates, classification and more.With Articles+ you are searching for journal articles and books at the same time. After doing your search, click on "filter" for more options
Find It
Click on the "Find it" tab and type in appropriate terms to find e-resources, study spaces, library services
Links to all Penn Libraries
Are found on the Library Home Page (in the space just below the search box). Daily hours can be found here. Click on "hours" and find the monthly calendar of hours for your library location
Van Pelt Undergraduate Study Center
Is open 24 hours. Borrow laptops, find reserve books, use library pcs, reserve study rooms. Mark's Cafe is accessible from the Study Center and open until 2:00 a.m.
Login to your Library Account
See what you have checked out, what ILL/Borrow Direct items are on their way or due for return; renew books that are coming due

Additional Services

Services for your Students at WIC
Study Spaces
Search "study spaces," "seminar rooms," in "Find it" or visit the Lippencott or Weigle Information Commons Web sites to find small and large group study spaces at the libraries. Also, see the link to the "Room Scheduler"
Room Scheduler
Book small group study rooms and selected seminar rooms in Van Pelt, the Weigle Information Commons, Lippincott, and the Education Commons (in Franklin Field)

New Materials for the Libraries

Suggest a Purchase
This form will be directed to the most appropriate librarian. If you are used to working with a subject specialist for your area, you may direct the request directly to that librarian.