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What
is it?
The Virtual Catalog provides a single, searchable catalog of materials owned
by participating academic and public libraries in Massachusetts. Qualified
patrons of participating libraries may directly request material.
Who
can use it?
Anyone may search the Virtual Catalog as a guest. To search only, login as a
"guest" on the OCLN Virtual Catalog login screen.
To request material, you must be a registered user of a participating
library, and must login with a valid library card number, either at the OCLN
login screen or at the Massachusetts
Library & Information Network login screen.
If you login with your OCLN library card number and see the message "The
patron ID you entered is invalid for this library," there may be a
problem with your library account. Contact your local library for assistance.
Which libraries can I request materials from?
The following libraries fill requests from OCLN users:
- Central/Western Mass.
Automated Resource Sharing (C/W MARS)
- Cape Libraries Automated Materials Sharing (CLAMS)
- MetroBoston Library Network
(includes Boston Public Library)
- Minuteman Library Network
- North of Boston Library
Exchange (NOBLE)
- SAILS Library Network
- UMass-Amherst
- UMass-Boston
- UMass-Dartmouth
- UMass-Lowell
Can
I search more than these libraries?
To search the collections of all Virtual Catalog participants, including
search only participants, select "Virtual Catalog All Libraries"
from the Catalogs to Search dropdown menu on the Virtual Catalog Search Menu
screen. Additional catalogs searched are listed below:
- Fenway Libraries Online
(FLO)
- Merrimack Valley Library
Consortium (MVLC)
What
material may be borrowed?
Each participating library determines which items in its collection it will
lend, including books and other materials. Generally, you will not be able to
request items that are library use only, on course reserve, bestsellers, or
in local demand. If your request is accepted by the Virtual Catalog, then the
system has identified at least one copy that can be requested.
If the item you want cannot be borrowed on the Virtual Catalog, you may be
able to place a hold on the same item in the OCLN catalog, or request it via
other interlibrary loan services.
How
long does it take?
Material will take a week or more to arrive, depending on whether the item
you request is available at a participating library, and where the owning
library is located.
If the item you request is available at the first library, the item should be
ready for pickup approximately a week after your original request. If the
item you request is NOT readily available at the first lending library, your
request is automatically transferred to another potential lending library. In
these cases, items will take longer to arrive.
Where
do I pick up and return material?
When you place a request, you will select an OCLN library as your pickup
location. When the item arrives at that location, the library will notify you
that the material is ready for pickup. Material should be returned at the
library where it was picked up.
What
are the loan policies?
Cost: No charge for borrowing
Loan period: 28 days
Renewals: No renewals allowed
Limits: 5 items at a time
Overdue Fines: $.05 per day
Note: Charges for lost or damaged material are set by the
lending library and may be significant.
How
do I check the status of my request?
On the Virtual Catalog's Patron Main Menu, select Review Your Requests.
You will see a summary of all your outstanding requests with the pickup
location you used when logging in to the Virtual Catalog. To see request
details, click on the title. Status and Due Date are toward the bottom of the
Request Details screen.
Revised
7/21/04 - MA
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