Services & Access
To place an Inter-library Loan (ILL) request, you will need your Library Number, which a 16 digit number that starts with 200-- and several digits longer than your Student ID Number. If you do not know your Library Number, please email the Ylvisaker Library Circulation Department to request it: circdept@cord.edu. Keep a copy of this number for the duration of your graduate work at Concordia, so that you may have access to ILL services.
The Carl B. library has created a guide to commonly asked questions about accessing library resources. The great majority of our digital content -- databases, ebooks, etc. -- will be available to any current student or instructor with internet. If you encounter problems accessing articles or ebooks, check out the following to troubleshoot and then contact a librarian if you would like additional help.
Note: this is a separate library guide which will take you away from the Graduate Student Library Guide; we recommend opening the Troubleshooting guide in a separate tab so that you will still be able to consult the Graduate Student Library Guide easily.
Contact your library liaison directly to get specialized research help for your academic discipline. Email your Library Liaison to set up a research consultation. Librarians can offer research consultations via email or set up a Zoom conversation during regular library office hours. Uncertain about which librarian works with your class or topic? Click on "By Subject" in the gray bar on the Library Liaison page and choose a subject area. Subject-specific librarian help may vary during summer semesters.
For simple questions or in-the-moment questions, we suggest choosing one of these options:
- Email a Question to the Ask A Librarian email service (response time may be slower in July)
- Ask a Librarian Chat on the Main page of the library website (chat is live during Reference Desk hours)
- Reference phone: (218) 299-4656 (available during Reference Desk Hours)
- Need to renew your books? Call the Circulation Desk at 218-299-4641 (available during Concordia staff hours)
- Questions about your InterLibrary Loan? Call Leah at 218-299-4641 (available during Concordia staff hours)
Inter-Library Loan (ILL) is an essential service for Graduate Students due to the complex nature of your research process. The Carl B. library has standing agreements with many libraries across the United States that allow us to borrow articles and books from them so that our students may use them in their research. This service is paid for by student tuition, and is available when you see the "Request ILL" button or "Request this item" link. The video below illustrates how to place an ILL request, both for books you find in the catalog and for articles you find in databases.
For Articles:
Follow the normal Interlibrary Loan Procedure (ILL) for requesting articles while off campus. Be aware that your Interlibrary Loan article request may take 3-10 days.
1. Search by title in the Library Catalog.
2. Click on the title of the item you want
3. Click the "Request ILL" button
4. Fill out the form, including your library card number and Concordia email address.
5. You will be notified when your ILL is available. Articles requested will be emailed to you.
6. Save the documents to your personal device/cloud space as soon as you open them, as email-linked access expires after a few days or a few openings.
Manual Interlibrary Loan Request
Fill out a Manual Interlibrary Loan Request if your item is not available for ILL using the Library Catalog.
If you are enrolled in a Concordia Masters program class and do not live in the Fargo-Moorhead community, print books may be sent to you. Be sure to choose "Graduate Student" in the drop-down menu on the ILL form; this will allow our Circulation Manager to prioritize your request with regard to mailing instructions. For questions about receiving items through the mail, please email our Circulation/ILL Manager, Leah Anderson: landerso@cord.edu.
If you need print books for your work in these classes, be sure to request them as soon as you know you need them. Be aware that Interlibrary Loan for print items can take up to 10 days.
When you request a print book, you will see that request recorded in your library account. To look at your account, go to the main page of the library and click on My Library Account to log in. For questions about how to place an ILL request or about the status of a request, please call the library: 218-299-4641, email the Circulation Department at circdept@cord.edu, or contact your library liaison.
Accessibility
The Carl B. Ylvisaker Library is committed to providing equal access to library collections, services, and facilities for all library users. Visit our website for more information about accessing items in the physical collection, locating software and accessibility stations, and finding accessible study spaces.
Online Resources
Many of the Carl B.'s online resources include accessibility features like read aloud capabilities. To learn which databases have these features visit the library's A-Z Databases list.
Many databases in the A-Z list have icons after their name that indicate database features like audio, video, images, read aloud, opens in a new window, etc. Hover your mouse over the icon to see what each icon means.
You can also use the "All Database Types" drop down box to see a list of all the databases that have the feature you are looking for.
Books
If you are looking for accessibility features in print books, you can limit by format while searching the Library Catalog to find what you need. For example, you can limit to large print books. If the Carl B. doesn't have the book in the format you need, we can ask to borrow it from another library through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Just keep in mind that it can take a few days for items to arrive, so plan accordingly. Unfortunately, the Carl B. isn't able to borrow eBooks or eAudiobooks through ILL. If you are interested in learning more about accessibility in eBook Central, one of the Carl B.'s eBook platforms, visit the EBook Central Accessibility page on the Introduction to eBooks Libguide.
Questions
If you have questions or need help finding a specific type of material, contact the librarians at the Carl B. We are available in person at the reference desk and over phone, email, and the Ask a Librarian chat.
- Email a Question
- Ask a Librarian Chat
- Reference phone: (218) 299-4656