We want our online students to feel just as welcome in our library as our students who live in the dorms.  Thanks to the same technology that allows you to take your classes online, we can offer you online access to our library resources.  From the library web pages you are able to:

• Search for journal articles from the Databases Page
• Search for books in our online Library Catalog
• Request research assistance from our librarians using the
  Ask a Librarian service
• Use our web pages to find subject related web pages selected by our librarians, as well as tutorials and library handouts by going to our Online Resources page

Some of these features require authentication from off campus (you logging in), and mailing materials requires a fee.  Please continue reading for more information.

Home Library:
Even if you never come into the SPU Library you may consider it your home library; you may request that we mail you items; request interlibrary loan or Summit borrowing items; search the databases; or contact the reference desk and ask questions.  Since SPU is a member of Orbis Cascade Alliance, a consortium of libraries, you may use other Orbis Cascade Alliance libraries as well, where you will have Visiting Patron status. You can check out materials from other Alliance libraries as well as request that materials from the Summit union catalog be sent to their library for pick-up. The only limitation for Visiting Patrons is that you will not be able to use their databases remotely, but will need to continue using SPU's databases. Click here to see a list of all Orbis Cascade Alliance member libraries.

Accessing Journal Resources:
All online students should have received a library card with their barcode on it from the Online Program Coordinators.  You will need this barcode number to log into the databases from your off campus home or office computer.  If you have not received a barcode number please contact the Circulation Desk at 206-281-2228, email: circ@spu.edu

The library subscribes to a variety of journal indexes and full text resources covering almost every subject. Click here to go to the alphabetical list of databases.

For the resources that are available in full text on the computer, you will be able to download or print a copy of the article.  However, not all of our resources are available in full text.  You may need to request a copy via Interlibrary Loan (ILL) from the library.  As a remote user you may use the ILL form to request copies of items that the Library owns as well as items that are not owned by SPU.

Accessing Books:
Search the SPU Library catalog for books including approximately 1800 eBooks that we have purchased or are available free from NetLibrary (an eBook publisher) and are available in full text online.  You may see a list of all eBooks by doing the keyword search  < NetLibrary > in the catalog. You will need your library barcode and library PIN to access these eBooks from off campus.  Use the ILL form to request that books owned by the SPU library be sent to you.  SPU books circulate for four weeks and include a short "in the mail" grace period.  Indicate in the comment section of the ILL form that you are an online student and need the requested materials mailed to you.

Search Summit, the Orbis Cascade Alliance union catalog, for books that are available for request. Books that are requested from Summit will be sent to the SPU Library (or the Alliance library of your choice) You may request that items sent to the SPU Library be mailed to you.  If you request that an item be sent to an Alliance library near you, you may pick it up yourself.  Summit books circulate for only six weeks.  If you choose to have the book mailed to you, Summit books must be back to SPU by the six week due date.  Materials checked out through Summit may be returned to any participating Alliance library.

If you would like to borrow books that are not available from SPU or any of the Orbis Cascade Alliance libraries, you may request them via Interlibrary Loan.  We will find a library that has the item, they will send to book to us, and we will then mail it on to you.  Sometimes there are costs associated with Interlibrary Loans.  Lending times also vary according to who we get the item from.  See the ILL pages for more information.

Asking Questions:
The Reference librarians at SPU are ready to answer your questions.  You may call the Reference Desk at (206) 281-2419 when it is open or use our Ask a Librarian online form to submit a question.  Please let us know in the message that you are an online student so that we can recommend resources that do not entail coming to the library.

Scanning and Mailing Services:
The SPU Library will scan and send articles from journals we own. We will also mail books (ours as well as those owned by other libraries).  Please use the appropriate ILL Request Form to request items.  Use the comments section of the form to note that you are an online student and would like the item mailed to you.

Charges for mailing items within the United States will be the actual cost of shipping; return shipping is your responsibility.  We will work with you to reduce costs if multiple books are sent in the same package.  Contact us to make arrangements if you need items shipped to locations outside of the United States.  Some books may not be shipped out of the United States.

If you have questions about the library services that are available to Online Students, please contact the Circulation Desk at (206) 281-2228 or email: circ@spu.edu

rev. 06/02/2009