Borrowing, Requesting and Renewing

Requesting Morris Library and I-Share Materials

All faculty, staff, students, and courtesy card holders with borrowing privileges can request items from our collection using our online catalog. I-Share requests are restricted to only faculty, staff, and students.

Library staff print requests twice a day and retrieve the items from our stacks for patrons. Requests made by 1PM, are generally ready by 4PM the same day. Once an item is ready for pickup, you will receive an email that looks like the image below. 

Once you have received this email, you can come to the Morris Library Circulation Desk and pick up the item. We will hold the book for you for two weeks. After that time period has elapsed, we will return the book to the shelf.

To check out your items you will need your student ID, Courtesy Card, or a State Issued ID.

Interlibrary Loan services are available to all faculty, emeritus faculty, staff, and students at SIUC.

All requests are made using ILLiad and will not appear on your Morris Library account. You will use ILLiad to make and renew all requests and you can even track the status of a pending request via this service.

Instructions for making a request in ILLiad, can be found on the Interlibrary Loan page.

Login credentials for ILLiad are your SIU email and password. 

Placing an I-Share request or a request for library staff to pull an item from our shelves for you is essentially the same process. To get started, you will go to the library home page and search the catalog for the title you are hoping to find. For this example, we are searching for a copy of Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift.

This will take you to a list of results that looks like this. It's at this point, you could change the drop-down menu to search all I-Share Libraries, but for our example we will stay in the Morris Library catalog:

I have selected the item that is available via Morris Library by clicking on the book's title. However, I am going to use the "Request from Morris Library" feature so that a Morris Library staff member will find the item and they will notify me when it's ready for me to pick up at the circulation desk. You will find this feature in an item's record by scrolling down to the box labeled "Get It" as seen below.

Once you click the "Request from Morris Library" button, the screen below will pop up:

You will choose the library you want the item delivered to- you can select any library in I-Share. You will finalize your request by clicking "Send Request." If your request goes through successfully, you will see the screen below:

Ways To Renew Library Items

• • SIU items and items from I-Share libraries via "My Account" in I-Share. Please See Instructions below.
  • Items from non-I-Share libraries (interlibrary loans) in your Interlibary Loan account or by calling Interlibrary Loan at 618-453-1012.
  • Any items in person at the Circulation Desk. You do not need to have the items with you, but you must present your SIU ID.
  • If you are unable to renew your items or have items that were checked out manually, they must be renewed by library staff either by calling 618-453-1456 or going to the Circulation Desk.
  • For loan periods and further details, see the Morris Library Circulation Policies.

How To Renew Morris Library Items and I-Share Items

To renew Morris Library books or items borrowed from I-Share, you will need to login to your I-Share account. To login into your account, in the "I Want to ..." box at the center of the library homepage you will see an option to "Renew library materials."

From there, chose ""My Account" in I-Share".

Once you have selected I-Share, it should take you to this screen:

For SIU students, faculty, and staff to login, you will use your SIU Dawgtag Number and your Salukinet Password. If you are a Courtesy Card Borrower, your login information was assigned when you purchased your card. Please refer to the information on your card or contact Library Circulation services for assistance at 618-453-1455.

Now that you have logged in, you should see a page that looks like the image below. To the left is a list of all the universities from which you've received items. The clipboard next to the university name indicates an active loan. You will need to click each individual university's name to see the items you have borrowed from them and renew the items. 

In the center of the screen the titles of the loans from that university are displayed. Please note that items that are due soon show a red clock icon and are highlighted.

The easiest option is to simply click the "Renew All." This only renews your items for the selected university—you must do this for each library with active loans. 

While in your I-Share Account, you can also check for outstanding fines/fees, blocks, and pending requests. You can also review your personal details section to ensure that we have the most accurate information.

If you have problems renewing, please contact Morris Library's Circulation department at 618-453-1456.

Browsing in the Morris Library basement is available on a limited basis currently using our Circulating Battery Packs. We have two of these packs available for checkout, and they are available for 2-hour checkout periods on a first-come-first-serve basis. The first time you checkout the battery pack, a staff member will go with you to show you how to operate the pack. To checkout a pack, just bring your student ID to the circulation desk and you will be able to use the pack for 2 hours.

How to Use the Battery Packs

1. To open an individual stack, locate the section and stack you need in the basement of Morris Library. 

2. Go to the aisle that is open nearest and make sure no one is in that aisle before you begin moving the stacks.

3. Go to the first stack that you need to move to access the aisle in question, and insert the battery cord as seen below:

4. Once you have the battery cord attached, hold down the battery's arrow in the direction you need the stack to move like the image below:

You will only be able to move one or two stacks at a time. The stacks are extremely heavy and the more you try to move at once the slower they will move.

5. Repeat step four until you successfully move all of the stacks to open the aisle you need to access the items you would like to browse. 

Materials at Morris Library are checked out for different periods of time depending on the type of item and the patron's user category. Please see the chart below for more information.

How Much Does an Overdue Book Cost?

• We do not charge overdue fines for our normal circulating collection.
• Overdue Reserve materials cost $1.00 per minute they are overdue.
• Items that become 28 days overdue are automatically assigned a status of 'lost.'
• For more information on fines and fees please see our page on the topic.
• To see how long you can keep an item, check our Loan Periods in the drop-down below.

How Can I Stop the Fine from Building Up Further?

• Return the book to the Circulation Services desk on the first floor of Morris Library. We recommend you get a receipt in case there are questions about when the book was returned.
• Renew your book. You can do this online by logging in to your I-Share account or by calling the Circulation Services desk at 618/453-1455. If your book has a pink band (interlibrary loan), you should call 618/453-3374 to renew.
• Borrowers from other I-Share libraries should return items to their home library or renew online by logging in to their I-Share account.

Where and How Do I Pay the Fine or Fee?

• At the Circulation Services desk on the first floor of Morris Library.
• By mail to the following address: Circ Desk, Morris Library - Mail Code 6632, SIUC, 605 Agriculture Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901.
• Fines may be paid in cash, with a check or money order, or by credit/debit card in person between 8AM and 4:30PM. DebitDawg cards are not accepted. For additional information on paying by credit card, please call 618-453-1456.

How Much Will a Lost Book Replacement Cost?

Lost books have a default replacement cost of $100. You can contact Morris Library's Circulation Department for an adjusted cost at 618-453-1456. Items that are more expensive than $100 will be marked accordingly and you will be charged that price.

What Happens If I Don't Pay My Fine?

• It's referred to the Bursar's Office. If you have outstanding library charges at the Bursar's Office, you may not be able to register for classes for the next semester, get your grades, graduate, or get your transcripts.
• Interlibrary Loan replacement fines will be transferred to your bursar account along with a non-refundable $75 processing fee. Fines in Interlibrary Loan are only assessed when patrons have let an item go to lost status and failed to respond to our reminders and inquiries. Once the lending institution sends Morris Library an invoice, the patron is immediately responsible for those fines.
• Borrowers from other I-Share libraries will be sent a fine/fee statement. Unpaid fines/fees will result in your I-Share account being blocked and your library privileges suspended at your home institution.

For more information, contact Circulation Services on the first floor of Morris Library or by calling 618/453-1455.

There are multiple ways that you can return items to Morris Library.

• Bring the items back to the Morris Library Circulation desk or deposit them in one of our bookdrops located in the North and South Entrance to Morris Library.
• Morris Library items and I-Share books can be returned at any I-Share institution if you are not near Carbondale. Please consult this map to find the I-Share Library closest to your location.
• You can also mail items back to Morris Library. We recommend you purchase insurance as you are still responsible for the materials until we receive them. Our mailing address is:

Morris Library, Mailcode 6632
ATTN: Access Services Department
605 Agriculture Drive
Carbondale, IL 62901

Located on the first floor of Morris Library at the Circulation Services desk, Reserve materials are items which have been submitted by faculty for use by students enrolled in their classes.To find out what is on Reserve for your course, you can search by course, instructor, or department in the library catalog.

• Anyone with a valid SIU ID may check out Reserve materials.
• Reserve materials are checked out for a two or four hour time period, depending on the item type.
• Reserve materials may not be renewed.
• Reserve materials may not be taken from the library. All are for in-house use only.
• All reserve materials must be returned to the Circulation Services desk on the first floor.
  • Do not return Reserve materials in the book drops, or other service desks.
  • The item is not cleared from the user's account until it is discharged at the Circulation Services desk. Return your item and ask for a receipt.
• RESERVE FINES: Fines for Reserve materials begin one minute after the item is due.
  • A late fee of $60/hour (or $1.00/minute) will be charged if the item is returned late ($300/5-hour maximum).
  • This includes group study room marker kits, headphones and all other equipment/items. Return on time to avoid these hefty fines!

If you are a Professor wanting to put an item on Course Reserves, please consult our Reserves for Instructors page.

Morris Library, I-Share, and ILL Questions

How long will it take for my I-Share item to arrive?

We can't guarantee an arrival date, but we usually tell people to plan for 5 business days.

How long will it take for ILL request to be processed?

ILL staff process requests Monday-Friday. For an article, that usually means you will have it in 1-3 days. However, unusual or unique requests may take longer. For a book loan, it may take a week or more depending on where we are borrowing from. This length of time is an estimate- if we cannot find a lender it will take longer. International loans will take longer due to shipping constraints.

How long will my Morris Library request be held?

We hold all requested items for 2 weeks.

Can an Interlibrary Loan request be picked up and returned to any I-Share library? 

No. Interlibrary loan requests are handled differently than I-Share loans and Morris Library loans. Because they are not processed through the same system, our I-Share partners will not be able to check the book out or back in. If you are permanently located out of the Southern Illinois region, you should request Distance Learner privileges. 

Storage Requests

I want a book that is located in Storage? How can I get that?

Books located in storage can be requested using the request link in the catalog or via ILL. Occasionally you will need to request specific volumes of journals using ILL because there isn't a way to request the individual journal in the catalog record.

I am not an SIU student, faculty, staff, or community card holder but I want to view an item in Storage. Who should I contact?

For non-SIU affiliates, we request that you contact the Circulation Department at 618-453-1456. We will need at least 24 hours notice so we can arrange the item's delivery to the main building.

Can I visit Off-Site Storage?

Off-site storage is closed to the public. If you need to access the facility for research purposes, please contact Marissa Ellermann at mellermann@siu.edu. For more information about using storage items, you can consult our Off-Site Storage information page.

Laptop Questions

How can I get a laptop for the semester and can I reserve one?

We do not allow reservations for laptops. We start checking them out on the first day of each semester on a first-come-first-serve basis. Please visit our Laptops information page to see the full policy.

What happens if I return the laptop late?

Students that fail to return the laptop on time without having pre-arranged an extended due date in advance will lose laptop checkout privileges for one-semester. The time between semesters is necessary for maintenance. Students can lose privileges permanently if they repeatedly do this.

Who can checkout a laptop?

Laptops are reserved for SIU student use only. 

Course Reserve Questions

My textbook for my class isn't on course reserves, what should I do?

Textbooks are only added to course reserves at the request of an instructor. You should reach out to your professor and see if they will add a copy to our reserves.

How long can I borrow a textbook and can I leave with it?

Course reserve textbooks are only available for 2 hours and are not allowed to leave the library. We have to ensure everyone in the course has access.

Distance Learner Questions

I'm a Distance Learner - how can I get materials?

Distance learners have the ability to borrow from Morris Library, I-Share, and ILL like any other patron. For complete information on how to qualify for and setup Distance Learner status and how the system works, please read our Distance Learner information page.

Can I request scans of course reserve materials as a Distance Learner?

Yes, but your requests will still be subject to copyright. We cannot scan entire volumes for patrons. Course reserves is meant to be supplemental, not a replacement for purchasing required course materials.