Last update August 7, 2020
Loyola University Chicago Libraries’ priority is to serve our students, faculty, and staff needs while protecting the health and safety of the community. We continue to provide services and are doing everything that we can to support learning, teaching, and research. While access to buildings and physical spaces are limited, our librarians and staff are always ready to help. Please contact us or check this page for additional information about the University Libraries’ current efforts and updates for the fall semester.
What's New
University Libraries reopen on August 24, 2020.
Access will be restricted to current Loyola students, faculty, and staff; or by appointment. Archival research is by appointment only.
To decrease the handling of physical materials and limit in-person transactions, the library stacks will be closed to patrons during fall 2020; print books, DVDs, and interlibrary loans may be requested and will be delivered by staff to a designated pick-up location. Turnaround times on requests may be delayed due to material quarantine procedures.
Course reserves will be available online only.
All research assistance will be provided online through chat, email, or Zoom. Additional details will be posted in advance of reopening. See below for library services that continue to be available online.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Information Commons and Lewis Library will reopen on August 24, 2020, with reduced hours and limited on-site services.
Hours
• Access will be restricted to current Loyola students, faculty, and staff. All other users will be admitted by appointment only and with the approval of the University Libraries. Quiet study spaces will be available but must be reserved in advance. Study space reservations will be available on August 24.
• The Information Commons and Lewis Library will be open with reduced hours and limited on-site services.
Hours.
• Access to Cudahy Library is limited to library staff.
• Research visits to the University Archives and Special Collections, the Congressional Archives in the Information Commons, and the Women and Leadership Archives in Piper Hall are by appointment only.
•The library print collections will be closed during fall 2020 to decrease the handling of physical materials and limit in-person transactions.
•Print books and DVDs may be requested using the library catalog and will be delivered to a designated pick-up location, and picked up by appointment (full instructions will be available in the confirmation email). Turnaround times on requests may be delayed due to material quarantine procedures.
•Interlibrary loan (ILL) will be restricted to journal articles and book chapters delivered online.
•Course reserves will be available online with expanded access and services (details to come). Please send your reserve lists as soon as possible using the Course Reserve Request Form.
•For assistance in acquiring online materials to support teaching and learning, contact your library subject specialist.
•The library is providing support to faculty for locating materials for online courses, but we face limitations in licensing many online textbooks. See our full statement here.
Even though access to the library buildings are restricted, our librarians and staff are available to help you in the following ways:
Submit questions via email
Schedule a Zoom appointment to meet with a librarian
Online chat with Loyola University Chicago Library staff (24 hours)
•To schedule an online (synchronous or asynchronous) instruction session for faculty, contact your subject specialist or submit an instruction request.
•All research assistance will continue to be provided online through our 24/7 chat service, by email and through Zoom appointments.
•All due dates for books during campus closures have been extended through September 16, 2020. Additional extensions will be made if necessary.
•Library and Interlibrary Loan books do not need to be returned at this time. If you wish to return your books, they can be deposited in the book return slot to the right of the west Cudahy Library doors.
•Please do not mail books to the library.
•We will not be charging overdue fines and will waive recent fines.
Because Library staff have had limited access to the Library buildings, there is a backlog of books to be checked in. These returns will be processed in August and September. No overdue fines will be charged at this time.
•For Loyola items, please login to your library account with your UVID.
•For Interlibrary Loan (ILL) items, login to your interlibrary loan account.
•Requests for articles and single chapters from books are still accepted, but some requests may not be filled, as all academic libraries are operating with limited staffing and resources.
•Questions about Interlibrary Loan can be directed to lib-ill@luc.edu.
•Using the links provided through the library website and catalog you can log in with your UVID and password to get access to electronic resources from any off-campus location. (More information and help for off-campus access.)
•Our licenses with publishers and content providers do not allow the Libraries to provide off-campus access to electronic resources for Loyola alumni and guests. Once campus fully reopens, alumni and guests will be able to visit library buildings to access library collections. Please contact cud-ref@luc.edu with questions.
•If you are a Health Sciences Division member, you must log in at the Health Sciences Library for off-campus access.
•Video tutorial for off-campus access
All due dates for books during campus closures have been extended through September 16, 2020. Additional extensions will be made if necessary. Questions may be directed to cud-circ@luc.edu.
Summary of Services
Support for Teaching and Learning
Circulation and Course Reserves
Connecting with the University Libraries Community
Support for Teaching and Learning
- Librarians are available to support students and instructors in online courses. See details for a complete description of instructional services.
- Many publishers are offering temporary free access to their online resources during the COVID-19 crisis. See a list of resources and instructions for accessing them.
- Extended equipment loans (including laptops) are available through Digital Media Services.
Research Help
- Submit questions via email
- Schedule a Zoom appointment to meet with a librarian
- Online chat with Loyola University Chicago Library staff (24 hours)
- Monday - Friday 9:00am - 5:00pm
- Online chat for all other hours is covered by library staff at partner institutions. These librarians will be able to provide research support and help you access our online resources, but may not be familiar with questions that are specific to our library.
- Anyone needing assistance with Federal or State of Illinois government information should contact Geoff Swindells, gswindells@luc.edu.
- Questions about instruction and research support should contact Niamh McGuigan, nmcguigan@luc.edu.
Off-Campus Access
Archival Research
With all LUC archives closed, archivists do not have access to the physical collections but will try to answer as many inquiries as possible.
Access Digital Archival Collections and Exhibits
- University Archives & Special Collections
- Visit the website for more information.
- Tour our Sesquicentennial Projects and Digital Exhibits
- View digitized yearbooks and student publications
- Explore the archive of Loyola University websites
- Ask questions using the Ask the Archivist form on our website.
- Women & Leadership Archives
- Visit the website for more information.
- Tour our Digital Exhibits
- View inventories of select collections
- Email questions to the Women & Leadership Archives
Circulation and Course Reserves
- All due dates for books due during campus closures have been extended through September 16, 2020. Additional extensions will be made if necessary.
- Library and Interlibrary Loan books do not need to be returned at this time. If you wish to return your books, they can be deposited in the book return slot to the right of the west Cudahy Library doors.
- Please do not mail books to the library.
- We will not be charging overdue fines and will waive recent fines.
- Home delivery of books is suspended.
- If you have print items on course reserve that your students need to access remotely, we will attempt to acquire an online version.
- Questions about book circulation and course reserves can be directed to cud-circ@luc.edu or LewisLib@luc.edu.
Interlibrary Loan
- We are no longer able to request books and other physical items through Interlibrary Loan.
- Requests for articles and single chapters from books are still accepted, but some requests may not be filled, as all academic libraries are operating with limited staffing and resources.
- Questions about ILL can be directed to lib-ill@luc.edu.
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