Requesting General Collections Materials from Offsite

A Guide for Public Reading Room Users

This page provides instructions on how to request General Collections materials stored offsite. Many other custodial divisions have materials stored offsite. Consult with the staff in the reading rooms operated by those organizational units for guidelines on requesting their materials from offsite.

Updating of ILS Records

As materials are transferred offsite, the corresponding records in the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) will be updated to indicate that the items are located offsite. Both the call number field in the copy record and the "Request in" location will show that the item is stored offsite, as in the following General Collections example:

Requesting General Collections Materials from Offsite

To request a General Collections item from offsite, submit an Automated Call Slip (ACS) request online. Full instructions are available in the Guide for Requesting Materials in the LC Online Catalog (catalog.loc.gov). If the item is not charged out, you will be taken to the request screen. Before sending your request, you may indicate whether you would like to receive status updates via email. Confirm that your email address is correct, and select Yes or No as appropriate. If you elected to receive email status updates, you will receive a confirmation email that your request has been received and a subsequent email to inform you of the outcome of your request. If your request has been filled, you will obtain a final email message informing you that your requested item has arrived at the delivery location you specified.

Requested materials are transported twice a day, Monday through Friday, from the Library's offsite storage facilities to Capitol Hill. There are no Saturday deliveries.

In most cases, materials requested from offsite will be available for use within 24 hours. However, in some instances, unforeseen circumstances may delay delivery from offsite. (When submitting your initial request in ACS, you are encouraged to elect to receive email notifications so that you can be alerted as to when your requested item has arrived and is available for use at the delivery station you specified.)

Use of Materials:

Upon delivery from offsite, materials will be held at the Book Service desk for 14 days. Once picked up by the requester, General Collections materials retrieved from offsite can be used in the same manner as other General Collections materials. This includes the charging of materials to assigned Study Desks or Study Shelves. In addition, for those who do not possess a Study Desk or Shelf, up to five (5) books may be placed on the seven-day reserve shelves. If you require an additional accommodation, please inform staff at the Book Service desk that you require an additional accommodation and would like to speak with a supervisor.

Questions, Comments, Etc.

Questions and comments about this program may be forwarded to Ask a Librarian