VanderCook College of Music
WorldCat / Interlibrary-Loan
Finding Books, Music, and Journal Articles in WorldCat
WorldCat is a dual-purpose tool which can allow you to borrow books and music from academic and public libraries around the country, as well as locate citations for articles in journals which can then be provided electronically, typically within a matter of days.
Locating Books and Music for Borrowing
When you link to WorldCat, you will first select which database(s) you wish to search. For books and music, select WORLDCAT after clicking on the “Databases” tab. After this you will see a search window typical of library catalogs, with options to enter a title, author, keyword, and so forth. You also have the option to limit your search to just books, musical scores, articles, sound recordings, and such.
When you locate an item of interest in your search results, select the item then click on the ILL icon in the row of icons near the top of your screen. In the resulting screen you need to enter your name and email address, then press the SUBMIT button. The librarian will review your request and route it to the libraries most likely to be able to fill the request. You will be notified by email when your item arrives. Please feel free to check with the librarian at any time during this transaction to get an update on your status.
Locating Journal Articles in WorldCat
When you link to WorldCat, you will first select which database(s) you wish to search. For journal articles, you may select up to THREE database options after clicking on the “Databases” tab. If you look in the right column, you will see that the first several options also provide full text downloading, so these are often the most useful. However there are several other options that my be of interest, and there is an “INFO” link at the right side of each option where you can learn more about that option.
After you make your database selection, you will see a search window typical of library catalogs, with options to enter a title, author, keyword, and so forth. You also have the option to limit your search to any date rage of interest.
When you locate an item of interest in your search results, select the item then click on the ILL icon in the row of icons near the top of your screen. In the resulting screen you need to enter your name and email address, then press the SUBMIT button. The librarian will review your request and route it to the libraries most likely to be able to fill the request. You will be notified by email when your item arrives. Please feel free to check with the librarian at any time during this transaction to get an update on your status.
Getting Assistance with your Search
Your librarian is always happy to help you with your search, whether it be a general strategy or details on how to pin down something very specific. Please visit your librarian during regular library hours, or email at any time of the day or night and you will get a response as quickly as possible.