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Quicker Interlibrary Loan: UBorrow

Receive the exact materials you need more quickly!

Together with 12 other university libraries in the Midwest and the Center for Research Libraries, the University of Iowa Libraries is proud to announce a new service called UBorrow that offers fast access to over 90 million books. Books requested via UBorrow typically are available within a week and are checked out for 12 weeks, with a four-week renewal option.

Iowa faculty, students and staff can search UBorrow directly. A UBorrow search option is also available in Smart Search and InfoLink. UBorrow checks the UI Libraries’ catalog for an available copy before checking other libraries’ catalogs in real time and placing a request directly with the other libraries. If a book is not available through UBorrow, faculty, staff and students can still place a traditional interlibrary loan request and UI Libraries staff will try to obtain it from another library.

Who is loaning the books in UBorrow?

The 13 CIC libraries as well as the Center for Research Libraries will be lending books through UBorrow. The CIC consists of University of Chicago, University of Illinois, Indiana University, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Northwestern University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, and University of Wisconsin-Madison. The proximity of these partners, as well as commitments made by each library, allow books to be delivered through UBorrow far more rapidly than when they are requested via traditional interlibrary loan.

– Dave Martin ML,MBA
Head, Pomerantz Business Library
j-martin@uiowa.edu
319-335-3078