Tuesday's Tip

Cryptic Terms in the Library World
The library is full of library lingo that can be difficult to decipher if you're not a permanent resident of Library World. Over the next couple of weeks I'll define and explain some of secret library code that is essential to a successful library experience.

CLS (Consortium Loan Service) - The consortium loan service allows patrons to request books from any one of GW's eight partner schools in the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC), these include, American, Catholic, George Mason, Georgetown, Gallaudet, Marymount Trinity, and University of the District of Columbia. CLS gives you access to millions of books, so you should always find something on your topic.

You can find out more information on how to use CLS here: http://www.gwu.edu/gelman/catalog/request.html

ILL (Inter Library Loan) - ILL is a service that allows you to access materials not available thorough any of the libraries in the consortium. If you are looking for a specific title and can't find it in the ALADIN Catalog or any of the 250+ databases offered by GW, then you can submit an ILL request and the library staff will search the world over (literally the world) to find the resources you need. This service is free to GW students.

You can find out how to place an ILL request here: http://www.gwu.edu/gelman/service/interlibrary/

Next time: Decoding Call Numbers and What's Up with WRLC?
Have a great Spring Break!

Your reference librarian - Sarah