Collections + Services

Distance Learning

Contact Information
Ashley Pillow

Ashley is available to answer any questions you have about Distance Library Services.

Fast Tracks

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

The Monroe Library's Distance Library Services (DLS) provides the same services and materials to distance learners as on-campus students. DLS also works with faculty who teach distance students to promote and deliver library services. DLS primarily serves students enrolled in LIMEX and the School of Nursing's Distance Learning Programs; however, any Loyola student enrolled in an online class living outside the metro area can contact Distance Library Services for assistance.

RESEARCH ASSISTANCE

If you are unable to visit the library in-person, you may call, email, or use the 24/7 virtual reference service Ask A Librarian Live. This Introduction to Library Research handout may also be helpful to you. Other handouts about research are available in the DIY Center.

ONLINE RESOURCES

We are able to provide many library resources to you online. Access books, e-books, and other materials through the library catalog. Find articles in our databases.

OBTAINING MATERIALS

Although the Monroe Library provides many valuable online resources, all the research materials you need are not necessarily online. If something you need is not available online, you may request it through ILLiad, our online interlibrary loan request system. Interlibrary loan is generally used to request materials not available in the library's collection; however, as a distance learner you can use ILLiad to request material whether it is in the library's collection or not. Disregard the statement within ILLiad that items in the library's collection cannot be requested through ILLiad; this does not apply to distance learners.

Articles:
If you find a citation for an article that the Monroe Library has in print; please request it through ILLiad. (Disregard the statement within ILLiad that items in the library's collection cannot be requested through ILLiad; this does not apply to distance learners!) We will scan the article and send it to you electronically.

If you find a citation for an article that the Monroe Library does not have in print or access to electronically, please request it through ILLiad. We will attempt to borrow it from another library, and will send the article to you electronically.

Books:
If you find a citation for a book that the Monroe Library has, please request it through ILLiad. (Disregard the statement within ILLiad that items in the library’s collection cannot be requested through ILLiad; this does not apply to distance learners!) We will mail the book at no cost to you; the charge for mailing the book back is your responsibility and you can use Media Mail or Library Book rate.

If you find a citation for a book the Monroe Library does not have, the library will not be able to borrow it from another library and send it to you. This is due to time restrictions. If it is a book you think the library should have, please suggest it for purchase. You may also check with your local public library; often, they are able to borrow materials through interlibrary loan for local patrons.

Articles will be delivered to you electronically, rather than through the mail. No more than 5 books are sent out to a student at a time. The time it takes to deliver materials can vary. Articles within the library's collection are generally delivered within 3 business days. Books from our collection are generally sent via UPS Second Day Air once the request has been processed. Material not in our collection will take longer as it has to be borrowed from another library. If you need material more quickly, please put a note in your ILLiad request, and we will attempt to honor rush requests.

Using ILLiad

In order to use ILLiad, you must first set up an account.

Go to ILLiad, and click on the First Time Users link.
Review the information about ILLiad; scroll to the bottom of the page, and click on the First Time Users Click Here button.
Complete the registration form.
Be sure to provide your Loyola email address. ILLiad cannot send and receive communication with non-Loyola addresses.
Choose a username and password for the ILLiad system; to make it easier to remember, we suggest you use the same username and password as your Loyola email account.
If you do not know what your Loyola email address is, see the Logging In section below for more information.
IMPORTANT: Be sure to include the following:
Under the option Preferred Article Delivery Method, select LIMEX/OCLP/HSCMOL.
Under Status and Department sections, choose either HCSM Online, LIMEX, or OCLP.


LOGGING IN

If you are off-campus when you try to access library databases, e-books, or other electronic resources, you will be asked to log in.

To log in, use your Loyola email account information. This is the first part of your email address and your email password.

Passwords follow a default pattern.

If you started at Loyola before March 2008, the password pattern will be YYYYMM; that is, the four digit year of your birth followed by the two digit birth month. For example, if you were born in May 1980, your default password would be 198005.

If you started at Loyola after March 2008, the password pattern will be 6 characters long with the 1st 2 characters being the 1st 2 characters of your First Name and the last 4 characters being the last 4 digits of your SSN. For example, Mary Smith with the SSN xxx-xx-3456 will have the password ma3456.

Don't know your Loyola email account information? You can find your email address by looking it up in the Loyola directory, or you can find it in the "Personal Info" section of your LORA account.

If you are having difficulty logging in, this page might help. If you need research assistance, you can Ask A Librarian Live.