Library Services and Access to Materials FAQs

Western Washington University students, staff, and faculty, can now place requests online for items from the Western Libraries, Summit libraries, or interlibrary loan (via ILLiad), which can be picked up later via curbside on-site pickup or mailed directly to you.

Requests for materials must be submitted online via the OneSearch catalog on the Libraries’ website. for more information and instructions about requesting materials for on-site pickup or mail, please see: Requesting Materials for On-site Pickup and Mailing.

At this time, options to request items from Western Libraries for pick up or mail delivery are restricted to current students, staff, and faculty at Western. Unfortunately we are currently unable to extend these same services to borrowers without an active W# and account at Western.

Please note that Bellingham Public Library is offering to all of their current cardholders online requesting and curbside pickup of their library materials at their Central Branch location. For more information about those options, please see: https://www.bellinghampubliclibrary.org/curbside.

For questions about access to materials from the Music Library, or for other questions related specifically to the Music Library, please contact Marian.Ritter@wwu.edu.

In order to ensure that those who are unable to return items due to COVID-19 do not accrue late fees, the due dates for materials have been extended to January 8, 2021. If you are able to return materials before that date, the book return drop located beneath the skybridge on the exterior of the Wilson side is now open all hours. (Please note: It may take up to a week after you have returned materials for the items to be checked in and cleared from your library account). You may also return items by mail to: Western Libraries / 516 High Street / Bellingham, WA 98225-9103.

To find out if there is an Orbis Cascade Alliance (Summit) library in your areas where you may be able to return materials, or if you have other questions about returning library materials, please email the Circulation Desk at library.circulation@wwu.edu.

Please contact Classroom Services at 360-650-3300 or classroomservices.forms@wwu.edu with questions about due dates for materials checked out from their Haggard 114 loan desk or the Student Technology Center. Please do not return any equipment items in the book drop. If you have questions about a specific loan, contact the Circulation Desk at library.circulation@wwu.edu.

In order to ensure that those who are unable to return items due to COVID-19 do not accrue late fees, the due dates for materials currently checked out have been extended to January 8, 2021.

Please contact Classroom Services at 360-650-3300 or classroomservices.forms@wwu.edu with questions about due dates for materials checked out from their Haggard 114 loan desk or the Student Technology Center. Please do not return any equipment items in the book drop. If you have questions about a specific loan, contact the Circulation Desk at library.circulation@wwu.edu.

Western Libraries is committed to providing access to library services and collections and has implemented required and recommended precautions to support the health and safety of WWU students, staff, and faculty. The Libraries remains open online and will provide onsite pick up and mail delivery of library materials through fall quarter and for the foreseeable future.

The latest guidance from the State of Washington has given libraries permission to open their buildings to the public at reduced capacity if specific health and safety requirements are met. However, the state also advises libraries to “continue to facilitate services through the mail or via curbside pick-up where possible to limit interaction between staff and customers within enclosed space." Western Libraries is complying with the state’s advice and is providing access to services and collections online while also offering onsite pick up and mail delivery of library materials. At this time, it is not safe to open Western’s library buildings as public gathering spaces or for face-to-face services. The university’s library buildings will remain closed until public access can be offered safely and without negatively impacting the Western Libraries’ current essential services.

Summit requesting will be available again beginning Thursday, September 17, 2020. Due to quarantine requirements and reduced staffing at our partner libraries, delivery of Summit materials will take longer than normal—likely 10-14 days for on-site curbside pickup and longer for postal mail delivery.

Please note: The Orbis Cascade Alliance has reinstituted sharing materials on an opt-in basis and some libraries, including the University of Washington, have not yet rejoined. This means materials you may have successfully requested through Summit in the past may not be currently available.

At this time, it is still not possible to borrow books and other physical items via interlibrary loan. However, you may still request articles or other electronic items through interlibrary loan, and all the Libraries’ electronic collections continue to be available.

Document Delivery is not currently operating. However, faculty and staff may now place requests online for items from Western Libraries or through Summit which can be picked up later via curbside on-site pickup or mailed directly to your address.

Requests for materials must be submitted online via the OneSearch catalog on the Libraries’ website. for more information and instructions about requesting materials for on-site pickup or mail, please see: Requesting Materials for On-site Pickup and Mailing.

Yes, but please note that all course reserve materials at this time are electronic and available online. Course instructors, faculty members, or their representatives may submit reserve requests. To submit a course reserves request, please use the Course Reserves Request Form, or contact (360) 650-7593 / email course.reserves@wwu.edu. For more information about course reserves, please see: “Course Reserves for Faculty.”

Please remember that copyright law applies to all course reserve materials. If you want to learn more about making course materials available online, please review the Teaching Remotely: Copyright guide available via the Libraries’ website. If you need help identifying online materials to support your syllabus, please reach out to your subject team for additional support.

Yes! For the near future, the Libraries will purchase online copies of books and media already owned in physical form, if they meet other standard purchase criteria and are financially feasible. If you have questions about placing a purchase request, please contact Jesse Thomas, Resource Access Manager (jesse.thomas@wwu.edu) or reach out to your subject team

Heritage Resources staff remain available to assist with research inquiries over the phone and through email. Select digitized content is available through the MABEL platform and additional material may be provided remotely. Unfortunately we are not able to provide physical access to collection materials at this time. Contact Heritage.Resources@wwu.edu or call (360) 650-7534 for more information or to submit inquiries.

Western Libraries is not accepting requests or reservations for in-person events at this time as library buildings remain closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All regularly scheduled in-person programs and events are on hold for the foreseeable future. Currently, we are unable to provide any information about when this may change due to the uncertainty of the pandemic. Until we have more definitive information, we remain unable to make plans for future in-person events inside the library buildings. However, we will continue to host programs and events online.

If you have additional questions about events and programs at Western Libraries, please contact LibraryCommunications@wwu.edu. To watch video-recordings of past presentations, lectures, and events, please go to Western CEDAR at: https://cedar.wwu.edu/libraries_connections.

Western Libraries is not accepting requests or reservations for exhibits or displays inside the library as library buildings remain closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All regularly scheduled exhibits or plans for future exhibits are cancelled at this time and for the foreseeable future. Due to the uncertainty of the pandemic, we are unable to make any commitments to hosting or displaying future exhibits inside the library buildings at this time.

If you have additional questions about exhibits and displays at Western Libraries, please contact LibraryCommunications@wwu.edu.