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John M. Flaxman Library SAIC School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Low Residency MFA Research Guide

How to Get Articles / Chapters When You Aren't in Chicago

GETTING ARTICLES

If you don't have a specific article in mind, use the How to Find Articles page for advice.

If you have a specific article's title, follow these steps:

  1. Look up the title using the Library Search to see if it's available in our databases
  2. If not, look up the title in Google Scholar to see if there's a free version online
  3. If you still can't get the article for free, fill out our Interlibrary Loan / Scanning Request form to get a PDF emailed to you (more instructions below)

GETTING CHAPTERS

If you find a book that seems helpful for your research, consider using these steps to get a few chapters sent to you as a PDF. If you need the whole book, follow the directions on the Getting Books page to find it locally. Please note: we cannot send the entire book as a PDF due to copyright restrictions.

  1. Look up the book in Google Books to see if you can locate a table of contents
  2. Determine the titles and page numbers (when available) of your chapter(s) and keep Google Books open - remember, you can request a few chapters but not the whole book
  3. Fill out our our Interlibrary Loan / Scanning Request form using the information on Google Books to get a PDF emailed to you (more instructions below)

USING INTERLIBRARY LOAN

1. Check the Library Search first. Go to the Library Search box on our homepage, and type your keywords; click the magnifying glass, or hit enter/return on your keyboard to search

2. Sign in using your ARTIC username and password

Screenshot from the library home page with "Sign in" circled in red.

3. If you do not see your item, it may not be available through our collection - next, make sure it's not available through an alternate source:

  • If it is a book > repeat your search in the IShare Catalog to see if you can request a copy; if not, proceed to step 4
  • If it is an article > repeat your search in Google Scholar to see if a copy is openly available online; if not, proceed to step 4
  • If it is something else > proceed to step 4

4. If you are still unable to find the item, return to the the library search and click INTERLIBRARY LOAN REQUEST in the top menu bar

Screenshot of the Library Search menu bar with "Interlibrary Loan Request" indicated with a red box.

5. Fill out all information marked with a red star and submit you're done! Our Interlibrary Loan staff will reach out with more information about when to expect your requested item.