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IFSI Library Website Guide

This is a guide intended to walk a new user through the process of using the IFSI Library website.

Step 1

From the main IFSI library webpage (https://www.fsi.illinois.edu/content/library/), click on the link that reads "Search Catalog."

Step 2

On the right-hand side of the webpage, use the box to log in to your library account. Before searching the IFSI Library online catalog, it is best to register for a library account or to login to your existing account. It is necessary to be logged in to request items that you find by searching the online catalog.

Step 3

Once you have logged in, you are ready to search the IFSI Library online catalog. At the “Search Library catalog” field, you may simply type in the item or subject for which you are searching, and click "Go" or press "Enter" on your keyboard to perform the search.

Step 4

To request items, simply click on “Place hold” beneath the item.

Step 5

Click on the “Place hold” button to finalize your request. The IFSI librarians will be notified so that they may find your materials. You will be notified once the materials you requested have been found and processed.

You may also click on "Show more options" before you submit your hold request to set specific start and end dates for your hold. You can also use these additional options to write a note to the librarians. For example, you may ask the librarians to find other items related to your search. Or, you may request the item(s) be Interlibrary Loaned to you through your public library. For Interlibrary Loan, you will need to provide the name of your public library and your public library card number.

Once you click on “Place hold,” you will have the opportunity to suspend or cancel your request until a later date.

Tip: Advanced Search

If you know more information about the specific material (book, audiobook, article, etc.) you are looking for, such as the exact title, publisher, author, or type of material, you may use the advanced search (located immediately beneath "Search Library catalog"). From this page, you may enter in as much or as little information as you know about your material to narrow down your results.

Be aware that entering incorrect information might exclude your material from the search results, so only input what you know.

Tip: Word Choice

When searching the online catalog about a subject, it might be helpful to try different keywords that mean the same thing. For example, if you are looking for materials about dogs being used to sniff out accelerant in arson investigations, swapping the term "dog" for the term "canine" in your search can yield additional useful results.