Your search results include numerous formats and access points - some may be print books or videos that you can check out from UCI Libraries; some may be print books at other UC Libraries or our storage facilities that you may request to have sent to UCI; many results will likely be available digitally. You may not find the right resource and need to search WorldCat and request that resource using interlibrary loan.
Follow these two steps to make your searching as seamless as possible:
When you find a promising title in the search results list, you can select the title to access the record. Each record will inform you of how the resource is accessible.
Ebook Access
For ebooks, you will see a link that notes the title is available online, and further down the page, you will see in which database UCI has access to that e-resource. In the example below, you see UCI has ebook access to this title from Ebsco Online Monographs. However, you will also see UCI only has two licenses for the ebook. While many of UCI's ebooks have unlimited licenses (meaning many people can access the ebook at the same time), numerous ebooks have licensing structures that resemble the number of copies UCI might have of a book in print on the shelf. For this book, if two people "check out" the ebook, it becomes inaccessible until a copy is "returned."
If you are on campus, the ebook will open in the vendor's ebook platform, and from there, you can navigate the Table of Contents, read the book online, or download chapters or full text.*
*Please note: Every vendor has different policies about what you can download and if downloads require a specific software or for you to "create an account" with that specific vendor. If downloading is not straightforward, please look for the Help page on the vendor's site for further instructions. And as the title in this example suggests, recognize that you are agreeing to their terms and conditions to download their materials.
Journal Article Access
Digital journal article access resembles ebook access. The record will show the vendor / database that provides access to the article. You can select that link, and the abstract and access to the full text article will open in the vendor's database. If you are off campus, please make sure you are on the UCI Full VPN for access.
As mentioned above, when you find a promising title in the search results list, you can select the title to access the record. Each record will inform you of how the resource is accessible. In the example below, you can see UCI has the title in print and as an ebook.
As you scroll down the record, past the ebook access link, you will see UCI has two print copies: one held in Langson Library and the other held in the Law Library. Notice that the print copy in Langson is available, and note the call number. The call number is the book's locator, or address, in Langson Library. Please see this guide to finding call numbers in UCI Libraries. You can then go to the third floor, find the book, and check it out at the Circulation Desk.
If for some reason both UCI copies were checked out, you will also see if other UC campus libraries own this book. See the next section for more specific guidance on how to request a resource from another UC.
If a print book is not available locally at UCI or all of the UCI copies are checked out, you can request the print version from another UC.
While UCI has this book as an ebook, all three of our print copies are checked out. However, the record shows that multiple other UCs have this book in print. In order to initiate the request from another UC, you must Sign In using your UCInetID or library barcode. If you are already signed in while searching, you will see the menu in the image below this one instead.
You can then select the Request through Interlibrary Loan link and a pre-populated form will appear. You can use the drop menus toward the bottom of the form to select which campus you would like the book delivered to (e.g. if you are a student at UCI, but live closer to UCLA, you can pick up the book at UCLA's library), and select your preferred library location for pick up. Once the form is complete, submit the request and you'll receive confirmation that the request is being processed. You will be alerted when the book is available to be picked up at your preferred location.
See the UC Library Search + Worldcat video for a more thorough demonstration of requesting books not available through UCI.