For assistance, please contact Sherry Mahnken at mahnkens@mst.edu

Who is eligible?
How do I get journal articles?
How do I get papers from conference proceedings?
How do I get books from Wilson Library and other Missouri academic libraries?
What do I do if Wilson Library or MOBIUS don't have a book that I need?
What if I need materials more quickly than Wilson Library can supply them?
What do I do if I have questions or need help with my research?

Who is eligible?

Students enrolled in a Missouri S&T distance education course and who live more than 30 miles from the Missouri S&T campus are eligible to make use of Wilson Library's services for distance learners. Please note that books and some other media will not be posted to addresses outside of the United States. Contact us at library@mst.edu if you have questions about whether you are eligible for distance services.

How do I get journal articles?

You may use the library's databases or the database metasearch (which allows you to search multiple databases with a single search) to look for articles on a topic. Wilson Library must limit access to our databases to the Missouri S&T user community--students, faculty, and staff--because of licensing restrictions. You can use our proxy server to gain remote access to these resources. When you try to access one of the library's databases, the proxy server will ask for a user name and password. Your user name will be the first part of your Missouri S&T email address (the part before the @mst.edu); the password is your university password.

You may also set up virtual private network (VPN) access. VPN will allow you to access library databases and electronic journals as if you were at a campus IP address. For directions on setting up VPN, please visit our tutorials page.

Some of the databases provide the entire text of the article electronically, or they may link you to the full text of the article in another source. Click on the button that says "Get it! @ MST" to see if the full text is available elsewhere. You may also go to the library webpage and click on "A-Z Electronic Journals" to see if full text for a particular journal is available electronically. If the article you need is not available in full text in one of our databases, you can get a copy of the article by submitting a request to our Interlibrary Loan department using ILLiad, the interlibrary loan request system.

One way to submit an interlibrary loan request is by clicking on the "Get it! @ MST" button and then selecting the "Request document via ILLiad" option. If the database you are using does not allow you to submit a request directly, you can use ILLiad. When using ILLiad for the first time, you will have to register as a user and select a username and password. On the ILLiad registration form, please select the status "Distance Ed Student." Once you have registered, you will be able to submit loan requests.

To receive an article, select the button that says "Request a Photocopy" from the ILLiad Main Menu and fill in the form provided. Articles will be delivered to you electronically. You will be notified by email when your article arrives and is sent to a secure site for you to view or download.

What if I don't have a Missouri S&T username and password?

If your username was issued by another University of Missouri campus, you will not be able to use it to access Missouri S&T library resources. If this is the case, please contact the library and we will provide you with alternate access for the current semester.

How do I get papers from conference proceedings?

The process for requesting a paper from conference proceedings is similar to requesting a journal article. Use ILLiad to request the paper from our Interlibrary Loan Department. Use the ILLiad form for conference papers. You will be notified by e-mail when your article arrives.

How do I get books from Wilson Library and other Missouri academic libraries?

Search the MERLIN library catalog to locate books available at Wilson Library. To request a book from the library, click on the "Request" button and choose the campus email username option. Then fill in your Missouri S&T user name and password. Make sure to designate Missouri S&T as the as the pickup location when you request the book. If the book is available, we will check it out and mail it to you free of charge, although the item must be returned to us at your own expense.

Some materials cannot be checked out. Reference books do not circulate and cannot be requested from the library. Books with a catalog location of Comp/Net do circulate, but the checkout period is only three days, which does not allow time for shipping to distance users. Entire issues of journals also cannot be requested because of the time required for shipping.

If Wilson Library doesn't own the book you need, you can check out books from the other libraries through MOBIUS, a shared catalog listing the holdings of over 60 libraries in the state of Missouri. Requesting a book from other libraries is easy--when searching the catalog, just click on "Request This Item" and fill out the form provided. When asked which cluster you belong to, select MERLIN. Your ID number will be your Missouri S&T ID with a zero in front of it and an "r" following it. If you live in Missouri, you can select one of the clusters other than MERLIN for delivery and have the item shipped to one of the libraries in that cluster for you to pick up. For example, if you live in Springfield, you can select the SWAN cluster and have the book you need sent to the library at one of the local colleges for pick up. (A complete list of the MOBIUS clusters and their libraries is available on the MOBIUS Members page.) You will need a picture ID to pick up and check out the requested item. If you don't live near one of the MOBIUS member libraries, designate Missouri S&T as the pickup location when you request the book and email the Circulation Department with your mailing address so we can ship it to you when it arrives. Due dates for books requested will be listed on a band around the cover of the book.

All materials should be returned by the due date in order to avoid overdue book charges. If you need to keep your books longer, they may be renewed online using the MERLIN library catalog, as long as you don't have any overdue items or fines. To renew items, just click on the "View Your Own Record" link in the catalog and fill in the form provided. If you have overdue items or fines, you should contact Circulation to request a renewal. Items may be renewed twice.

Sometimes materials may be recalled before their due date if requested by others. If items are recalled, students will be notified by email to their Missouri S&T accounts, and fines will accrue if items are not returned by the recall date. Usually at least one week is provided to return the item. Students may call or email the Circulation Desk if they have difficultly returning recalled items on time, and reasonable accommodations may be made to account for shipping time.

All books requested will be mailed to you at the library's expense. Students who live near a library that is part of MOBIUS may turn the books in at that library, avoiding shipping charges. Otherwise, you must return the book to Wilson Library at your own expense. Shipments must be insured and trackable. Items should be sent to:

Curtis Laws Wilson Library
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Circulation Department
400 W. 14th St.
Rolla, MO 65409-0060

What do I do if Wilson Library or MOBIUS don't have a book that I need?

You can request books that are not available from libraries in the MOBIUS system through interlibrary loan by using ILLiad. You will have to register before using ILLiad to select a username and password. Make sure to identify your status on the registration form as "Distance Ed Student." On the ILLiad Main Menu, click on the "Request a Book" button, and then fill in the information for the item you are requesting on the form provided. After receiving the request, we will obtain the material from another library and send it to you.

Due dates for books requested through interlibrary loan will be listed on a band around the cover of the book. The paperwork included in the book should not be removed; it should be returned with the book. You can find information on due dates by logging onto ILLiad and checking your record by selecting the "View/Renew Checked Out Items" button. Due dates are also listed in your record in the MERLIN catalog.

If you need to renew books you received through interlibrary loan, please log on to ILLiad and choose the "View/Renew Checked Out Items" button. Renewals must be granted by the lending library, and it may take some time to find out if your renewal was granted. If it is, the due date in your ILLiad record will be changed to reflect the new date. Books may only be renewed once.

Interlibrary loan materials will be mailed to you at the library's expense, but the materials must be returned to Wilson Library at your own expense, and all shipments must be insured and trackable. Interlibrary loans should be sent to:

Curtis Laws Wilson Library
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Interlibrary Loan Department
400 W. 14th St.
Rolla, MO 65409-0060

If you have a question about interlibrary loan, please contact the Interlibrary Loan Department by calling (573) 341-4006 or sending an e-mail to ill@mst.edu.

What if I need materials more quickly than Wilson Library can supply them?

If you do not have time to wait for materials to be sent to you by Wilson Library, you should try using the public or academic libraries in your area. You may be able to get the materials you need more quickly through a local library than we can supply them to you.

What do I do if I have questions or need help with my research?

If you would like to ask a reference librarian for help, you may call the Wilson Library reference desk at (573) 341-4007. You may also submit a question electronically by sending an email message to library@mst.edu or by using our chat reference service.