Services Offered by the Collections Access, Loan and Management Division

General Reading Rooms
(Main Reading Room and Science & Business Reading Room)

Requests for General Collections Items

Researchers are required to obtain a Reader Identification Card issued by the Library. The cards are free and can be obtained by completing a simple self-registration process and presenting a valid driver's license, state-issued identification card, or passport at the Reader Registration Station in Room LM140, James Madison Building, or Room LJ 139, Thomas Jefferson Building. Reader Identification cards are valid for two years and must be renewed in-person when they expire. In addition to allowing entry into the General Reading Rooms, Reader Identification Cards afford holders the ability to request materials directly from the online Catalog, from onsite at the Library or anywhere with a Web connection to the Catalog, through Automated Callslip (ACS.) ACS allows for quicker processing of your request(s) and is available 24 hours a day. In that way, requests are processed as soon as the reading rooms open, on days when the Library is open, and can be waiting for you upon your arrival. You will be notified through ACS when your materials are available for use.

Additional information on Reader Registration as well as a link to an online pre-registration form is available on the Reader Registration page.

Retrieved items and/or other responses are delivered to your desk. Generally, retrieval of materials housed from the same building takes less than an hour, while retrieval from the remote building takes at least ninety minutes. Please allow up to 48 hours for materials stored offsite. There are twice daily deliveries from offsite so most requests will be available within 24 hours of submission. You will be notified through ACS when your materials are available for use.

Hold Service

Instead of delivery to a desk, items retrieved can be held at the Center Desk. You should write your last name in the spot on the call slip designated for a desk number. Books retrieved in this manner will be held at the desk until the reading room closes for the day. Books not picked up by the end of the day are returned to the stacks and may not be re-shelved for several days.

Advance Reserves

CALM offers the following types of advance reserves:

• Advance Reserve Service
• Special Advance Retrieval Service

Seven-Day Reserve

It normally takes several days for a book to be re-shelved and be ready for retrieval once it has been used and returned in the reading room. Researchers, however, may reserve up to seven (7) books for seven (7) working days in designated Seven-Day Reserve areas. Consult with the Book Service staff in the reading room where you are working for the location and procedure for reserving materials. Each item placed on these shelves must contain a completed reserve slip with the researcher's name and the date of the first day of reserve. Researchers must place items on the reserve shelves themselves. Library staff members do not perform this function. Reference books may not be reserved.

Special Search Service -- "Not on Shelf" Responses

A title from the General Collections that has been reported as "not on shelf" may be submitted for a special search. You can submit an online special search on the Special Search Request page. A comprehensive search is conducted over a 30-day period. The CALM Division provides special search service for requests for titles in the general collections which resulted in not-on-shelf reports. Responses to searches will be returned via e-mail or surface mail as requested.

Study Shelves

To facilitate serious and extended research, a limited number of individual study shelves are available where researchers can keep charged materials for long term use. This program is administered by the Humanities and Social Sciences Division. http://www.loc.gov/rr/main/inforeas/special.html

Comments, Complaints, Commendations

The users of CALM's services are encouraged to provide feedback, whether positive or negative, on the service they have received. Comment forms are available in the Main Reading Room or patrons can contact us at Ask a Librarian.