What if the Library doesn't have the book I'm looking for?

Concordia Library will not always have every book that you are looking for.

When you are looking for a book, always search for the title in Sofia to confirm whether or not Concordia Library has it.

There are three ways for you, as a Concordia student, to access a book that Concordia does not own:

  1. Borrowing in person at other Quebec university libraries

    Students, faculty, and staff from Concordia are able to borrow books in person from other libraries in Québec using their Concordia ID card.

  2. PBUQ Card for in-person borrowing outside Quebec

    Use the PBUQ Card to visit university libraries outside of Québec and borrow books in person.

    You can request a PBUQ card at the Loans/Circulation desk at Webster or Vanier Library by showing your Concordia student ID. Learn more about the PBUQ card.

  3. Requesting books to be sent to you

    Another option is to request books we do not have at Concordia Library to be sent to Concordia for you to borrow. Learn more about how to request books through Sofia from Quebec university libraries or libraries worldwide (Interlibrary Loan).

tip Tip: Using other library catalogues to locate a book

You can check Other Library Catalogues for libraries in Montreal and beyond to locate the books you are interested in.

tip Tip: You only need to make one request and borrowing is free!

When you're using Sofia to search for and locate print books at other libraries, you only need to request the book once. The Library will search for an available copy of the book and borrow it for you. Please note that some book requests may take a while.

While Interlibrary Loans is a free service for students, there is a cost to the Library. Please keep this in mind when making requests and refrain from making multiple requests for the same item.

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