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 two ways for you, as a Concordia student, to access a book that Concordia does not own:
-
Other Québec university libraries
With the new Partenariat des bibliothèques universitaires québécoises, students, faculty, and staff from Concordia are able to borrow books in person from other libraries in the province using their Concordia ID card.
-
BCI Card
Use the BCI Card to visit the BAnQ or university libraries outside of Québec and borrow the book in person.
You can request a BCI card at the Loans/Circulation desk at Webster or Vanier Library by showing them your Concordia student ID. Learn more about the BCI card.
-
Interlibrary Loans (COLOMBO)
Another option is to request books we do not have at Concordia Library through a service called Interlibrary Loans (COLOMBO). When you search in COLOMBO, you are searching through the catalogues of other libraries. If you find the book, you can click on the button that says 'Get it!' and Concordia will borrow a print book from another library.
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: You only need to make one request and borrowing is free!
When you're using Interlibrary Loans (COLOMBO) 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 (COLOMBO) 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.
