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Services to Distance Education Students Online or Off-Campus
Cook Library is as committed to providing the full range of services to students registered for online or off-campus courses as it is to providing them to those taking classes on campus.
On this page:
DEFINITIONS
Online Student
An online only student is defined as a Towson University student who takes all course work online. Any classes which meet on the Towson University campus will disqualify the student from the distance education designation.
Off-Campus
An off-campus student is defined as a Towson University student who takes courses at any center or location associated with Towson University but does not visit the Towson University campus.
GETTING STARTED
Obtain a Towson OneCard
All students enrolled at Towson University need a Towson OneCard with a 14 digit number to access library services from off campus. If you do not have one, please find out how to get a OneCard at Auxiliary Services.
Register to borrow books and request articles
To borrow books or to request articles, you need to register with ILLiad, the library's interlibrary loan (ILL) service. Be sure to identify yourself as a "distance education" student when creating an ILLiad account. For more instructions on registering please consult our handout (Using ILLiad/Interlibrary Loan Services).
By entering your personal information into the ILLiad system, the library will be able to deliver online articles and books to you directly. Also, once you are registered, you do not have to supply the information again when making future requests. By specifying a Username and Password, you will have secure access to up-to-date information about your requests.
GETTING ARTICLES
To find articles on a subject, go to Cook Library's Subject Gateways. Select a subject area to explore your topic. Choose a database from the list and you will be prompted for your last name and the 14-digit number on your Towson OneCard which will be sent to you from Auxiliary Services.
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If you are denied access to the databases because of a Towson OneCard problem, contact the Circulation Department at (410) 704-2456.
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If you need further assistance in using the databases, call the Reference Department at 410-704-2462. You may also wish to email, IM, or text a librarian.
Select full text articles in the database. If the article is not available, click on the FIND IT
button 
to either link to a full text article in another database or to request the article through
interlibrary loan. Interlibrary loan articles will be delivered to you electronically
through the ILLiad service. The speed of delivery of interlibrary loan articles ranges from a couple
of hours to a couple of weeks depending on the time of the request and the availability of the article.
GETTING BOOKS
To identify and locate books, you will need to use the WorldCat database. When you select the database from off campus, you will be prompted for your last name and the 14-digit number on your Towson OneCard. For instructions on using the WorldCat database please consult the handout Using WorldCat. Request books through ILLiad whether or not they are available on Towson's campus.
Please be sure to provide us with your shipping address - we will ship to your home directly. All books (postage paid return label is provided) will be delivered via UPS and can be tracked to ensure the safe and prompt delivery of materials.
Materials must be returned by the due date or are subject to fines and/or charges for loss. You assume responsibility for the safe return of items loaned to you. For more information on how long materials may be checked out, please review the slip that came with your material. Please note that materials are supplied for course use only and all copyright laws and guidelines apply. Requests should be made as early as possible as the delivery time will vary according to type of request and lender.
CONTACTS
Please feel free to contact us whenever you need assistance. We are here to serve you and are committed to providing you with the highest level of service possible. The liaison to Distance Education is Mary Ranadive (410-704-2618).
Help with research
Need help with your research? Consult with an experienced librarian or librarian assistant in Reference by telephone, email, IM, or text. For more information, click Ask a Librarian.
Help with your library account
Circulation staff can verify your library status and help you with issues relating to your library account. Call 419-704-2456 for Circulation assistance during library hours.
Don't have your 14-digit library bar code handy? Click the button below, then enter your TU username and password
and we'll show it to you:
Help with getting books and articles
Interlibrary Loan staff can assist you in obtaining books and articles through ILLiad. To contact the ILL office, call (410) 704-3292 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. or e-mail ill@towson.edu
Services to Distance Education Students Online or Off-Campus / Albert S. Cook Library
http://cooklibrary.towson.edu/offCampusProgramsStudents.cfm
Last revised: September 15, 2011
A Congressionally Designated Federal Depository Library