Mission

The University Library provides access to high-quality resources and enriches the critical and intellectual inquiry of students, educators, and researchers through engaged teaching and scholarship.

Vision

The University Library integrates quality print and digital resources and services to support teaching, research, and student learning. Library faculty teach critical thinking skills and provides support for academic, scholarly, community, and career development. Our vision supports NLU’s mission and values of excellence, respect, access, collaboration, passion, inquiry, and innovation.

Alexis Carscadden, Executive Director
Amy Hall, Associate Professor
Sarah Leeman, Associate Professor
Amy LeFager, Associate Professor
Rob Morrison, Associate Professor
Sara Rizzo, Assistant Professor
Meghan Ryan, Assistant Professor
Mandy Bendle, Chicago Library Campus Manager
Ivey Perez, Chicago Library Assistant 
Joanna Siudut, Wheeling Library Coordinator
Jon Zimmer, Wheeling Library Coordinator

In addition to our other services, NLU librarians offer and teach credit courses. Check the online course catalog for more information about course content, locations, and times.

GEN 204: Make Your Point: Essential Skills for Academic Writing & Research
LIBR 300: Library Research for the Social Sciences

The Library at National Louis University is committed to providing access to high-quality materials in print and electronic formats. Circulation of materials covers borrowing of physical materials owned by National Louis University, I-Share member libraries, and libraries providing physical materials via interlibrary loan. This policy defines valid borrowers of NLU and interlibrary loan resources, identifies materials that can be borrowed, and explains the billing practices for the replacement of lost and damaged materials.

Library Accounts

Current National Louis University students, faculty, staff, and administration (NLU Patrons) have library and interlibrary loan privileges.

NLU Patrons can:

• Borrow circulating materials owned by NLU, this does not include library use only materials
• Create an I-Share account to request circulating materials owned by NLU Library and from member libraries in the I-Share system
• Create an ILLiad account to request full-text articles and books not available in the I-Share system

Loan Periods for Circulating Materials

NLU Materials

NLU patrons can check out regular circulating materials owned by NLU for a period of 12 weeks, with the ability to renew the materials two additional times.

Some NLU materials have a shorter loan period depending on the item type:

• Americas Collection
• Can be borrowed by NLU Patrons
• Loan period 4 weeks
• Can be renewed 2 additional times
• Test Prep materials (Dantes, CLEP, etc.)
• Can be borrowed by NLU Patrons
• Loan period 4 weeks
• Can be renewed 2 additional times
• Circulating Theses and Dissertations - Not all dissertations and theses in the collection can circulate, some are library use only
• Can be borrowed by NLU Patrons
• Loan period 1 week
• Cannot be renewed
• DVDs
• Can be borrowed by only NLU Faculty and Staff
• Loan period 2 weeks
• Can be renewed 1 time for 1 additional week

I-Share & ILLiad Materials

NLU Patrons can check out circulating materials owned by other libraries in the I-Share system for a period of 4 weeks, with the ability to renew the materials two additional times.

• Renewals for I-Share items can be done only through the NLU Patron’s online I-Share Account.
• If an item is recalled by the owning library then the item must be returned immediately regardless of the original due date.

Print materials borrowed via ILLiad have a loan period set by the lending institution. ILLiad items cannot be renewed and must be returned by the due date.

Identification

To check out NLU, I-Share, and ILLiad print materials, NLU Patrons must provide identification which is checked in the circulation system.

Reserve Items

1. Reserve materials are able to be borrowed until midnight of the day the item is checked out.
2. Reserve materials cannot be renewed and must be returned either to the circulation desk or in the Library Returns bin after business hours.
3. NLU Faculty may also put items they own on reserve for student use.
• The default loan period for faculty-owned reserved items is until midnight of the day the item is checked out, unless the faculty member sets a different loan period.
• Items are kept on reserve for one term unless arrangements are made with Library to keep the reserve items for longer than one term.
• NLU Patrons must provide identification which is checked in the circulation system and indicated on the reserve item slip to connect the item with the NLU Patron borrowing the item.

Overdue Notices

Overdue Notices for NLU and I-Share items

• The first Overdue notice is sent 7 days after the due date
• The second Overdue notice is sent 21 days after the due date
• Item is considered Lost 29 days after the due date
• The replacement cost is automatically added to your library account.
• Items in the Overdue Assumed Lost status cannot be renewed.
• The library account is blocked from requesting and borrowing materials until the issue is resolved.
• The replacement cost of the item will be added to and a hold will be placed on the student’s account in Student Finance.

Overdue Notices for ILLiad items

• The first Overdue notice is sent 7 days after the due date
• The second Overdue notice is sent 14 days after the due date
• Third Overdue notice is sent 21 days after the due date.
• The ILLiad account is automatically blocked from requesting articles and books
• 2 weeks from the receipt of an invoice from the lending institution for the replacement cost of the item, the amount will be added to and a hold will be placed on the student’s account in Student Finance.

Replacement Costs

Replacement Costs for NLU Materials

• Replacement cost for items will appear on the NLU patron’s I-Share account
• $50.00 per item is the replacement cost for all lost or damaged items
• There will be no refunds issued for paid library fines.
• Arrangements for replacing lost items can be made with prior approval.

Replacement Costs for I-Share Materials

• Replacement cost for items will appear on the NLU patron’s I-Share account
• National Louis University borrowers are subject to the loan and fine policies of the institution from which they have borrowed the material. All NLU Patrons may be charged processing fees and lost item replacement fees by the lending library for failure to return or renew material by the due date.
• All payments must be made to the lending institution, and not NLU.
• Contact the lending I-Share Library in order to get information on how to pay for the replacement cost of the lost item.
• I-Share Member Contact Information http://www.carli.illinois.edu/membership/i-share_part
• As a member of the I-Share Library Consortium, National Louis University adheres to the I-Share Library Resource Sharing Code. This code obligates us to assist the lending library in securing the return of overdue materials and the fines and/or processing fees associated with late renewals or returns. Lending libraries may request that we block the borrowing privileges of NLU Patrons who fail to return or renew materials when due, who fail to return recalled material promptly, or who do not pay invoices received for overdue fines, billing fees, or lost book charges promptly.

Replacement Costs for ILLiad Materials

• Replacement costs for items will be emailed to the NLU Patron.
• NLU Patrons are subject to the loan and fine policies of the institution from which they have borrowed the material. All NLU Patrons may be charged a lost item replacement fee by the lending library for failure to return material by the due date.
• 2 weeks from the receipt of an invoice from the lending institution for the replacement cost of the item, the amount will be added to and a hold will be placed on the student’s account in Student Finance.

Mailing Materials

1. NLU Patrons that are located off-campus and who cannot travel to an NLU Library location in the Chicago area can have print materials mailed to their home address.
2. Items will be held at the Wheeling Library to ensure that all requested items have been received to ship materials in as few shipments as possible.
3. Items will be charged to the NLU Patron library account when items are going to be shipped.
4. Library Staff will ship items via UPS.
5. The NLU Patron is responsible for any loss or damage of items once they are shipped.
6. Items must be returned by the due date that is indicated in the NLU Patron’s I-Share Account.
7. Items can be returned in person at NLU Library locations at Chicago or Wheeling
8. NLU Patrons are responsible for paying the return shipping fees.
9. Items can be returned via mail to:

National Louis University
Wheeling Library & Learning Support
1000 Capitol Drive, Wheeling, IL, 60090

The University Library develops and manages quality resources to support the academic and scholarly work of NLU students, faculty, and staff. This is a statement of the basic principles that guide the selection, evaluation, and management of the resources the library collects at NLU. The Library’s collections include the books at the Chicago, Wheeling, and Lisle libraries, the electronic resources to which the library subscribes, and the university’s Archives & Special Collections. The NLU community is composed of the students, faculty, and staff of the university, as well as the affiliated researchers of NLU.

The library endeavors to maintain a collection of resources that further the mission and goals of NLU. The collection includes materials related to academic programs, materials related to the research agendas of faculty, and materials that document the history and development of NLU as an institution of higher learning. While the library encourages feedback and recommendations for library resources from students, faculty, and staff, final selection decisions are made by the faculty of the Library.

Collection Management Plan