CUNY Books

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Do you need a book that’s not at the Queens College Library? You may be able to request it from another CUNY campus! Use the book delivery service called CLICS (CUNY Libraries Inter-Campus Services).

How it works

  1. Go to the Library homepage, and click on OneSearch. Click on the Advanced Search button to the right of the search engine. 
  2. Select QC + CUNY Libraries as ‘Search for’, and then look for your item.
  3. If a search result comes up that is eligible for availability, click on the entry.
  4. You can then select “Request a physical copy” — or, choose to “Request a physical copy” under ‘OTHER CUNY LIBRARIES’ to select a specific library to request from.
  5. Once submitted, the lending library will attempt to fulfill your request. Please allow 3-5 business days for your item to be processed and shipped. You will be notified via email letting you know when your item is ready for pick up. (If a request cannot be filled, a cancellation notice will be sent out.)

NOTE: If you do not see any “Request a physical copy” options, make sure you are currently logged in with your CUNYFirst credentials during your session.

Be advised that not every item in the OneSearch catalog is eligible for hold or request. These include but are not limited to Reserve Desk materials, media-based items such as microfilms, videos, and CD-ROMs, and Reference status books.

If Queens College owns an eBook copy of a certain item, and you are looking to request a physical copy available at another CUNY library institution, you may be required to visit and submit your request directly through the owning library’s OneSearch portal page instead.

Eligibility

CLICS services are available for CUNY students, faculty, and staff with an active, unblocked library account. 

If you are a registered Queens College user, regularly circulating items from other CUNY libraries may be requested via the OneSearch catalog, whether they are on the shelf or already checked out to another patron. If an item is already checked out, you will be placed in the hold queue and notified once the item is ready for pick up.

Policy Guidelines

  • You may return CUNY books to any CUNY library. 
  • Overdue fine policies of the lending library apply. Special materials such as musical scores, CDs, or videos are delivered via CLICS at the discretion of the individual CUNY library.
  • Consult the CUNY Libraries Circulation Policies for current loan and fine policy information. 
  • CLICS only works for books going from one CUNY campus to another. 

Other Related News

Courtesy reminders will be sent to borrowers 2 days prior to an item’s due date. Reminders will be sent to the borrower’s CUNY email address associated with their library account.  

You can renew items online if you have not reached your renewal limit, or they are not already overdue. Go to the CUNY OneSearch catalog and log in via the top-right corner MenuMy Account.  

Why can’t I just use Interlibrary Loan service to request books from other CUNY Libraries?
At some campuses, you can do that, but CLICS is easier to use, faster, and is open to undergraduates. It also costs the libraries a lot less to fill book requests via CLICS. At campuses where you can use either CLICS or ILL, there may also be lower limits on the number of concurrent Interlibrary Loan requests or possible fees.
How long will it take to get my book?
That will depend on the day of the week and time of day you make your request. However, as part of the CLICS implementation, most CUNY libraries are receiving daily inter-campus week-day pick-up and delivery service. Our CUNY-wide goal is a 3-5 day turnaround, excluding weekends and holidays. Our ability to achieve this goal will depend on the volume of requests, as well as staff availability. Note that books requested from the Hunter Health Professions and the School of Social work libraries will require additional delivery time since they are first sent to the main Hunter Library.
What if something I requested using CLICS is missing?
You will be notified if your request can’t be filled by the library from which you requested it. You can try to request it again from another CUNY library.
What if none of the copies listed in the CUNY Catalog are available?
If copies of an item are out on loan, you can put a hold on one of the borrowed copies. You will be notified when it becomes available. If all the listed copies are missing or are unavailable for other reasons, you can request them through your local Interlibrary Loan service. Check with your library’s Interlibrary Loan policies and procedures for eligibility.
I have more questions. Where can I get additional information?
Contact staff at the Circulation Desk at any of the CUNY Libraries. For individual library loans and fine policies, you can look at the CUNY Libraries Circulation Policies.

For more information contact the Queens College Library Circulation/Borrowing at QC_ask_circ@qc.cuny.edu  or 718-997-3702 during normal service hours.