How to Use the Library Online

What is this?

This guide provides links and instructions to Campbell Library's resources and services that members of the Rowan University community can access online. Whether or not you can come to the library building, you can still use all of the research tools the library has to offer.

How do I use this guide?

Use the navigation menu to move between sections. Each section focuses on one of the most common tasks for which you may want to use the library. There are multiple boxes in each section that cover subtopics of the main topic, which you can see and jump to from the tabs on the left.

What do I do if I need help?

Technical Issues

For help with any technical issues with our online resources, please contact librarysupport@rowan.edu

Research Help

Contact library staff with questions using the options on our Ask a Librarian page:

For in-depth research assistance for a class or project, please use any of the following to reach out to a subject librarian:

Or you can independently explore our Research Guides, resources designed to help you get started with research in any subject area:

Borrowing and Policies

For questions about your checked out materials and library policies, please contact circulation@rowan.edu

For questions about Interlibrary Loan, please contact rowanill@rowan.edu 

Using This Guide

For help with this guide, please contact Ash Lierman at lierman@rowan.edu

The library's scholarly peer-reviewed journal articles, newspaper articles, magazine articles, and more are available online. These articles are organized into searchable databases. You will be asked to log in with your Rowan NetID when you open a database from off campus.

Database Finder

Subjects: This drop-down menu lets you view a list of databases for a subject area, like English, Education, Biology, etc.

Database Types: Some databases contain things other than articles. This drop-down menu lets you see only the databases with certain types of content.

If you're seeing fewer databases than you think you should, you may have selected an option you've forgotten about! Try clicking the button at the top that says "Clear Filters/Browse All Databases" to reset your view.

Most Popular Databases

So you've found an article that interests you. How can you access and read it?

Full Text Links

On your list of results, look for links below the article that say PDF Full Text or HTML Full Text. If these are available, they're the easiest way to get to the article.

Get It! Button

Sometimes PDF/HTML Full Text links are not available below an article. If not, you should see a button with a Rowan torch that says "Get It!" instead:

Click this button to automatically check if the library owns the article anywhere online.

If the library DOES own the article:

On the next page that displays, there will be one or more links in the section marked "View Online." Clicking on any of these should take you to the article. (screenshot)

If the library DOES NOT own the article:

On the next page that displays, the View Online section will not be shown. Instead, a section marked "How to get it" will appear, with a link to the Interlibrary Loan request form. (screenshot)

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

Interlibrary Loan  (ILL) is a free service the library offers. Articles and other electronic items the library does not own can be requested from other libraries, and provided online to our users. This process can take up to 1-2 days, depending on the material.

You can submit an ILL request either using the Request from Interlibrary Loan link via the Get It! button as shown above, or by going directly to ILLiad via the Interlibrary Loan link on the library website.

In ILLiad, use the appropriate link under "New Request" in the top menu to open the request form.

1. Fill out the request form with at least all of the required information, and any additional information you can provide. (The form may be filled in automatically if you use the Interlibrary Loan link after using the Get It! button. Be sure to check it if so.)
2. Click the Submit Request button at the bottom to submit the request.
3. When your item is ready, you will receive an email notifying you at your Rowan email address. Log into ILLiad and click "Electronically Received Articles" to see your materials.
4. It is recommended to download the PDF of any received material to your computer as soon as possible, as received materials will be removed from ILLiad after a few weeks.

Use Google Scholar to search for the more scholarly materials that Google has found on the Internet.  Add to the power of Google Scholar:  link to Rowan University Libraries' resources.

1. From the Google Scholar home page, click the button in the top left with three horizontal lines: 
2. Select Settings.
3. In the Settings area, click the option in the left navigation that says Library links.
4. In the search box marked Show library access links for (choose up to five libraries):, search for Rowan University.
5. An option should appear below the search box that reads "Rowan University - FullText@RowanUniversity" with a check-box next to it. Click the check-box so it is selected.
6. Click Save in the lower right.

Now when you search in Google Scholar from this browser, your results should link directly to full text of each article, courtesy of Rowan University Libraries.

The best way to find books and e-books the library owns is by using Library Search, the main search box on the library homepage.

To find books and e-books the library owns on a particular topic:

1. Search for your topic in Library Search.
2. On the left side of the list of results, under "Limit to," select "Books." If these options do not appear, try reloading the page. You may also have to click the "Show More" link under "Limit To" to see the option for Books. You can also select "Available online" under "Limit to" to search only for e-books. (screenshot)

When you find an e-book that you would like to use, follow these steps to get access.

1. Click on either the title of the book or the Available Online link below it.
2. In the next screen, there should be at least one link in the section marked View Online. Clicking on any link that appears here should take you to the contents of the book. (screenshot)
3. From off campus, you will be prompted to log in with your Rowan NetID.
4. The contents of the book may look different depending on the service that provides it. Most, however, will offer the option to read the book online, download PDFs of individual chapters, or download the entire book. Reading online or downloading one chapter at a time are generally preferred, as downloading the entire book can be a cumbersome process and may require third-party software on your computer.

Can I get an e-book from Interlibrary Loan?

Probably not. While we can order most digital articles, book chapters, and other shorter materials for you through Interlibrary Loan (see the Find Articles page of this guide), most institutions' license terms for e-books will not allow them to lend these materials. If Rowan doesn't own an e-book already, we may be able to order individual chapters for you, but it is unlikely we'll be able to get the whole book.

If I need an e-book Rowan doesn't own, what can I do?

Please find and contact your subject librarian to let them know what you need. We'll do our best to find a way to get you what you need.

To read and download ebooks, you may need the following software:

If you need books or other physical materials in Campbell Library's collection but you aren't able to come to the library, you can have materials mailed to your off-campus address. Start by registering for our Remote Delivery Service using this form:

The address you enter in this form will be used until the end of the academic year. You will need to complete it again at the start of the following academic year to continue to have access to remote delivery. You will also need to complete it again if your address changes within the academic year.

Once you have entered an address in the form above, you can request delivery of books and other materials to that address, either from Campbell Library or (if we don't have a book or other item you need) from other libraries through Interlibrary Loan.

Request materials in Campbell Library

1. Search using the search box on the library homepage, as described above.
2. When you find a book or other item you want to request, click on the title.
3. On the next screen, scroll to the section marked "Get It," and click the Sign In link in the yellow box (screenshot).
4. Click "Rowan University Students, Faculty, and Staff" in the next screen, and you will be prompted to sign in with your Rowan ID, and returned to the item.
5. Return to the "Get It" section, and click the link marked "REQUEST: Library Pickup" (screenshot).
6. The item will be pulled from the shelf and mailed to the address you submitted on the Request Off-Campus Delivery form. A return mailing label will be provided.

Request materials through EZBorrow

If Campbell Library doesn't own a book or other item you need, you can order it through EZBorrow, and have it delivered to you remotely. Start from the EZBorrow interlibrary loan service:

1. Search for specific items or by subject in the main search box in EZBorrow.
2. When you find a book or other item that you wish to use, in the list of results, click Request below the item.
3. A screen may come up prompting you to select your institution. If so, under "Select Home Institution," select Rowan, and then in the next screen, click Request under the item you want again.
4. When the "Confirm request" screen comes up, under "Pick up location," select "Campbell Library - Information Desk." Enter any other information if needed (or none if not), and click "Confirm request."
5. The item will be ordered from the lending institution, and when it arrives at Campbell Library, it will be mailed to the address you submitted on the Request Off-Campus Delivery form. A return mailing label will be provided. 

Request materials through ILLiad

EZBorrow should be your first choice for requesting physical materials through interlibrary loan. If you cannot find a book or other item you need through EZBorrow, however, you can request it using the ILLiad interlibrary loan service:

1. Log in to ILLiad using your Rowan ID. If it's your first time using the service, you will need to register before ordering materials.
2. Once in the ILLiad system, under "New Request" in the navigation at the top, click "Book" (or the appropriate item type if requesting a multimedia item, thesis, or other type).
3. In the form, fill out the required information about the item, and as many additional fields as you can.
4. When finished, click the "Submit Request" button. The item will be requested from another library. When it arrives at Campbell Library, it will be mailed to the address you submitted on the Request Off-Campus Delivery form. A return mailing label will be provided.

The library has access to several services that provide educational streaming video, which can be assigned for classes or used by students independently.

Browse the following links for available films. You will be prompted to log in with your Rowan NetID when accessing these services.

A number of online resources are available through the library to help with citing sources.

The library subscribes to several citation managers, which are software tools that can help you save, organize, and cite sources you find when searching in library databases. You can choose and use any of the options below that works best for you.

Library Search and many of the library's databases will automatically generate citations for materials that you find there, which you can copy and paste. Here are instructions for some of our most commonly-used resources. Always check automatically-generated citations for accuracy!

Library Search

1. After searching in Library Search (the main search box on the library homepage), click on the three dots to the upper right of any result you want to cite. This will open a set of options below the item. (screenshot)
2. Click the button marked "Citation." (screenshot)
3. This will open a citation generator below the item, with a short list of possible citation styles to the left and the citation for the currently selected style on the right. Select your citation style and copy and paste the citation.

EBSCO Databases (Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, ERIC, and more)

1. After searching in an EBSCO database, click the title of any result you want to cite.
2. In the next screen, look for the list of Tools down the right-hand side. The Cite option appears toward the bottom. (screenshot)
3. Click the Cite option to open a list of citations for the item in different citation styles. Scroll through the list until you find your citation style, and copy and paste the citation.

ProQuest Databases (ProQuest Central, PsycINFO, and more)

1. After searching in a ProQuest database, click the checkbox next to any result you want to cite.
2. Click the "quotation marks" button  at the top of your list of results to open the Cite pop-up window. (screenshot)
3. Select your citation style from the drop-down list to generate the appropriate citation, and copy and paste the citation.

JSTOR

1. After searching in JSTOR, find the "Cite this item" button next to any result you want to cite, and click the button. (screenshot)
2. In the pop-up window, citations will load in MLA, APA, and Chicago style. (Loading may take a moment.) Copy and paste the appropriate citation.

If you need more information on citing in a particular style, here are some in-depth guides available online.