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Interlibrary Loan: ILL Alternatives: Home

Here are alternate resources to finding library materials

Public Libraries

Can't wait for ILL materials? Consider these alternate resources, alongside the Mertz Library.

Search your local library catalog and see what's available in your area. Anyone who lives, works, or attends school in New York State is eligible to apply for a  free, public library card. To retrieve materials, apply online for an electronic library card or visit your local public library for a physical card - ( click the links below)  :

 

  •       New York Public Library                                                                       New York Public Library logo   

     Get Your Library Card --  NYPL Library Card application

 

 

  •       Brooklyn Public LibraryBrooklyn Public Library Logo

      Get Your Library Card -- BKLYN Library Card application

 

 

  •        Queens Public Library logo Queens Public Library

        Get Your Library Card -- QPL Library Card application


 

Library Mobile App: Libby By Overdrive

You can read thousands of electronic books and hear audiobooks by downloading the library reading app on your electronic device , ​Libby App by Overdrive .

Using your public library barcode ( NYPL, BKLYN, QPL) users can  access a wealth of information for FREE! Libby by Overdrive Mobile device sample

 

Libby by Overdrive logo

Metropolitan New York Library Council (METRO)

Metropolitan New York Library Council logo

(METRO) library referrals - grants a single-day, on-site access pass to associated member libraries, based on the need for an item that is otherwise unavailable.

To place a METRO request, consult with a librarian via email libref@nybg.org or visit the Mertz Library circulation desk.

*** (Outside library reopening plans vary, access restrictions may apply.) 

WorldCat ( OCLC)

WorldCat logoConsidered as the "World's Largest Library Catalog",  WorldCat.org helps users find materials in their local library and over 10,000 libraries worldwide, generate research citations and refine searches including author, content (subject), format, year of publication and language. The WorldCat interface is available in 13 different languages, you will notice the option to change the interface language at the bottom of the main page. The items presented to a user for a particular search remain the same regardless of the interface language.

Digital Repositories

  • Digital Public Library of America
    "Discover 44,616,909 images, texts,videos and sounds from across the United States"
  • Internet Archive
    "A non -profit library of millions of free books, movies,software, music, websites and more"
  • Google Books
    "Google Books has more than 10 million free books available for users to read and download..."
    "Google's free books are made available to read through careful consideration of and respect for copyright law globally: they are public-domain works, made free on request of the copyright owner, or copyright-free, e.g. US government documents."
  • Biodiversity Heritage Library
    "BHL operates as a worldwide consortium of natural history, botanical, research, and national libraries working together to digitize the natural history literature held in their collections and make it freely available for open access as part of a global "biodiversity community."
  • HathiTrust
    "HathiTrust is a partnership of academic and research institutions, offering a collection of millions of titles digitized from libraries around the world."

How-to-guides

  • How to Access Electronic Resources Off-Site
  • A-Z List of Databases
  • Interlibrary Loan Services

Contact Us

Library
libref@nybg.org

(718)-817-8827 

 

Archives
archives@nybg.org

 

Plant Information
plantinfo@nybg.org
 

Library Hours

Monday: Closed

Tuesday: 10am - 4pm

Wednesday: 10am - 4pm

Thursday: 10am - 4pm

Friday: 10am - 4pm 

Sat & Sun: Closed 

  • Last Updated: Nov 11, 2022 9:51 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.nybg.org/c.php?g=1221123
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Tags: ILL alternatives, interlibrary loan, services