Co-op students on work term and students taking online courses

You will have library privileges automatically provisioned with no activation needed. Please test your access by logging into your library account and Get access from anywhere page using your WatIAM credentials. If you experience any issues, please contact us.

Books found in the library catalogue 

Search in Omni, the Library's catalogue which includes 15 Ontario university library collections. You will find books, chapters in books, articles, and more. Requested items will be mailed out to any address within Canada or campus office location.

• Place your request through Omni, the Library's catalogue.
• After locating the item, sign in using your WatIAM credentials.
• If the item is available at a Waterloo Library:
  • You will see “available at..”
  • Click on this, and select either
    • “Get if from a Waterloo Library” OR
    • “Request a digitized chapter/article/excerpt”
• If it’s not available at a Waterloo library:
  • Click on “Not available locally, click for more options”
  • Select “Get it from another library”
• Fill out the appropriate details and select your preferred pickup location from the drop-down list. Please choose "Book by mail", if you want the book mailed to you.
• Click “Submit”.

As part of the process, you will receive an email asking for confirmation of the mailing address. If your request is for a book from an OMNI partner library, you will also receive a second notice from that university. Prepaid return shipping labels will be provided for off-campus addresses.

Books not found in the library catalogue

Use Interlibrary loan (ILL) to request books that are not found in Omni, the library's catalogue.

Tip: The easiest way to request a material through ILL is to log in and fill out a blank request form (can be found at the left hand column of the main page).

Don't forget to type your mailing address and phone number (required by courier) in special instruction box and to select "UWaterloo Ext. Learning & Co-op" for pickup location.

The requested books will be sent by courier (whenever possible), at no expense to you.

Tip: You also have an option to email us your request at ill@uwaterloo.ca. If doing so, please provide the following information:

• Bibliographic description of the item (author, title, call number)
• Mailing address and phone number (required by courier)
• Student ID number

Follow general Library instruction on finding articles. The requested articles will be sent to you by email (digital copies) or courier (hard copy), at no expense to you.

Tip: You also have an option to email us your request at ill@uwaterloo.ca. If doing so, please provide the following information:

• Name of the journal the article is published in
• Title of the article
• Author’s full name
• Volume and issue number
• Year of publication
• Mailing address and phone number (required by courier)
• Student ID number

By mail

You are responsible for returning books by the due date to the Library, at your expense.

Please note, if the postal stamp is on or before the due date, we will consider that the book was returned by the due date. If the postal stamp is later than the due date, you will incur overdue fines.

Return address:

Tip: If you have any questions or need help, please email us at at ill@uwaterloo.ca.

Drop-off

• If you live near another Ontario university, you may return the books to the Circulation desk of that library and they will be returned to us by  inter-university transit.
• Consult the Ontario Council of Universities (OCUL) directory for universities near you.

Books borrowed through InterLibrary Loan (ILL)

Books borrowed via ILL must be returned directly to the University of Waterloo library or may be returned by courier at your expense to:

Tip: If you have any questions or need help, please email us at at ill@uwaterloo.ca.

It might be more efficient to borrow items you need from the university or public library in your area, rather than wait for mail delivery of items from University of Waterloo Library.

• Direct borrowing from other Ontario university libraries is also possible. You must register your WatCard with their library first.
  • Library catalogues of Ontario university libraries can be searched before you visit another library to borrow directly.

Note: Undergraduate students do not have borrowing privileges at Quebec university libraries, the University of Toronto and Ontario College of Art.

Our library staff members are committed to providing timely response to questions and requests. Every effort is made to respond within 24 hours, excluding weekends and holidays.

• Circulation Services: 519-888-4567, ext. 84883
• Ask us: research help via chat, email, visit, phone
• Resource Sharing: 519-888-4567, ext. 42598, ill@uwaterloo.ca.