The JKM Library Blog

August 2023

Textbooks are expensive, but it’s possible that you may be able to request some of those textbooks through the JKM Library or interlibrary loan for free! Whether it’s sitting on our shelves, waiting in our eBook collection, or calling your name from one of our partner libraries, your textbook might be available for free! What’s even better? You won’t be risking a computer virus that those shady websites (like Z-Library and LibGen) often have attached to their “textbook” offerings. Below are your options for finding free textbooks and course materials through the JKM Library in order of how we, your librarians, recommend you attempt them in. 

• Option 1. Search the JKM Library Catalog to see if we have the book you need. If you find it, place a hold, and we’ll email you when it’s ready for you to pickup! Or come to the library and ask a librarian to help you find it on the shelves. 
• Option 2. We have over 1 million eBooks! You can search them for the titles you need by using the eBooks tab on our homepage. Most eBooks will require you read them in the browser window, so if you would prefer to have a physical book, try… 
• Option 3. Search EZBorrow to find books from other libraries. The books usually arrive in 2-5 business days, and you have 14 days to pick them up at the JKM Library. You can keep these books for the entire semester. EZBorrow works great for textbooks and fun reading! 
• Option 4. E-ZBorrow doesn’t have the book? Try ILLiad. ILLiad takes longer (9 days on average), and the library that sends the book decides how long you can keep it and whether it can be renewed. Loan times can be as short as two weeks, although a month or two is more common.   
• BONUS: Do you have your Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh library card yet? The CLP system us large and has many options available to its users. Students are eligible for library cards with their student ID. The closest CLP branches to Chatham University’s Shadyside and Eastside locations are Squirrel Hill (5801 Forbes Avenue Pittsburgh PA 15217) and East Liberty (130 S. Whitfield Street Pittsburgh PA 15206). Learn more about CLP locations here. For student up at Eden Hall, the Northern Tier Library (4015 Dickey Rd. Gibsonia PA 15044) is a wonderful public library close to campus that offers many services to Chatham students. 

We hope these options are helpful in your search for free or affordable textbooks during your time here at Chatham. If you ever have a question about how to use interlibrary loan services or locating books in our collection, please ask a librarian! You can ask in person at the library, or email the librarians at reference@chatham.edu. 

August 29, 2018

For the first time ever, the library is able to offer limited textbooks for checkout! We understand how expensive textbooks can be, which is why we have embraced an idea brought to us by members of the Chatham Student Government. We now accept student textbook donations for our circulating collection. What does this mean? Well, it means that you as a student can check out any of the textbooks we have in our limited collection for a full semester to use for classwork. You can browse the textbook collection on the third floor next to our Olkes collection. You can find them on the shelf to the right as you walk out of the elevator. If you find a book you think will be helpful, you can check it out at the Circulation Desk downstairs on the first floor.
Because these textbooks were donations from your peers, they might not be the most recent editions. This also means that our selection is still small since we rely on you for textbook donations. So what if you want to donate your old textbooks? First of all, thank you! You’re helping your fellow students decrease the cost of their education. In order to donate your textbooks to the library, bring them to either the Reference or Circulation Desk on the first floor.
Faculty are also encouraged to donate materials and make use of our Course Reserve service by putting materials (such as books, DVDs, or articles) on reserve in the
library for your students to access. You can learn more about Course Reserve here. We know that there will still be books for class that you won’t be able to find in our library, but don’t worry! You can still check E-ZBorrow or ILLiad to see if another library has what you need. If you have any questions about our textbook collection or how to find books for class, please contact a librarian! We’re available through email, phone, chat, text, and in person at the Reference Desk, and we’re always happy to help!