How to Request Library Materials
Depending on the type of material, the requesting functionality may be slightly different. Some types of records may use either of the methods described below. You must be signed in and have your account registered to see the request options.
Select a book and scroll down to the Request Physical Copy (A) section. Click on the blue Request button (B).
A request form will appear. The Pickup Location is already assigned. Click Send Request.
The system will respond with the message Your request was successfully placed.
When your request is filled, the system will send you an email notification that the item is ready for pick up.
To track the status of your requests, navigate through the user menu to My library activity then the Requests tab.
Requests may be placed for either a bound volume of several issues or a single issue, but not for a copy of an article. Scanners are available in the Reading Room, if you would like to make an electronic copy of an article. Bring your own flash drive if you plan to scan articles.
Journals are available in multiple formats. Click on the options listed under:
- View online
- Find in Library (A) for print copies or microform (microfilm or microfiche) for older issues.
Click on any of the locations to retrieve the available items. In many cases there are different formats that can be requested, including the Microform Collection (D). Microform includes both microfilm and microfiche.
When searching for specific journal issues, using the Filter by (B) tool can save time scrolling through lists of issues.
The Filter by tool opens the following filtering options: location (default NLM), volume/box, year, and description. The description field is a combination of volume, issue, and year information.
The volume/box filter searches both volume and issue information.
Description can be used separately from volume/box and year. It is best used when no results are retrieved by the volume/box and/or year filters. No results may indicate that there are inaccuracies in the citation being searched, or that NLM has bound issues together and the sought-after volume or year is not explicitly cited in the item label, or that values are displaying out of order in the dropdown list.
Depending on the complexities of the data and personal preference, some users prefer to start with the volume/box filter instead of the description filter and vice-versa. We encourage users to experiment with both filters to determine which filtering strategy is more efficient for retrieving the types of items they frequently need to request.
Click on the Request link (C) to request a specific item. If needed, click on Show More Items (D) for additional issues.
A request form will appear. The Pickup Location is already assigned. Click Send Request.
If additional journal issues are needed after the initial request, click the Back button. This will display the item list again, so you can make additional requests.
When the request is filled, the system will send an email notification that the item is ready for pick up.
To track the status of your requests, navigate through the user menu to My library activity then the Requests tab.
Last Reviewed: August 21, 2026