University Times

Pitt is testing a system that allows Internet users to search certain institutions' library catalogs and request that books be sent to any library in the University Library System (ULS). The service is an alternative to the interlibrary loan process.

The pilot project is sponsored by the Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc. (PALCI), of which the University is a founding member. PALCI is a multi-library search and book exchange program.

Other participating universities include Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, and Pennsylvania State University (University Park campus). Access to this system will continue though the fall 1998 semester. Continued availability will depend on the purchasing decision of the consortium following the test period. For more information or to access the service, visit the ULS website at http://www.library.pitt.edu. From the website, select "Other Resources" and then select PALCI. Searches are transmitted to a virtual catalog composed of all the participating libraries' databases. If the first library cannot supply a selected book, the request is automatically sent on to another participating library.