Skip to Main Content

Searching the Library Catalog (Primo)

This how-to guide will cover tips for searching the library's online catalog for materials.

How to request items in the library catalog

There are two different item requests that you can make in the library catalog. 

  1. You can request items owned and located in Weaver Library to be put on hold for you. 
    • Library staff will pull the item from the shelf and put it on a hold shelf behind the circulation desk. This item will be on hold for you for a short period of time and will be available for you to pick up from the library. 
  2. You can request items that Weaver Library does not own from other college libraries in the TRAILS consortium. 
    • Items will be sent to Weaver Library from another college and will be checked out to your account when you pick up the item. 

Requesting items for hold

Holds are for items owned by Weaver Library. You can place an item hold for pick up at our circulation desk. 

  1. Sign in to your library account (for instructions see the Your Library Account tab). 
  2. Search the library catalog for the item you want to place on hold.
  3. Click on the item you want to place a hold on. 
  4. Scroll down to the Availability section of the item record.
  5. Click on the "request: link next to the bold request options text. screenshot of the availability panel in library catalog item record. Underneath the availability heading and above the item location information is a "request options" section. There are two links in this section: "Request" and "ask us." The request link is outlined in a red box.
  6. Fill in the short form, including the not needed after date. Comments are optional.
  7. Hit the green request button on the bottom right side of the form. Screenshot of the item hold request form in the library catalog. Fields to fill in are: term of use, not needed after date, and comment." This form is outlined in a red box. To the bottom right of the form is a submit button also outlined in a red box.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After you have completed the request form, library staff will be notified of your request. Library staff will pull the item from the shelf and place it behind the circulation desk for you to pick up. You will receive an email telling you that your item is ready for pick up and how long it will be held for. Be sure to check your junk/spam folders to make sure the email hasn't been flagged.

 

Requesting items from other libraries in TRAILS

You can request books, DVDs, and CDs from another Montana academic library in our borrowing system (TRAILS). Items may be requested this way as long as Weaver Library does not own the item, or the item is missing from our shelf. This service is only available to Great Falls College students, faculty, and staff due to processing costs. To request items through TRAILS:

  1. Sign in to your library account (for instructions see the Your Library Account tab).
  2. Search the library catalog for the item you want to request, using the TRAILS Collections scope (for instructions on how to choose a scope see the Search Help-Basic Searches tab > Setting your search scope). 
  3. Click on the item you want to request. 
  4. Scroll down to the availability section of the item record.
  5. Click on the "Request books from TRAILS-Montana Academic Libraries" link. This step can be presented in two different ways:Screenshot of availability section in library catalog. At the top are request options, which has a blue link that reads, "Request books from TRAILS-Montana Academic Libraries." this is outlined in red. Underneath is a section that says: get it from other institutions, which lists Montana Tech and Montana State University, Billings. screenshot of availability panel in library catalog. Text underneath availability reads: "your search did not match any physical resource in the library." Underneath that text is a blue link that reads, "Request books from TRAILS-Montana Academic Libraries." This link is outlined in red. At the bottom of the page is a section labeled "get it from other institutions." Underneath says, "Chief Dull Knife College," which has a blue arrow with a text box pointing to it. The text box reads, "shows which institutions in TRAILS own the item you are looking for, and if the item is available. This is where the item request will be sent."
  6. Fill in the request form, paying particular attention to required fields. Screenshot of resource sharing request form. At the top it says: "item available for request" next to a green circle. Underneath is a form with the following fields: title, author, edition, ISBN, publication date, additional author. And delivery information: deliver to library, pick up delivery location (set to GFC MSU Weaver Library), a date not needed after entry, and a comment field. There is a text box in the center that says, "pay attention to required fields." From the text box are red arrows pointing to the title, author, publication date, and date not needed after fields.
  7. Hit the green request button at the bottom right of the form when completed. 

This request will be sent to the library that owns the item. They will process it and, if they are able to fill it, Weaver Library will receive confirmation and the item will be sent to us. Once we receive the item, you will be notified that it is ready for you to pick up at Weaver Library. There are cases where requests cannot be filled, in that case, Weaver Library Staff will place a Interlibrary Loan request on your behalf and try to get the item from another library. 

 

Requesting items through interlibrary loan

Weaver Library offers this service to current students, faculty, and staff. Interlibrary Loan is available for items not owned by Weaver Library or other TRAILS institutions. Interlibrary loan is different from borrowing through TRAILS, in that requests can be placed to any library nationwide participating in interlibrary loan lending.  

Interlibrary Loan requests can be placed for the following item types:

  • Journal article copies (usually electronic)
  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Audiobooks

Interlibrary loan requests are processed Monday-Friday, 8-5 p.m. Average processing times are 3-7 days for article copies, and 3-4 weeks for books and other physical materials. These time periods are based on the amount of time it takes for the lending library to fill the request and send the item. It is possible that we will receive items in a shorter time period than this, but please plan accordingly to leave enough time to receive your request before your assignment or project is due. 

All communication with you about your request will be done via email, and electronic copies will be delivered via email. Please double check your spam folder to make sure correspondence from the library does not get flagged and sent to your junk folder. If you have questions about your request please reach out to us via email (library@gfcmsu.edu) or phone: 406-771-4398. 

Submitting a request

To submit an interlibrary loan request, please fill out the form below. You can also locate the interlibrary loan request form on our website. Before submitting an interlibrary loan request please do the following first:

  • Read our interlibrary loan frequently asked questions.
  • Check the library catalog carefully to make sure Weaver Library does not already own the item.
  • Check our full-text databases and our full-text journal finder carefully to make sure Weaver Library does not already have access to an online journal article.
  • For books/physical items: check to make sure that other TRAILS libraries do not own the item.

When submitting the form, please fill in as much information as possible. This will make it easier to process and help us locate the correct item for you.