Q. How do I access or borrow an item that is not available in the NSCC Library?

We can request books or articles from other institutions if it's not something that NSCC owns.

We use a process called Inter Library Loan or ILL to request items from other libraries.  Depending on the library and the location, these requests usually take 2-5 business days.  Below is a list of the places you can search for items that are not available via the NSCC Library.

• HELM: Use the catalog to expand your search and check the entire HELM (Higher Ed Libraries of Massachusetts), an association of 14 Massachusetts college libraries in public higher education. Follow the login directions to place a hold on the item you'd like to access.
• Commonwealth Catalog: the Commonwealth Catalog, also known as ComCat gives you access to millions of items from libraries that hold unique collections such as Boston Public Library and UMass Amherst and other academic, special and public libraries. 
  • To login, use the 14 digit barcode located at the bottom of your NSCC ID. Select 'North Shore Comm College-Danvers' or 'North Shore Comm College-Lynn' depending on where you'd like to pick up the item. Password is your birthday in the following format: MMDDYYYY.
• Snap!Search or other library databases: if you find an article or a book in our library databases and we don't have full-text access, you can still request that article using the following forms:
  • Article Request - Interlibrary Loan
  • Book Request - Interlibrary Loan