Proxy Authorization - Borrowing

Current University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Illinois) patrons and courtesy card patrons may authorize another library borrower to perform certain circulation functions on their behalf.

This authorization is usually extended to students who are assisting a faculty member or a graduate student with their research. A spouse, staff member, etc., can also be designated as a proxy patron as long as they also have an Illinois library account. The patron granting the authorization is the sponsor, and the patron they’ve authorized to act on their behalf is the proxy. If you have any questions about proxy authorization, please contact Central Access Services.

There are two types of Proxy Authorization:

  • Borrowing Proxy: A Borrowing Proxy patron is authorized to pick up requested items, request items in person, and request the renewal of items on the sponsor’s behalf.
    • Borrowing Proxy authorizations do not expire unless the proxy’s account expires or there is a request to end the authorization. Please contact Central Access Services to end a proxy authorization.
  • Fulfillment Proxy: In addition to Borrowing Proxy privileges, a Fulfillment Proxy patron may place and monitor requests made on the sponsor’s behalf through the Library catalog and will receive email notices about the sponsor’s locally requested items.
    • Fulfillment Proxy authorizations are valid in 1-year increments up to a maximum of 5 years.
    • The Fulfillment Proxy relationship may be terminated at any time if the sponsor contacts Central Access Services.
    • After 5 years, if the sponsor wishes to re-designate the proxy, they may fill out a new application to re-establish the proxy relationship.

Sponsors are responsible for all library materials charged to their accounts.

How to Apply

To obtain authorization, a Proxy Request Form (either paper or online) must be completed by the sponsor.

Note: The paper form must be signed by both parties and include both of their library account numbers. Paper forms may be brought to the Circulation Desk on the second floor of the Main Library or scanned in and emailed to circlib@library.illinois.edu.

Instructions for Proxy Patrons

Check Out

Once you are authorized as a proxy, you can check out library materials for the person who authorized you (the sponsor). Present your i-card or courtesy card at the Circulation Desk and tell the staff member that you are checking out materials for another library borrower. Note: proxies with expired accounts or blocked accounts won’t be allowed to pick up items for another patron until the proxy’s account is in good standing.

Library materials checked out by proxy will appear on the library account of the sponsor. These items will receive the loan period for which the sponsor is eligible. For example: if a graduate student who is a proxy for a faculty member checks out material on behalf of the faculty member, those items will appear on the faculty member’s account and will have the loan period for which the faculty member is eligible.

Renew

To renew items checked out on the sponsor’s library account, contact Central Access Services. Inform them of your proxy status and give the name of the sponsor, or your Fulfillment Proxy User ID or barcode number. Central Access Services will verify the proxy relationship and will work with the proxy to manage the items that are due. Please note that Central Access Services is not able to renew any I-Share items.

Request Books

Borrowing Proxy: If you’re a Borrowing Proxy, you can’t use your proxy authorization to request books through the Online Catalog or the I-Share Catalog for the sponsor. However, if the sponsor uses their own account to request items through the library catalog, you can pick those items up at any library location for the sponsor.

Fulfillment Proxy: If you’re a Fulfillment Proxy, you can request Illinois and I-Share items on the sponsor’s behalf using your Fulfillment Proxy online account. These items would be put on hold in the sponsor’s name. Click here for account login instructions.

Request Articles

You generally can’t request articles online from the library collection for the sponsor. The exception is the Library’s DocExpress service, available through the Interlibrary Loan Office. DocExpress allows you to request PDF photocopies of articles the library owns in print. There is no charge for faculty, graduate students, or staff, but there is a fee for undergraduate students.

Interlibrary Loan

You can’t place Interlibrary Loan (ILL) requests for the sponsor. However, you can pick up ILL requests that the sponsor placed themselves.