Teachers and others living in the state of Illinois can get a courtesy borrowing card to check out materials from the Library of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Below is information about the process for requesting a card. Materials may be checked out and renewed according to the individual policies of the UIUC libraries.
Access to databases licensed by the UIUC Library is available on-site, but not from off-campus computers for individuals with courtesy borrowing cards. Alumni of the University have limited access to selected electronic databases. Further information may be found at http://www.library.uiuc.edu/learn/alumni.html
Information about free databases may be found on this site under Education Research and Reference Sources http://www.library.uiuc.edu/edx/teachers/edref.htm
Courtesy Borrowing Cards
http://www.library.uiuc.edu/circ/courtesy.htm
Unaffiliated users can obtain a UIUC Library courtesy borrowing card. To apply, fill out a courtesy card application in Room 203 Main Library (9:00 am - noon; 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Mon - Friday) or at the Bookstacks Main Circulation Desk anytime that Room 203 is closed. You will need to present photo identification and proof of your current address, see the above link for a list of acceptable identification. Your courtesy borrowing card will be mailed to you in 7 - 10 days. Courtesy cards are valid for one year. See the above link for further information about courtesy cards.
UIUC Online Catalog
http://www.library.uiuc.edu/catalog/
The online catalog can be searched to find books, journals, newspapers, and other materials held in the university libraries.
If you wish to limit your search to children's and young adult literature, you can do so via a Advanced Search. In the first dropdown Search by: list, select Subject Words, and enter juvenile in the Search for: box. Then, in the next Search for: box, enter your keyword, author name, or other search criteria. For instance, if I wanted to find children's books with the word "manatees" in the title, my search screen would look like this:
Local Public and Other Libraries
For teachers in the Champaign and Urbana region, you can find materials (e.g., children's books, DVDs, and audiobooks) in 60 area public libraries. You must have a LINC card to check out these items. The combined online catalog for these libraries is at http://lincpac.lincolntrail.info:8080/ipac20/ipac.jsp?profile=ltn#focus
Illinois educators may find the libraries at the Regional Offices of Education useful in providing resources and services. The Learning Resource Library at the Rantoul Regional Office of Education serves educators in Ford, Champaign, and Vermillion counties, with a satellite branch of the library in Danville. Detailed information about services can be found on their Web page.
For teachers living in other areas, your local public or community college library may provide borrowing privileges for material of interest.
