University of Illinois faculty members, graduate students, and other library borrowers with extenuating circumstances may authorize another library borrower to charge out library materials for them. This authorization is usually extended to students who are assisting a faculty member or a graduate student in his or her research, but a spouse, staff member, etc. can be designated as a proxy patron. Also, a library borrower can designate more than one proxy. Library materials will receive faculty or graduate loan periods. The length of the authorization is specified for up to one year. The individual is responsible for all library materials charged to their account, including those materials that his or her proxy checked out.
University of Illinois faculty members may authorize research and teaching assistants to check
out library materials on their behalf. The length of the authorization is specified for up to one
year and faculty members are responsible for all library materials charged to their accounts.
To obtain authorization, faculty members must complete and sign a Proxy Form, available in
the Circulation Office (room 203, Main Library) or at the Circulation Desk. The application form
requires the library ID numbers (printed on i-card) and signatures of both the faculty member and
you (the proxy).
Once authorization is obtained, you can charge materials from Main Stacks and departmental
libraries to the faculty member's account. Upon checkout, just inform the circulation desk clerk
that you are acting as proxy for a faculty member. Your proxy status will be tied in with your
i-card, so when your card is scanned, the circulation clerk will be able to select your professor's
account instead of your own.
If you have any questions about proxy authorization, please contact the Circulation Office at
circlib@library.uiuc.edu or via telephone at 217-333-8400.
To renew items checked out by a faculty member, call the circulation desk at 217-333-8400.
Inform the circulation desk staff of your proxy status and give the name of the professor you are
assisting. Phone center staff will verify your status by looking at your account information. They
can then renew needed items on the professor's account. There is no way to do this online.
Books:
You can't use your proxy authorization to request books for professors through the
Online Catalog or
the I-Share Catalog. However, if a professor uses his or her own account to request items
through the library catalog, you can pick those items up at any library location if you are the
authorized proxy.
Articles:
Generally, you will not be able to request articles online from the library collection. The
exception will be the Library's DocExpress service, available through the Interlibrary Loan Office.
DocExpress allows you to request article photocopies for a fee. If the articles are available
electronically, they can be sent to a campus email address as a PDF attachment. Faculty and staff
pay $3.00 per article; students pay $5.00. Most articles can be made available in two days.
You can use DocExpress as a proxy on behalf of your professor. The Interlibrary Loan Office
needs a signed letter on file from your professor stating that his or her account can be charged
for items you request for them using DocExpress. For for information, please visit the
DocExpress
tutorial. To place a request, visit the
Interlibrary Loan website and click
the University of Illinois DocExpress link. This service is recommended if an article is needed
quickly.
If the database interface includes an email option, you can often send articles or citations to your professor. Be sure to notify your professor that you are emailing articles so that they aren't accidentally discarded. Many databases let you attach a note when you send articles--it's a good idea to identify yourself here so the professor knows where the articles are coming from.
Proxy students cannot currently place interlibrary loan requests for professors. Professors will have to place interlibrary loan requests themselves, but they can request that proxy students be authorized to pick up their items. In order to do this, the interlibrary loan borrowing office (room 104A of the Main Library) will need to have a letter from the professor stating that his or her proxy student can pick up interlibrary loan items. The proxy student's name should be included in this letter.
Photocopies:
To obtain copy cards that are charged to a University of Illinois departmental account,
please visit the Library Business Office in Room 111A, Main Library building. You will need:
The FOAPAL account number (a 25-digit number). You should be able to get this number from your department's secretary or business office.
Contact information for, or a letter from, the person in charge of the account. The Business Office will then provide either a 100, 300, or 500 page copy card to you (and charge the account accordingly).
Computer Printouts:
To charge printouts to a University of Illinois departmental account, please visit the
Library Systems Office in
Room 314, Main Library building. You will need:
The FOAPAL account number (a 25-digit number). You should be able to get this number from your department's secretary or business office.
Contact information for, or a letter from, the person in charge of the account. The Library Systems Office will then set up an account for you that enables you to print from a computer and charge it to the departmental account.
Microfilm or Microfiche Printouts:
To charge microfilm or microfiche to a departmental account, tell a staff member at the
library housing the microform printer your department's FOAPAL account number (a 25-digit number),
your professor's name and your department. All the printouts will then be charged to the
departmental account.
Yes. Fill out a Reserve Form, available on the Information Processing and Management
reserves page. On the form,
you'll need to fill in your professor's name and course number(s), but if you are to be the contact
person for these reserves, you can use your own telephone number and email address. If you do this,
indicate in the "Notes" section of the form your name and position with the professor. To find out
more about reserves, please visit the
Information
Processing and Management website.
To obtain authorization both parties must complete and sign a "Proxy Request Form." The form may be filled in online but must be printed and signed by both parties. Completed forms may be turned in at the Circulation Office, Room 202 Main Library or the Circulation Desk on the second floor of the Main Library.
Proxy Form (92KB PDF)
Incomplete forms will not be accepted; Library ID numbers and signatures for both parties are required.
If you have questions or need additional information, please Ask A Librarian!
University LibraryFor comments on this page contact: Ask a Librarian
Last modified by: Jennifer Emanuel on 7/12/12
