The Fundamentals
- Always start from the Health Sciences Library (HSL) website to ensure access to university-subscribed resources.
- Use the Columbia e-Link
to access the full text of journal articles. - If the library lacks access to a needed book or article, request it from a peer library via Borrow Direct (for books only) or from another academic library via Interlibrary Loan.
- If you still cannot find or get access to what you need, please ask us for help.
Journal Articles
The libraries at Columbia University subscribe to thousands of current journals. The vast majority of current content is in electronic format, available from anywhere in the world through a web browser. Older content, however, may only be available in print format.
Finding journal articles
Use one of the library’s databases of scholarly literature to find journal articles on a topic or a journal article where the citation is known. PubMed (tutorials) is a good starting point for biomedical articles. Web of Science (tutorials) is a good place to begin searches in the science and social science literature.
For additional database options, see the "Related Content" links on this page, or use the Explore Resources page.
Accessing journal articles
When using a scholarly database, look for the Columbia e-Link icon to provide direct access to electronic versions of journal articles. In many cases, the e-Link page will have a series of "Get Article" links, any of which will bring you to the full text in one of the databases to which Columbia subscribes.
If there is no "Get Article" link or if these links fail to work, try searching in CLIO, the Libraries' online catalog. The e-Link page provides easy access to CLIO under the heading "Search Columbia University Libraries for this item."
Print journals to which Columbia has access will appear only in CLIO. Most print journals are kept at Columbia's offsite shelving facility, called ReCAP (short for Research Collections and Preservation), located in New Jersey and operated jointly by Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, and the New York Public Library. In CLIO, journals located in that facility will show a location of “Offsite.” To request these items, click on the title to go to the detail page, and then use the “Offsite” link on the right side of the page. ReCAP can provide scans of individual articles, which will be sent to you via e-mail, or can deliver the whole print volume to HSL within two (2) business days.
If the journal you're looking for is not in CLIO, HSL can request the article from a partner library through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). ILL requests for journal articles are typically filled within three (3) business days. The easiest way to start an ILL request is to use the "Interlibrary Loan" link on the e-Link page (located under the heading "Request Item from Another Library"). This link will auto-populate citation information in the ILL form.
Books and Databases
HSL and the Columbia University Libraries provide access to hundreds of current biomedical and scientific books, databases, and other tools in electronic format. In addition, HSL has a small collection of current print books as well as tens of thousands of older print books located at ReCAP, the library's offsite shelving facility.
Finding books and databases
Start by searching the HSL website for the title of the book or database you want or by browsing a subject you're interested in. The HSL website includes links to many top biomedical journals and electronic books, including resources selected by the HSL staff as particularly recommended. You may also browse for books or databases using the Explore Resources page.
If the desired resource is not found on the library website, try CLIO, the library catalog. CLIO includes print and electronic books and journals, databases, and other tools provided by almost all of libraries at Columbia University (with the exception of the Law Library and Teachers College). In addition to electronic resources, CLIO lists print items that may be requested from the offsite shelving facility, ReCAP.
Accessing books
Electronic books
The HSL website and CLIO, the library catalog, always include links to the electronic resources they list. These links will work whether the user is on campus or off campus. Off-campus access is authenticated through UNI and password.
Book chapters are also indexed in databases such as PubMed or Web of Science. Within these tools, use the Columbia e-Link to access electronic resources. This link will direct you to electronic access, if available, and provides easy access either to search CLIO for print books Columbia may own or to request items via Interlibrary Loan.
If the website, CLIO, or the e-Link indicate that the library has access to the electronic full text but for some reason the content cannot be accessed, please use the "Report an E-Resource Problem" link on the e-Link page or use the Ask a Question form on the HSL website.
Print books at the Health Sciences Library
Members of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) community may access the HSL 24 hours a day with their CUIMC ID. The library has a self-checkout kiosk to allow users to borrow books any time, day or night.
Print books at other Columbia libraries
Use the Columbia University Libraries' Pick-Up Service to request delivery of a book from one of the other Columbia University libraries for pickup at HSL. Current turnaround time is 4-5 business days.
Don't need the whole book? You can use the “Scan and Deliver” service to request scans of single chapters from books located at other Columbia University libraries. The scans will be e-mailed to you once the request has been fulfilled.
Print books offsite at ReCAP
When items in CLIO search results show a location of “Offsite,” these items are shelved at ReCAP, the library's offsite shelving facility located in New Jersey. To request these items, click on the title to go to the detail page, and then use the “Offsite” link on the right side of the page.
ReCAP can provide scans of individual chapters or articles that will be e-mailed to you or can deliver print books or bound journal volumes to the HSL within two (2) business days.
Books not available at Columbia
If a desired book is not available at any of the university’s libraries, HSL will try to get it from one of our peer libraries.
- Search the Borrow Direct catalog. Borrow Direct's partner libraries promise quick shipping of print items and extended loan periods. Borrow Direct is the best option for books you might need right away.
- If the book is not available from Borrow Direct, you can request it via Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Libraries worldwide participate in interlibrary loan, but it may take two to four weeks to get requested items.