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OCAD University

Announcement from the OCAD U Library regarding interlibrary loans

July 11, 2023

The RACER interlibrary loan system will be retired for OCAD U users on August 1st, 2023. As of August 1st, all interlibrary loan requests can be placed directly in the Omni network, to access all eligible resources in Ontario libraries and beyond. Any requests placed in RACER before August 1st will still be completed.

This transition is occurring for all university libraries in Ontario, as the RACER system is being sunset for all users.

OCAD U library users can already request interlibrary loans directly in the Omni network by following these steps: in the "How to get it" section of a catalogue record click "Get it from another library." Can't find it in the Omni catalogue? Fill out the blank Omni request form.

Have questions? Email us at interlibraryloan@ocadu.ca

FAQ

What can I do to make this transition easier?

We recommend the following, as applicable:

  • Save any important information from RACER, such as request history, to a document (you will need to copy and paste information)
  • Faculty can review their syllabi and redirect any references to RACER to the Omni network instead

What will happen to my RACER requests that are in progress? 

Any requests still in progress will be fulfilled.

How do I make a request in Omni?

  1. Log in to My Library Account. 
  2. Use the search bar to look for items in the catalogue. 
  3. If the item is not available in our collection, there will be a “Get it from another library” button in the “How to get it” section of the record.   
  4. Complete the request form and select submit. The system will ensure your request is directed to the library that can fill it the quickest.   
  5. If you’re not seeing what you are looking for, expand your search results by selecting “Add results beyond OCAD U’s Collection” using the toggle in the left navigation. Alternatively, use the blank Omni request form located in the top navigation bar to enter your citation information and the library team will process your request.   

I am used to searching for titles directly in RACER. How do I search all libraries, beyond Omni?

If you’re not seeing what you are looking for in Omni, expand your search results by selecting “Add results beyond OCAD U’s Collection” using the toggle in the left navigation of the catalogue search.

Still not finding what you are looking for? Try searching Worldcat, which aggregates records from libraries around the world, or Google Scholar, which does the same for journal articles. Then use the blank Omni request form located in the top navigation bar to enter your citation information and the library team will process your request. To automatically fill the blank request form for journal articles, enter the DOI in the Omni request form and then click “auto-fill”.