Section 7: Student Resources

Online Resources, Getting Library Books, & Other Libraries | Career & Other Resources

School Resources

Once you have registered for your first course, you will have access to a similar myriad of resources as on campus students!

I-Card: Your I-Card is your Illinois identification card. It allows you to borrow texts and media from CARLI consortium libraries (academic libraries throughout Illinois)! If you do not feel the need to have a picture on your I-Card, you may complete the ID request form. Getting a picture on your I-Card requires a trip to the Urbana ID Center, which is located in the Illini Union Bookstore.

Writing assistance/consulting: Because you are an Illinois student, you automatically have access to writing assistance via the the Writers' Workshop. Consultants with the Writers’ Workshop will communicate over the phone, through the Internet, or face-to-face; it depends on what you are most comfortable with.

Illinois NetFiles: NetFiles is offered through CITES, and it is an online location where you may store files. All students receive 500MB of online storage that can be accessed on- or off-campus!

Library Access

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign houses the largest public university library in the world! As a graduate student, you will have full access to the Illinois library, and all the benefits that come with it. The Library Gateway is the portal to the library and provides links to all online resources.

1 ) Online Resources

As an Illinois student, you can access online databases (e.g., EBSCO Host, certain aspects of Google Scholar, LexisNexus, etc.) from the Online Research Resources page (ORR). Since ORR page consists of journal indexes which search hundreds of journals at once, it may be the best place to start your literature search.

Please note: In order to access the ORR, you will need your NetID login and password. If you've forgotten the password, please fax a Password Change Form to CITES (campus IT services).

For more information about using ORR, please see the video tutorials, or click here for more information.

2 ) Getting Library Books

Finding Texts Online: Find texts in the Illinois library system by going to the Online Library Catalog. The Online Catalog allows you to check out texts from all libraries in the University of Illinois system via I-Share and Interlibrary Loan! Through this system, you can access to books located in Illinois as well as other libraries in Illinois and around the world.

Online and Continuing Education (OCE) Library Services: Even though Education Online Students are not physically on campus, they may still check out actual texts. Online and Continuing Education (OCE) Library will mail books and articles to your home address at no additional cost! Click here for more information about the service.

Visiting Physical Libraries: If you live in or near Illinois, you can use the libraries of 76 colleges/universities in Illinois to view, check-out, or return books/materials. You must present your "I-Card" (Illinois ID card). For more information on I-Card, see School Resources section above.

3 ) Other Library Information

The University of Illinois has made a commitment to assisting students as much as possible. Specifically, the University Library has created several guides and tutorials that may be helpful to all students.

Use the "Ask a Librarian" service. Full-time librarians and library science graduate assistants help via phone or online chat. If you feel you need more direct assistance, please contact the Education & Social Science Library to speak with an individual research consultant by completing this online form.

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Career Service Resource

The Graduate College Career Services Office (www.grad.illinois.edu/careerservices) : All UIUC graduate students can utilize the Graduate College Career Services Office. At the Career Services Office, you can be advised on career exploration, résumé and cover letter critiques, and interview negotiation.

The Career Center (www.careercenter.illinois.edu) : The Career Center is similar to the Graduate College Career Services Office, except all students may use the Career Center. One major difference between the two is that the Career Center will only offer assistance in person. It is still a very good resource, but it does require a trip to campus.

Educational Career Services Office(http://education.illinois.edu/ecso/) : The Education Career Services Office is designed to assist College of Education students. On the Education Career Services website, you will have access to several tools that can make you a stronger candidate in the education field!

Other Resources

U of I Bookstore: http://www.uofibookstore.illinois.edu
World Clock: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/
For tutorials on specific course tools used in your program (i.e. wiki), please refer to your program specific Moodle, which is located at the end of the New Student Orientation.