How to access collections that are temporarily unavailable

Due to the water damage that happened in Cooper Library in December, the first floor of the library is still off-limits while repairs are being completed. That means a number of collection items are not available to browse or check out, but there are a number of other ways you can get the books you need.

PASCAL: PASCAL stands for Partnership Among South Carolina Academic Libraries, and it means that 55 academic libraries across the state have agreed to make their resources available to all students, faculty and staff at colleges and universities in South Carolina — from the Upstate to the Lowcountry and everywhere in between. You can request a book or article through PASCAL Delivers and receive it within 3 to 5 business days, or have it delivered to the PASCAL library nearest to you. If you don’t want to wait, you can go in person to another academic library and check out materials using your Clemson University ID card. The nearest academic libraries to Clemson are Tri-County Technical College’s Learning Commons, Anderson University’s Thrift Library and Southern Wesleyan University’s Rickman Library.

Interlibrary Loan: If you can’t find what you need at another South Carolina college or university library, you can request to borrow items through Interlibrary Loan, which can get items from libraries across the world. Electronic materials, such as journal articles, take 2 to 3 days to arrive, and books and other physical materials may take 1 to 2 weeks.

Local public libraries: Clemson Libraries is part of OPAL, which stands for Oconee, Pickens and Anderson Libraries, a partnership between public and academic libraries in the tri-county area. Clemson students, faculty and staff can apply for a library card to check out books at any public library in Anderson and Oconee with their CU ID card and one other photo ID, and at Pickens County libraries with proof of address.

Submit a purchase request: If there is something you need that you would like to request the Libraries to purchase for our collection, please submit a purchase request form. We may be able to buy the item you’re looking for.