We understand that sometimes extraordinary circumstances can affect the return of library materials. As such, we accept requests for fees/fines to be waived. These requests are processed on a case-by-case basis and are subject to the approval of Brookens librarians and staff.

Please note, we do not have overdue fines. Simply return the overdue item and all charges will be waived.

If an item has been lost or damaged and you'd like to submit a fee exemption request, please fill out the form below.

If you'd prefer to speak to someone directly, please contact cring4@uis.edu, or visit the library during operating hours.

Note: The only spaces that are currently available to be reserved are BRK 230A - Library Learning Center and BRK 232.

1. 1. Go to the library website.
2. 2. Click on "Services" then "Space Requests."
3. 3. The Space Request page will show you which spaces are available to reserve.
4. 4. If you want to request BRK 232, submit your request through the UIS Connection System.
5. 5. If you want to request BRK 230A, click on the button that says "Reserve Here".
6. 6.On the form, you can select the date and time when you'd like to reserve the room.
7. 7. Click a bar on the chart so select a time slot. Your booking will immediately appear as orange, and there will be a red padding space automatically generated for cleaning.
8. 8. You can adjust the time and/or the length of your booking at the bottom of the page.
9. 9. Now click submit, and you're all good to go!

You can access the DSM-V through our database list.

Once you navigate to the D section, click on the DSM Library including DSM-5.

On that page, you can then select the Table of Contents and find the section you would like to access.

The Friends of Brookens Library of the University of Illinois Springfield is a service organization established to support to the library. Membership rates start at $50. For more information, contact the administration office at Brookens Library, (217) 206-6597.

Every book has a location and its own unique call number. You can find the location and call number of the book online in our catalog. Once you have the location and call number, you can find the book.

In terms of location: CINRC, Popular, New Books, and Reference are located on the 2nd floor; hard copy Periodicals and Magazines are located on the 3rd floor; and the Curriculum Collection, General, and Oversize are located on the 4th floor.

If you need assistance in locating a book, please do not hesitate to ask at the Main Desk on the 2nd floor. We are more than happy to help!

For further assistance, please contact the Main Desk at the library at 217-206-6605.

Google Scholar: 

1. Navigate to Google Scholar via the library website. You must access Google Scholar through the library website in order to access all the library's articles. Access the link for Google Scholar from our list of databases.
2. Paste your citation in the Google Scholar search bar.
3. If the article is available, click either Full View or View It @ UIS.
4. If the article is not available, you can request access through Interlibrary Loan.

UIS Library Search: 

1. Navigate to the advanced search tab on the right side of the library homepage.
2. Make sure to check the articles circle.

1. Paste your citation in the provided “any field” box.
2. If the library has the article, you can click full text availability.
3. If the article is not appearing, you can check the “Everything” tab, and from there, you can request access through Interlibrary Loan

If you have additional questions or need more advanced research help, you can always email or make an appointment with a librarian.

An empirical article is a research article that reports the results of a study that uses data derived from actual observation or experimentation.

The steps to finding an empirical article differ slightly from discipline to discipline, but all empirical articles share common characteristics.  Empirical articles will, typically, include methods and results sections in the body of the article. Additionally, they will be longer articles and may include charts, graphs, or statistical analysis. An empirical article will always include an extensive bibliography or works cited. 

We suggest that you start with the resources best suited to your subject. Our extensive collection of subject specific research guides can help with that.

We've created a research guide to help you along the research process. It includes information to help with selecting keywords, using search operators, building your search in a database, evaluating your sources, and exploring the range of resources Brookens Library has to offer.

Remember, the research process isn't linear. You may, at some point, learn more about your topic or discover a new, or more interesting, research question. Don't be afraid to make modifications to your research question.

If you need additional help, you can always contact a librarian, or use the Library Website's LibChat for research help.

Advertisements for student employment for the library, or anywhere on campus, will be posted on Career Connect. Students seeking on-campus employment must apply via Career Connect.

In order to apply, students must have an approved resume uploaded to Career Connect. (If you have trouble logging in to the Career Connect website call them at (217) 206-6508

If you are unsure if you are eligible for student employment you can find information on student employment eligibility on the Student Employment Procedures website.

There are multiple ways to get research help from our librarians.

You can:

• View the research guide of the discipline you want to learn more about! Research guides include a curated list of databases, journals, resources, books, and more in a topic of interest. They are a great place to start your research.

• Book a research consultation with a librarian for one-on-one research help. Schedule an appointment through our Make an Appointment page. You can choose whether to receive assistance in person or online via Zoom.

• Talk to us via the library chat! The UIS Library chat is a staff-run service where you can get answers to various types of questions, ranging from research help to browsing the library catalogue and much more.

• Email us your questions at questions@uis.libanswers.com.

Degree-seeking students, active faculty and staff, and many retirees are eligible for i‑cards. You may get your i‑card whenever you need it but there's no requirement to have or carry one. If you use your i‑card, make sure that it indicates your current role (student, faculty/staff, and so on).

Two ways to get an I‑card

• Full service at your ID Center. Bring a valid proof of identity and you'll get your photo taken and your i‑card printed while you wait. This process takes only a few minutes.
• Online photo submission. Submit your photo online in advance. After your photo is approved, stop by your ID Center with a valid proof of identity to get your i‑card printed.

Not student, faculty, or staff? No worries, special borrower cards are also available. Scroll down until you get to Borrowing Privileges, and select either Alumni, Community, or Friends of Brookens.

Don't forget that all members of the community are welcome to access materials at Brookens Library and use the public computers. The only limitation is you can't check-out books without a special borrower card.

No, Interlibrary Loan (ILL) books must be returned to the library they were checked out at. You can identify an Interlibrary Loan (ILL) book by the bright green strip attached to it.

For further assistance, please contact the Main Desk at the library at 217-206-6605 or ask us via email.

Yes, an Interlibrary Loan (ILL) request may be turned down for a number of reasons:

• A lending library cannot be found.
• The citation is incorrect.
• The item is owned by Brookens library.
• The book is available at an I-Share library.
• For any of these cases, the request will be cancelled and you will be notified via email.

No, reference books are non-circulating, meaning they cannot be loaned out.

Usually, only the person who requested the materials can check them out. The main exception to this is proxy patrons. A proxy patron would have to fill out a request form and get prior approval. See our guide for more information.

Note: Only faculty and staff can designate proxy patrons.

For further assistance, please contact the Main Desk at the library at 217-206-6605.

Yes, the CINRC offers consultation assistance. We recommend an initial telephone or email consultation so we can determine your needs. At that point we can determine if an in person or Zoom consultation would be advised. Email us at cinrc@uis.edu or phone us at (217) 206-6783.

The library is always paying attention to recent publications - it's always good to check the Popular and New Book Shelves if you're looking for a book on a Best Seller list, or you can also always request a book from I-Share online at the library website.

The library also takes suggestions for what books to add to the collection.

Whilst we don't buy books from patrons, we gladly accept the following types of material donations:<.p>

• Books
• DVDs
• CDs
• Audio books
• Magazines

When donating to the Library it is important to remember that the library reserves the right to add the items to the collection, sell them in a library book sale, or dispose of them as necessary. Currently, we send unsold books to Better World Books, an organization that funds literacy in underdeveloped countries. (https://www.uis.edu/library/giving-brookens/ways-give)

More information on how to provide a replacement

There is no fax machine on campus available for student use.

Brookens Library is not able to offer test proctoring services.

UIS students should contact Testing Services for test proctoring.

Additionally, Chatham Area Public library offers test proctoring for a charge.

Alumni Borrowing Privileges

Off-campus access to online databases is available only to enrolled students, faculty and staff according to our licensing agreements, but anyone can access those databases by using the library computers on campus. To use our databases, they can ask for a login/password at the library desk on the main floor if using our computers, or if bringing their own laptop can access the databases using the wi-fi. Alums do not need to fill out a form unless they want borrowing privileges.

Learn about borrowing materials from the library.

Sangamon State/UIS alumni and Lincoln Library patrons are able to apply for a library card in order to check out UIS Library materials.

Please fill out a request for library card form and your request will be reviewed.

Faculty, emeritus faculty, students, staff, alumni, and friends are all able to check out lockers from the library. They are available for the duration of the semester.

Simply visit the library main desk (located on the 2nd floor of Brookens), and ask to check out a locker. After scanning your i-card or library card and filling out a brief form, you will be given a key and assigned a locker number. If you are unsure where the lockers are located, just ask our staff to show you!

The locker is then yours for the semester. Make sure to return the key at the end of this loan. Lost keys will result in a $25 replacement fee.

How you can reach us:

• The chat box (available on this page on the right hand side) for the quickest response
• Brookens Library's main email at questions@uis.libanswers.com
• Contact a Librarian via email
• Contact the main desk at 217-206-6605 during our normal operating hours.