Services for Regional Center Students and Online Students
About Library Services
The LSSU Library offers support services for regional students through its Interlibrary Loan (ILL) and Reference departments. The ILL department provides document delivery of books, government documents, and periodical articles sent directly to the student’s address. Reference assistance is available by email at , telephone at 906-635-2167, or via our Ask a Librarian chat service on the library’s homepage. Reference librarians are available from 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 8 a.m-5 p.m. on Friday during the academic year. Summer and semester break hours are 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. M-F. It is also possible to make an appointment with a librarian on weekends.
Accessing Articles
Regional students can access articles in LSSU Library’s research databases; when accessing any of our databases from off-campus, you will be prompted to log in to the Off-Campus Access portal — simply enter your LSSU computer network username and password and you’ll be passed through to the database with the same full-access you would have right here from LSSU Library. Need more instruction?
NOTE: Your network account and your My.LSSU, Moodle and Google accounts are NOT the same and may have different passwords. If you are not sure what your network password is, try the default of your 8 digit birthdate (mmddyyyy) or 6 digit birthday (mmddyy); if that doesn’t work, request a password reset through IT.
For help in choosing an appropriate database, contact a librarian through our Ask a Librarian page, or by e-mailing our librarians at . You might also browse our Subject Research Guides for suggested resources in selected disciplines.
Access to additional databases is available to Michigan residents through Michigan eLibrary (MeL). MeL databases available include Academic Search Complete, MasterFILE Complete, numerous ebook collections, practice tests through the Learning Express Library, and children’s resources, as well as Opposing Viewpoints in Context. As long as you’re accessing from within the geographic boundaries of the State of Michigan, you can get right to searching; if you are accessing from out of state, but are a Michigan resident, enter your Michigan Driver’s License or State ID Number and press enter when prompted to gain access.
Accessing books, articles and more
LSSU Library’s new search platform, Primo, allows you to search the library’s full collection of books, ebooks, article databases, DVDs, CDs, historical materials and artifacts, and more through a single search box. You may search Primo using the search bar on the LSSU’s Library home page at www.lssu.edu/library., or access the advanced search features by clicking on the “Search Primo for books, articles and more” link in the FIND box on the home page. Primo will also allow you to expand your search to include the libraries at Northern Michigan University and Finlandia University by adjusting the search scope at the end of the search bar on the results page, OR you can check the “Expand beyond LSSU” check box at the top of the facets menu on the left side of the results page which will search across other libraries that use the Primo platform; if you find an item at another library that you would like to access, simply click the “Request through…” link in the item’s record to access the form to place an ILL request.
For more information, consider watching our “Getting Started with Primo” video tutorial.
Requesting books and articles not held by LSSU Library
If you need a book or article that is not owned by the LSSU Library, requesting the item through Interlibrary Loan may be an option (depending on how quickly you need it.)
Most of our databases have a link within an individual articles’s record to request the item through Interlibrary Loan if it is not available in full-text; simply click that link, fill out the required information, and click submit to finalize your request. You should receive a copy of your request via email within a few minutes of submitting it; if you do not, please follow up with the ILL department to make sure that the request went through. If you do not see an Interlibrary Loan request link, or if you receive an error making the request, please use our online form to request the item you need: article | book.
For more information about ordering Interlibrary Loans, contact the Reference Desk at 906-635-2167 or the ILL Department at 906-635-2879.
ILL Tips
- Be sure to include all information requested — the more information we have, the more easily we will be able to track down the item at another library.
- Do not abbreviate titles of books journals or words in an article title. Incomplete or inaccurate information may result in delays in processing your requests!
- Electronic materials (i.e. a PDF of an article) are sent directly to the student’s email address; physical materials will be sent directly to the student’s mailing address.
- Return materials borrowed from LSSU via U.S. mail using the enclosed mailing label and postmarked by the due date.
Please note: The LSSU Library makes every attempt to fill requests for materials owned by the library within 24 hours of receipt of request. For materials not owned by LSSU, it is strongly recommended that students use the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service of the local regional center library for quicker service. If problems develop with the service provided by the local library, LSSU regional center students may request these materials through the LSSU ILL Department, but should allow approximately 4 weeks for delivery.
Contact Information
Kenneth J. Shouldice Library – ILL
Lake Superior State University
906 Ryan St.
Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783
For questions regarding Library services to regional center students, ILL materials requested, how to obtain copies of the regional center off-campus book and periodical request forms call 906-635-2879 or email:
