Community Members

In addition to our faculty, staff and students, Ohio University is glad to serve members of the general Athens community and surrounding regions.  Below you will find services specific to members of the local community.  

Community Borrowing

Residents of Athens, Hocking, Meigs, Morgan, Perry, Vinton, and Washington Counties, as well as all Ohio University alumni, are eligible for community borrowing. To receive or renew your community member library card, visit the Alden 4th Floor Service Desk and bring a photo ID.

Community borrowers must be at least 18 years old; those under 18 may be registered on the card of a parent or guardian. Public school students visiting the library as part of a class may obtain a temporary library card; teachers must provide a completed Public School Application for Library Privileges for each student 10-14 days prior to the scheduled visit. Request applications and submit completed applications to Chasity Gragg.

For extended borrowing privileges, consider becoming a Friend of the Libraries!

Computing & Printing for Community Members

Member of the general community are welcome to use computers and printers in Alden Library.  Ask at a service desk for assistance with accessing computers or printing. 

Access to Electronic Resources and Databases

Due to our license agreements with publishers, off-campus and remote access to online subscription resources are limited to current Ohio University faculty, staff, and students.  We have several workstations near the 2nd floor service desk in Alden Library where community members can use library databases and other licensed electronic resources such as journals and e-books.  Please ask at the 2nd floor service desk for assistance. 

If you are unable to travel to Alden Library, there may be other options for accessing similar library resources.

Access to OhioLINK & Interlibrary Loan Services

By default, community borrowers do not have access to OhioLINK or Interlibrary Loan services. However, there are a couple of ways they can expand their eligibility for these services.

If community members want to request materials through OhioLINK, they can apply for a free State of Ohio Library Card. The State Library of Ohio will even mail the card to them. As a State Library of Ohio member, they will be able to request OhioLINK books and specify the closest Ohio University campus library as the pickup location. To learn how this works, check out our FAQ about sending requests to other OhioLINK libraries for pickup. 

For access to Interlibrary Loan services, community members will need to consider becoming a Friend of the Library. Friends of the Library have access to films, OhioLINK, and Interlibrary Loan services.