What is Summit?

Summit is a term used to describe our partnership with other libraries in the Orbis Cascade Alliance, a consortium of academic libraries in the Pacific Northwest. Summit library collections are all accessible through our larger catalog: Portland State WorldCat. With one search, you can discover and request regionally held items via the Summit system, and if your materials are not held within the Summit system, you can request through our Interlibrary Loan system (ILLiad) to obtain materials from around the world. Through Summit and WorldCat, you have access to more than one billion books, sound recordings, videos, and more.

Who Can Borrow?

Current Portland State University students, faculty and staff members and affiliates of other Summit libraries may use the services. Summit borrowing is unavailable to non-credit students, community borrowers or the general public.  If you are not eligible to use our services, check with your local public library about borrowing materials from other libraries.

How long does it take?

Summit items typically take two to five days to arrive, and you will be notified via e-mail when items arrive. 

• • Books are held at the PSU Library Circulation Desk for 7 days and have a 6 week loan period (no renewals).  
  • Media items (DVDs, CDs) are held for just 3 days and check out for 6 days.

Where do I pick up materials?

If you select PSU Library as your library when requesting an item, items will be delivered to Portland State Library's first floor Circulation Desk. To pick up materials from a different Summit library, present your PSU ID card at that location to be "adopted" as one of that library's patrons. Once adopted, select that library when requesting, and materials will be delivered to that location. You are eligible to borrow directly from any Summit library.  

• • View our map of Summit libraries to see your options.  

For more information about your Summit or Interlibrary Loan requests, login to My Library Accounts, where you can see what you have requested and what you have checked out. Summit materials cannot be renewed, but you can request renewals for materials borrowed via the larger worldwide Interlibrary Loan system, Illiad.