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University of Denver

University Libraries

Research Guides

Prospector Tutorial: Make a Request

Through Prospector you have access to millions of books, journals, DVDs, and other circulating materials from libraries around the states of Colorado and Wyoming. This guide is to help you learn more about Prospector and how to use it.

Request it!

Step One:

If you are jumping in to the Prospector catalog from a Compass search, you can skip step one and move onto step two.

Otherwise, Prospector's main search box can handle keywords, topics, or exact titles of items enclosed within quotation marks. If you'd like to start with a more customizable search experience, such as searching by author or within a precise time frame, bypass the main search box and click on the Advanced Search option. 

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Step Two:

Scroll through the search results that appear on the page until you've found an item you wish to request for delivery to the University of Denver. You can click immediately on the "Request It" button, or click the title to view more information about the item, including the library or libraries that own it, publication information, and more.

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You can also click the "Request It" button while you're browsing the item record.

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Step Three:

You will be prompted to identify your affiliated Prospector library, for item routing purposes. Use the drop-down menu to select Alliance - U of Denver from the list of many available options, then click Submit:

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Step Four:

Enter your full Name and DU ID number in the fields that appear on the next screen. You will then have the option of selecting your preferred location to pickup the item: the DU Main Library Lending Desk (Anderson Academic Commons), the DU Music Library, or the DU Law Library. Once you click Submit, your item will be reserved and requested from Prospector. You will be notified by your DU email when the item has arrived at your pickup location of choice. 

Please note, however, that outstanding Prospector requests will not appear in your Compass account until the item has arrived at the University of Denver. When performing your research, you should keep a record of Prospector requests that you have placed in an online notation system or word processing document.

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Obtaining the materials

Arrival of requested materials typically will take anywhere from 2-5 days after processing. Other Denver libraries such as Auraria or Denver Public will have the quickest turnaround time, whereas your request could take up to 7 days if coming from the Western Slope or Wyoming.