Welcome! We are here to help.
The CUC community has access to an evolving library collection, in addition to academic, public, and special library resources throughout the country.
The Klinck Memorial Library is a growing organism where students have access to millions of digital resources including: eBooks, databases, and streaming videos anywhere on and off campus. CUC students can easily request articles the library does not own within the databases, resulting in a 4 business day turnaround. This is a free digital service the university provides to students, faculty, and staff. The library has three floors of quiet research spaces for individual and group work, in addition to thousands of books, CDs, DVDs, vinyl records, and hard copy journals. Professional librarian research services are available in-person, by phone, email, or Zoom every day of the week. The library is a member of the I-Share network, a collection of over 80 academic libraries in Illinois. CUC students can borrow materials from these libraries for free through the catalog. There are dozens of computer stations throughout the library with Wi-Fi and printing availability. The LibCafé is located just outside of the library entrance. And yes, food and drinks are allowed in the library.
The lower level of the library includes: early childhood literature and curriculum items, the University Archives, private study carrels, and a group study room that is first come, first serve.
The upper level of the library includes: a group study lounge area, private study carrels, the Center for Church Music and CougarNet.
Learn more about our Library Memberships.
The Klinck Memorial Library is proud to be a member of the RAILS, LIBRAS, and CARLI organizations.
RAILS serves approximately 1,300 academic, public, school, and special libraries in northern and west-central Illinois. Its services include interlibrary delivery, continuing education, shared e-book collections, cooperative purchasing, and more.
LIBRAS membership consists of 20 private college and university libraries located in the Chicago metropolitan area, focused on promoting cooperation, continuing education, and networking among its members.
CARLI consists of 129 academic and research library members who benefit from access to the I-Share online catalog. This organization also offers e-resources brokering, with almost 2,800 database subscriptions managed in 2019; the Illinois Library Delivery Service (ILDS), offering 24-hour delivery among 142 CARLI libraries and the state regional library systems; and the CARLI Digital Collections providing access to myriad special collections, containing over 2.6 Terabytes of items including images, printed and manuscript materials, sound recordings, and the Saskia Art Image and Sanborn Maps of Illinois collections.
Library of Congress Subject Classification
A | General Works | Main Level |
B | Philosophy, Psychology, & Religion | Main Level |
C | Auxiliary Sciences of History | Second Level |
D | General & Old World History | Second Level |
E | History of America | Second Level |
F | History of the United States & British, Dutch, French & Latin America | Second Level |
G | Geography, Anthropology, & Recreation | Second Level |
H | Social Sciences | Second Level |
J | Political Science | Second Level |
K | Law | Second Level |
L | Education | Second Level |
M | Music | Second Level |
N | Fine Arts | Second Level |
P | Language & Literature | Lower Level |
Q | Science | Lower Level |
R | Medicine | Lower Level |
S | Agriculture | Lower Level |
T | Technology | Lower Level |
U | Military Science | Lower Level |
V | Naval Science | Lower Level |
Z | Bibliography, Library Science, & General Information Resources | Main Level |
In addition to the Klinck Memorial Library, Concordia-Chicago students, faculty, and staff have access to other libraries in the state of Illinois. I-Share is a library catalog that provides information about the collections of 89 academic and research libraries.
Your Cougar Card also functions as a library card, which entitles you to check out materials from any I-Share member library. During this time, some libraries have modified their patron access policies.
The Cougar Card, issued by ID Card Services, functions as a library card for students, faculty, and staff. It does not display the library borrower ID. It is used to renew materials in the Library Catalog and to place and track interlibrary loan requests through I-Share, which provides information about the collections of 90 academic and research libraries in Illinois.
The library borrower ID is in the following format:
24211 followed by your nine-character "H number"
Example: 24211H88888888
Contact Access Services, 708-209-3057, toll free 866-733-8287 if your Cougar Card does not work as the borrower ID.