An index is used to point to the contents of something. For example, there are indexes in the back of books that describe and point to the contents of that book. There are also very large indexes that describe the contents of journals and give you enough information to locate an article in a journal. Indexes are usually arranged by subject, author or keyword. They can come in both paper and electronic form.
Interlibrary loan is a mechanism for different libraries to share materials.
Despite the size and comprehensiveness of the collections, scholars may require materials that CUL does not own. You may make arrangements to borrow library materials, principally books, from other libraries in North America or to obtain photocopies of journal articles for individual scholarly research. If, in consultation with a reference librarian, you find that you cannot obtain an item you need at Cornell, you should discuss the policies and timing of making an interlibrary loan request. Cornell is a partner in the Center for Research Libraries, a nonprofit corporation located in Chicago that is operated by scholarly and research institutions to strengthen resources and enhance access. Cornell students and faculty and staff members can borrow any of the center's holdings through interlibrary loan.