What is Interlibrary Loan?
Our Interlibrary Loan service enables Forest faculty, staff and students to obtain materials not available at the Forest Library by borrowing them from other institutions.
Conditions governing the borrowing and lending of materials from one library to another are set by the National Interlibrary Loan Code of the American Library Association and by specific regulations of the participating lending libraries.
Who is Eligible for the Service?
Active Forest faculty (permanent and adjunct), staff, or currently enrolled students are eligible. Inactive adjunct faculty are eligible with permission from the Library Services Manager or Circulation/ILL Assistant. Student alumni or guest borrowers are not eligible.
What Materials May Be Requested?
Requests can be submitted for books, periodical articles, dissertations, and other kinds of research materials that are not part of the library holdings.
Dissertations can be borrowed one at a time. if you plan on requesting more than one, please submit the citations in priority order. Keep in mind that a dissertation's loan period is usually short and may not be renewable.
What Materials Cannot Be Requested?
The following materials are often not lent by a library:
• Entire volumes/issues of periodicals
• Rare books and manuscripts
• Reference books
• Sound recordings, cassettes, films, and videos
A lending library can also place restrictions on our ability to borrow by refusing to lend non-circulating materials (such as dissertations), refusing to renew material already on loan or withholding permission to photocopy an article (perhaps due to copyright restrictions).
How Many Items Can I Request at a Time?
There is no limit at the present time. However, it will take longer to process a list with a large number of items or if we receive many requests from a single individual within a given time frame. Please prioritize a long list of items so that we can obtain your most important requests first.
What Should I Do Before Placing a Request?
How Do I Submit a Request?
• In EBSCO or ProQuest databases, click on the "Create ILL Request" link in the database record.
• E-mail the database citation to
. Include your name and email address.
• Email a copy of your citation list along with your name and email address to
.
How Long Does the Process Take?
Turnaround
Our turnaround can average up to 6 days for an article request. The turnaround for a request is based on the time that elapses between placing a request for your item in OCLC and when the item is "checked in" (after being received via email, fax or mail). Our library has no control over how long a lender may take to process the request.
Why does it take so long?
After your ILL request is received, a library staff member will re-verify it before it is requested through OCLC. This may take a day or so. The Library needs to determine if we already have access to the journal in print or electronically. Making you aware of available resources is the fastest way to obtain your needed article.
You will be notified via email if the item you requested is ...
• Available in our book collection or requestable in SWAN or MOBIUS
• Available in full text via the E-Journal Portal
• Available in our print journal collection
• in a foreign language (we will await your go-ahead BEFORE requesting the item)
• a dissertation (we will await your go-ahead BEFORE requesting the item)
What can the library do to speed up this process?
As of June 2009, the Library began forwarding any ILL articles we received electronically from lenders to you electronically. We are also requesting that lenders who mail article copies use first class instead of library rate. We are working to reduce our average turnaround time to less than six days.
What can I do to speed up the process and get my article faster?
• Check your email regularly for ILL articles or for notifications or questions from staff
• Pick up your request promptly after notification (when it arrives in hard copy)
Where is Material Picked Up After It Arrives?
You will be emailed the same day that your item arrives. Students on the Springfield campus can pick up materials at the Library Front Desk. Copies of articles obtained through ILL are yours to keep.
How Long Can I Keep an ILL Book on Loan?
For books on loan, the due date and any restrictions for use will appear on the band on the book's front cover. Most libraries give at least a 2 week loan period. Interlibrary loan books should be returned to the Library Front Desk. Do not remove the band on the book or any paperwork that may be inside the cover. Renewals for books on loan must be requested prior to the due date. Patrons will be notified if a renewal is possible and will be notified of a new due date. Not all lending institutions allow renewals.
Does ILL Cost Me Money?
The Library does not charge at present for book loans or article copies. The Library absorbs any loan or photocopy charges within reason. Most dissertations we borrow incur a loan charge of $20 or more.
Questions?
If you have any questions, please call the ILL office at (417) 823-3418 or citation to
.