The library staff is happy to fill inter-library loan requests, but please consider a few important points before you place that request:
Before placing an ILL request for a book
- Have you checked Link+ to see if the item is available there? Link+ is an easier and faster way to request books from other libraries than traditional inter-library loan.
Before placing an ArticleReach or ILL request for a journal article
- How badly do you need it? Is this really the best (or only) article for your purpose? ArticleReach and ILL do not deliver articles instantly. They take time. We suggest checking all articles available directly through Hiebert Library (refine your search to “full text”) before making an ArticleReach or ILL request. You may find another resource that’s immediately available that meets your needs just as well (or even better) than the one you would have requested.
- Is it available in full-text online? Articles often exist elsewhere on the Web in full-text form. Do a search for the title of the article on Google Scholar or any regular Web browser, putting the title in quotation marks (ex: “Interpreting the Un-Expected: Oral Realization and Translation”) to see if you can find the article free of charge through another site. The great thing about taking this step is that Encore has already done the work of telling you it’s a reliable resource, so if you do find it online in full-text that step is already done!
- Does the library already have this article in print form? Here’s how to find out:
- In the article’s record, look for the name of the journal in which it was published.
- Go back to the library’s discovery service and do a title search for that journal title.
- Look under format in the Refine by box on the left to see if the library has this title in the format “periodical”
- If yes, check to see what years the library has in print. If the correct year is available, you can come to the library to get the article yourself. (Regional campus or online students may still request it through ILL).
- Make sure that the article is in a language you can read. Encore pulls articles from other languages as well. The full record will tell you if it’s not in English.
- Check to see WHAT the resource actually is. Many records that our databases pull up are actually things like book reviews, citations for books, theses, or dissertations. Make sure that’s really want you want before requesting it.
Turnaround Time
ArticleReach and Link+ requests are automatically put in by the systems, whereas ILL requests need to be put in by a librarian. Librarians try to put ILL requests in as quickly as possible. During particularly busy times of year, plan on waiting up to 3 days for librarians to place your request into the system. Then add to that the system turnaround time (below). Always request much earlier than you need the item.
Books can be requested 2 ways. For the quickest turnaround time, request through Link+. Books requested through ILL typically take a minimum of 2 weeks to arrive.
Articles can be requested two ways. For the quickest turnaround time, request through ArticleReach. Articles requested through ILL can come as quickly as 24 hours and as long as a month.
Please plan ahead. The response times depend on many factors including how quickly other libraries respond to the request and actual availability of the item being requested. Please request only those items necessary for your research, retrieve materials promptly after notification and return them on or before the due date.
Other Things to Know
ILL items are NOT eligible for renewal, regardless of circumstances. Checkout periods are set by the loaning library, not the Hiebert Library, and may or iliar with.
The librarians reserve the right to refuse to grant ILL requests if previous ILL requests were not taken care of appropriately, including materials being returned damaged or significantly overdue. Too many reports of instances IL title loans like this cause other libraries to block our access to request materials, which affects other faculty, staff, and students who may need ILL materials.
A Word about Copyright Restrictions.
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material.
Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement.
The Hiebert Library reserves the right to refuse a request if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the request would involve violation of copyright law.