Interlibrary Loan
(ILL)
Attention Students: Interlibrary Loan Deadlines
What is an interlibrary loan?
A book or article or access to a web site arranged by one library for use by a borrower at another library who has a serious need for the item.
Who can borrow an interlibrary loan?
Current members of the R-MWC community. Those who are not current members, such as alumnae and those who are retired, may use their local public library's ILL services.
How do I get an interlibrary loan?
Check first to see if we own the item or have access to it electronically or ask for help. The library has both electronic books and electronic journals. We do not normally borrow what we own. Please fill out one of the printed forms found near the Reference Desk or use the online form. Include as much information as you are able including a date when the material is no longer useful.
How long does it take to arrive?
The time will vary. Books which are sent through the mail may take a longer time. Transit time depends not only on the location of the lender but the nature of the material. Seven days is about the average time for a book to be received.
How will I know when the item I have requested has come?
You will be notified by email when the book or article arrives. Pick up books at the Circulation Desk at the front of the library. Articles will be posted to a web site for use with an authorization and a pin number. You may print or save these articles at will but may not share them in any way.
How much does it cost?
The library absorbs the cost for borrowing an item -- approximately $31.00 per transaction. For some items there may be an extra charge. The patron will be advised before any cost is incurred. When there is a charge for borrowing, we will pay for one item per student. However, the library does not buy dissertations or theses.
How long may I keep an interlibrary loan book?
We do not set the due date for books from other libraries. Most often books are due in 4 weeks with the possibility of renewal. The loan period may be less depending on the lender. It may be required that you use the material in the library.
Will I be charged for overdue or lost books?
YES. If you do not return the book by the due date, you will be charged for any fines that have accrued and for the cost of the book plus a processing charge if it is lost.
Are there any items that ILL will not request?
- The library does not order items that it already owns, either in hard-copy or electronically (including NetLibrary). We will recall our books that are loaned to other libraries when there is a request rather than borrow the same item from another library.
- The library does not order CD's, audio tapes, and popular video titles used for entertainment.
- Other items not ordered include whole issues of magazines or journals and old, rare, one-of-a-kind, or typescripts which other libraries are not likely to lend anyway. We do not borrow books used as textbooks that are for sale or on order at the Macon Bookshop or books that have been put on reserve by our faculty.
- We do not borrow items from international libraries.
Will Lipscomb Library return items I borrowed from another library?
For Randolph College students, faculty, and staff who borrow items from Lynchburg College, Sweet Briar College, the Lynchburg Public Library, or the Amherst County Public Library, Lipscomb Library offers a book return service via courier during the academic session. This service is suspended during summer break, May 5-August 24, 2008.
Items borrowed from libraries other than those above are the patrons’ responsibility to return. Visit the Lipscomb Library Reference Desk for assistance in finding the lending library’s correct address so that you can return items to the proper location.
Do you have additional questions?
(434) 947-8133
Lipscomb Library
Randolph College
2500 Rivermont Avenue / Lynchburg, Virginia 24503 / (434) 947-8133
Theodore J. Hostetler, Library Director
Page last revised May 13, 2008
Maintained by Frances E. Webb, Reference Librarian
http://library.randolphcollege.edu/ill.html
Graphics courtesy of Dave Blount, College Web Manager
Adapted by Frances E. Webb, Reference Librarian