Interlibrary loan (ILL) is a service whereby a patron can request a book, article, chapter, or other resource that is not owned by Lipscomb Library. We will order it from another library and it will be sent here for the patron to use. All current students, faculty, and staff of Randolph College can use our ILL service. Others can request items from their local public library.
First, check to see if Lipscomb Library has access to the item you want, as we usually will not request anything that we already own. Ask for help if you're not sure how to find something. Then log onto our ILL system: click on the "Interlibrary Loan" dropdown menu above, then choose "Request an Interlibrary Loan." If you haven't already done this, you'll need to create an account, but it is a very quick process. Submit a request for your item (you don't need to fill in every field, but the more information you can give us the better).
Books and other physical materials will be mailed to Lipscomb Library. You will receive an email when your item arrives and can pick it up at the circulation desk. Articles and book chapters will be scanned by the lending library and emailed to you. Most books take about seven days to arrive; articles and chapters are usually faster. Items that are difficult to find may take longer.
Lipscomb Library covers almost all ILL costs, so this service is usually free to the patron. In the rare case where there is an extra charge for your item, you will be notified ahead of time and asked whether you still want it. If a book is lost or is returned damaged, you will be billed for the price of the book plus a processing fee.
We require you to use your randolphcollege.edu email address in our ILL system. Please note: your password is unique to the ILL system, so it will not update when your Randolph College password changes.
If you have additional questions, contact the Interlibrary Loan Department or check out the ILL Policies page.
