Materials not available at Gustavus may be borrowed from other libraries and sent here for you to use.

• How do I request materials?
• How will I know when my books and articles are here?
• How long does it take?
• Can I track the status of my ILLs?
• Can ILL materials be renewed?
• Where do I return ILL materials?
• What if I lost the paperwork?
• Materials generally not available through ILL

Need more information? Contact the ILL office (x7564) or the Circulation Desk (x7557).

How do I request materials?

There are many ways to request materials that are not available at Gustavus.

• Complete a blank online form for books or articles
• Use MnPALS to search for and request a specific item (help)
• Use MnLink to search for and request a specific item (help)
• Use the Find it! button for articles in a database (help)
• Print your citations and submit at the ILL counter - please remember to include your name and the 14-digit barcode number from your Gustavus ID card (ex: 20110XXXXXXXXX)
  

How will I know when my books and articles are here?

When material arrives, you will be notified by email.

Books and other loaned materials may be picked up at the Circulation Desk.

Articles are delivered electronically one of two ways:

• An email with a URL and instructions on how to retrieve the article online
• A PDF attached to an email message from the ILL department

In rare cases, photocopies of articles will be delivered to you via campus mail.

How long does it take?

For books and other loans, turnaround time varies greatly depending on the nature or format of the material, the location of the lender, etc. Please allow ample time - a week or more - to ensure you get your material.

Many articles are available from the University of Minnesota and are sent electronically. These are generally available within a few days. Those not owned by the U. of M. will take longer.

Requests are processed within 24-48 hours with the exception of unusual or hard-to-find material. All requests are treated as priority, and materials are always ordered from local libraries if possible. The "need-by" tells us how long we should keep looking for items not readily available; it does not speed up processing. Please allow sufficient time for your materials to be searched and delivered.

Can I track the status of my ILLs?

You can see the status of your ILL requests in Your Borrowing Record online. Most statuses you'll see simply mean "we're working on it." The statuses you should watch for include:

• Sent to Supplier Request has been sent and we are awaiting a response; we are unable to be more specific regarding this status
• Shipped Item is on its way to Gustavus
• Waiting for Renewal Reply Your renewal request has been sent
• Renewal - Accepted Your renewal request was accepted; look for new due date
• Renewal - Rejected Your renewal request was denied; return your ILL material on or before the original due date
• Overdue Your ILL is overdue; return material to the circulation desk as soon as possible
• Closed Item has been returned to lending library; ILL transaction is complete

Detailed explanations of all ILL statuses can be found here.

Can ILL materials be renewed?

Some Interlibrary Loans can be renewed. It is the lending library that makes that decision and determines the new due date. Please make your renewal requests before your ILLs are overdue. You will receive a courtesy notice a few days before that date to remind you.

To request a renewal, go to MnPALS Plus and click on the My Account link (help). You can also contact the ILL office for assistance (x7564).

Where do I return ILL materials?

Books and other physical items hould be returned to the Circulation Desk or one of the library book drops with all paperwork and the ILL book mark in view. You may keep photocopies.

What if I lost the paperwork?

The yellow flag in your item is to help you keep track of the due date and also alert library staff that the book does not belong to Gustavus. The rest of the paperwork is used to track and route the item through the ILL process.

Missing paperwork has the potential to cause delays in the return process, so give the ILL item directly to a library staff member.

Materials generally not available through ILL

• Gustavus materials owned and available
  
• Very recently published books and articles
• Articles with a status of "E-pub ahead of print"
  
• Multi-volume works
  
• Entire issues of periodicals
  
• Reference books
  
• Rare books or original manuscripts
  
• Some dissertations and theses
• Entertainment movies and popular music

Questions?

Call the ILL office at x7564 or the Circulation Desk at x7557.

updated November 19, 2009