Grace Hauenstein Library  
   

InterLibrary Loan
 

Use these forms to:
 
Material not owned by the Grace Hauenstein Library may be borrowed from other libraries via InterLibrary Loan (ILL). We are able to borrow material from libraries across the United States and beyond. This service is provided free to all students, faculty and staff. On rare occasions there may be costs involved to obtain some ILL materials. No text books may be borrowed from other institutions.
 
*Note: Items borrowed from other institutions may not be placed on reserve by faculty for their classes.
 
For questions about Interlibrary Loan services or policies, please contact the Interlibrary Loan Office, at ill@aquinas.edu or (616) 632-2128.
 
Interlibrary Loan FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
 
Getting the Books & Articles You Want
Fill out an InterLibrary Loan form for each item you need. Fill in the forms as completely as possible. Ask for assistance if you do not understand any part of the form.
 
Supplying the Date When the Materials Are Needed
It is important to supply a date of when the material is needed, allowing at least 10 days. If there is no date, it is assumed the material can be used at any time. We will start the process of procuring the items you request as soon as we receive the completed request form.
 
Processing Request Forms
Once you submit your request form, it will be sent to the InterLibrary Loan Department for processing. You will be contacted if the citation was incomplete or illegible, or if no library can/will lend the item.
 
Arrival Times for ILL Items
Usually your request will arrive within 1-2 weeks - sometimes sooner, sometimes longer - so plan ahead! Response time depends on the citation completeness, location of the material, and how quickly the lending library answers our request. You will be contacted as soon as your item arrives.
 
Picking-Up ILL Items
Your ILL request will be at the Circulation Desk. Tell the Circulation Desk attendant who you are and that you were notified that your ILL item has arrived. Books and article copies are kept in separate locations behind the Circulation Desk, so it is helpful to know what you are expecting or ask the Circulation attendant to check for both.
 
Checking-Out & Renewing ILL Items
Most articles will arrive either as a photocopy or an electronic document. These are yours to keep. Books and other returnable material must be checked out. Return these to the Circulation Desk by the due date stated on the slip inside the item. The average loan period of ILL items is 3-4 weeks, set by the lending library. Renewal is usually possible. To renew your ILL material, call or stop by the Interlibrary Loan department before the due date. ILL materials can ONLY be renewed by the ILL Coordinator and NOT by Circulation staff. Some ILL materials are restricted to Library Use Only. These items must be used in the library, as many times as needed until the due date. Let Circulation staff know when you are completely finished with these items.
 
Costs of ILL
You are responsible for the replacement or repair of ILL requests borrowed in your name, and for any fines incurred. The Library wishes to maintain a good reputation in the Interlibrary Loan community, so please care for the loaned items and return them promptly!
 
Limit to requests through ILL
You may request up to 20 items at a time.
 
Items not Available through ILL
The ILL staff makes every effort to get the material you want. Some items, though, are seldom loaned via ILL. These include: rare books and archival material, audio-visual material, entire issues or volumes of periodicals, genealogical manuscripts, most reference books and some dissertations/theses. If you request a dissertation or thesis, and it is not available for loan, you may have the option to purchase. Our Library will not cover this cost. You will be contacted if this is the situation.
 
Help with ILL
If you aren't sure if the request form is filled out correctly, see a librarian. If it's been two weeks since you made your request and you haven't been contacted, check at the Circulation Desk to see if your request has arrived. If you would like to know the status of your request, need to cancel your request, or have any other questions, email ill@aquinas.edu or call 632-2128.