Interlibrary Loan Services
Collier Library
University of North Alabama
Phone: (256) 765-4308 Fax: (256) 765-4884
Online Book Request Form
Online Periodical Request
Form
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)?
Who is
eligible?
When should I use
ILL?
What materials
are available?
How can I make a
request?
How many
requests may I submit?
How much
does it cost?
How long does it
take?
What is the
loan period?
What might
delay my request?
What are the
copyright restrictions?
Can requests be turned
down?
Are
there other restrictions?
When
should I check on my request?
How am I notified
about arrivals?
Where do I
pick up the materials?
How
do I return materials?
What is
Self-Service Electronic Document Ordering?
How do I contact the ILL Office?
What
is Interlibrary Loan (ILL)?
Interlibrary loan
is a service for obtaining materials that are not available in the
University of North Alabama libraries. Materials needed for study and
research, such as books and government publications, may be borrowed
from other libraries. Photocopies of journal articles can be acquired
as well.
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Who is eligible?
Full- and
part-time UNA faculty members, emeritus faculty, university staff,
and currently enrolled graduate and undergraduate students, both those
enrolled on campus and those in the distance learning program, are
eligible to use the interlibrary loan service. UNA’s distance learning
students who reside outside of the United States may request
photocopied materials via interlibrary loan, but not books. UNA’s ILL
service is not available to alumni, community borrowers, UNA students
who are not currently enrolled, students from other colleges and
universities, secondary or elementary school students, or the general
public. Users not affiliated with UNA may obtain interlibrary loan
services through public libraries.
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When should I
use ILL?
Use interlibrary
loan when UNACAT, the University of North Alabama’s online catalog,
indicates that Collier Library does not own the book you want or the
periodical issue that contains the article you need. The Interlibrary
Loan Department staff will request the material for you from another
library.
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What
materials are available?
Books, government
publications, and certain materials reproduced in microform, such
as newspapers, can be borrowed from other libraries. Photocopies of
individual periodical articles can be requested in accordance with the
copyright law, but not copies of entire issues. Items that are
designated as missing or lost from the University’s collection may
also be requested through interlibrary loan.
Some libraries will allow dissertations to
circulate via ILL. The interlibrary loan staff can usually determine
the lending policy of the institution at which the dissertation is
held. Dissertations from U.S. universities not available for loan are
often available for sale from
UMI
Dissertation Publishing, 789 E. Eisenhower Parkway, P.O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, (800)
521-3042. Members of the UNA faculty, staff and current student body
may search
ProQuest Digital Dissertations.
The following types of materials cannot normally
be requested: books owned by UNA that are currently checked out, whole
periodical issues, recent newspapers, materials for reserve or for
group use, reference books, audiovisual materials, textbooks, bulky or
fragile items, rare or valuable material such as manuscripts,
unpublished dissertations, musical scores, genealogical materials,
items that would violate copyright guidelines, and materials that have
been previously requested by the same individual.
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How can I
make a request?
First, check UNACAT,
UNA’s online catalog, to see if the desired material is already in the
University’s print or electronic collection and to determine if UNA owns alternate
materials that would satisfy your need. Search "Periodical Holding" to
determine if the article is available in full-text in a database. If you are uncertain about
other materials useful to your research, ask a reference librarian for
help.
Interlibrary loan forms are available
electronically via Internet. To submit a request, select the
appropriate form for the materials you need [Online
Book Request Form or Online
Periodical Request Form]. Complete the online form being
careful to fill out the form as accurately and completely as possible
to prevent any delays in processing. Avoid using abbreviations and
include the source of the citation in case the Interlibrary Loan staff
needs to locate additional information to fulfill the request. Then
click on "Submit" to send the request. A separate form is needed for
each item requested. Accurate personal information (I.D. number, UNA
box number, etc.) must be provided.
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How many requests may I
submit?
There is no set
total to the number of items you may request. However, you are
asked to utilize local resources before requesting materials from
other libraries. If you submit multiple requests you should rank them
in order of importance. The workload of the Interlibrary Loan
Department may not permit the immediate processing of a large number
of simultaneous requests.
To minimize the number of interlibrary loan
books returned unused or overdue, UNA limits borrowing to a reasonable
amount that can be used within the specified loan period. Normally a
maximum of 3 book requests will be processed at one time for an
undergraduate student. At least one of the three borrowed books
should be returned before additional books will be ordered for that
student. Graduate students and faculty may normally request up to five
books at one time.
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How much does it cost?
Collier
Library provides interlibrary loan service to eligible users
free-of-charge. However, the cost for each completed interlibrary loan
transaction in the United States averages $30.00 per request. Users
are encouraged to use the service judiciously to avoid unnecessary
expense for the University.
Fines/Fees:
If materials are not picked up within 10 days after
notification of their arrival, the requester will be billed
for all charges incurred by the library plus a $2.00 handling
fee per transaction, even if the item arrives too late to be
used. Materials should be picked up promptly upon
notification.
Students will be charged a fine of
one dollar a day for each day that an interlibrary loan
book is overdue.
Borrowers are responsible for the
charges for any lost or damaged items.
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How long does
it take?
The time it takes
to fill a request varies depending on such factors as whether or not
the material is available and where the lending library is located. If
a lending library responds quickly and telefaxes an article, it may be
quickly received. However, if a request must be sent out of state for
fulfillment, the delay can be lengthy. The average turnaround time
needed to search, process, and receive a response for each request is
between 7 and 10 business days. Delays are common, and there are no
guarantees that each submitted request can be filled. You need to
allow plenty of time when requesting materials through Interlibrary
Loan.
Please note: ILL demand increases sharply a few
weeks before midterms and finals. While the ILL staff strives to
process each request as quickly as possible, some slowdown may occur.
For best results, plan ahead. If your paper is due in 3 weeks or less,
it would probably be best to go directly to a library to consult
materials.
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What is the
loan period?
The loan period
for books, microforms, and other non-photocopy items is determined
by the lending institution. The due date is indicated on the paper
book wrap placed around the item’s cover. In most cases, the loan
period is two or three weeks with no renewal. Institutions that loan
materials, including the University of North Alabama, reserve the
right to recall items at any time for their users.
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What
might delay my request?
Inaccurate
information, especially inaccurate citation information, can slow
the request. The single most important thing you can to do speed up
your request is to fill out the entire ILL form completely. Include
all requested personal information (name, ID number, address, phone
number/e-mail address, etc.) Be sure that the title, issue, date, and
page information for your request is correct. Verify to indicate
where you found the original reference (source). Including periodical
ISSN numbers can help too. ILL forms that are insufficiently filled
out will not be processed, but will be returned to the requester.
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What are the copyright restrictions?
The copyright law of
the United States governs the making of photocopies or other
reproductions of copyrighted materials. Photocopies or other
reproductions can be furnished only under certain conditions, if they
will be used solely for private study, scholarship, or research. Use
of the reproduction for other purposes may make the user liable for
copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse
to accept a copying order if, in its sole judgement, fulfillment of
the order would involve violation of copyright law.
Submission of an official Interlibrary Loan
request indicates the requester’s recognition of and agreement to
comply with copyright laws and guidelines governing duplication of
materials for interlibrary loan.
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Can
requests be turned down?
Yes. U. S. copyright
laws and guidelines place limits on the number of articles that a
library may request from any one journal for all users, not
just a single individual. Requests that exceed these guidelines will
be returned to the requester who will be referred to the Information
Desk to seek alternate sources of information.
Inaccurate requests or requests for materials in
conflict with the University’s ILL policies will also be rejected.
Interlibrary loan services may be suspended for any borrower who
abuses this privilege by repeatedly damaging or losing materials,
failing to return items on time, or who does not pay incurred fines
and charges.
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Are
there other restrictions?
Processing
of ILL requests for undergraduate students is suspended two weeks
before the end of each regular term. The end-of-semester due date for
all interlibrary loan books still in use is "study day," the day
between the last day of classes and the beginning of final
examinations.
Lending libraries determine any restrictions
regarding the use of their materials. Lender limitations such as "No
Photocopying" or "In Library Use Only" must be honored.
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When should I check on my request?
Most requests
are filled within one to two weeks, often sooner. About a week after submitting
your request you may wish to inquire at the Circulation Desk and see
if your materials have arrived. If you haven’t heard from us after two
full weeks and you have reason to believe that there may be a problem,
feel free to contact the ILL office (256-765-4308) during business hours.
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How
am I notified about arrivals?
When the material
arrives, the borrower is notified either by campus mail, e-mail,
or by telephone.
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Where do I pick up the materials?
Following
notification, the material may be picked up at the Collier
Library Circulation Desk.
Distance Learning participants living an hour or more from campus will
receive their materials directly by mail, fax, or courier service.
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How do I
return materials?
Photocopies become the property of the requester. All other
materials borrowed through interlibrary loan must be returned by the
due date indicated on the book wrap. This wrapper should be left
intact to facilitate accurate and prompt processing of the loan. If an
interlibrary loan book is overdue, fines are to be paid at the
Circulation Desk.
All books borrowed through ILL are turned in at the Circulation Desk in
Collier Library. Students enrolled in Distance Learning courses
should mail the borrowed book(s) back to the Interlibrary Loan Office,
Collier Library, Box 5028, University of North Alabama, Florence, AL
35632-0001. Distance education students should submit payment for any
fines or photocopy charges to this same address.
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How
do I contact the ILL Office?
The Interlibrary Loan Office is located on the
second floor of Collier Library. For more information, come by the
Interlibrary Loan Office or call (256) 765-4308 during normal working
hours. The normal hours of service are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., CST,
Monday through Friday. (Service times may vary during interim periods,
summer sessions, and holidays.)
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