Interlibrary Loan & Resource Retrieval
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery?
- Who may use the service?
- Is there a cost involved?
- Is there a Rush service fee?
- What may be obtained?
- What may not be obtained?
- How long does it take to arrive?
- How do I use this service?
- How will I be notified about materials?
- How long may I keep loans?
- Where do I return loans?
- How does the Copyright Law affect Photocopying?
What is Interlibrary Loan? Interlibrary loan (ILL) is a form of resource sharing between libraries for acquiring materials which are not part of their own collections. This service at the Brooks Library is offered to enhance scholarship and research, and to supplement our own holdings. |back to top|
Who may use the service? ILL and Document Delivery are available to faculty, staff, and students, both on campus and off. |back to top|
Is there a cost involved? Most libraries loan their books or send articles for free. In addition CWU ILL has reciprocal agreements with many institutions to share collections for free. When a lending library does assess charges - For Students, Faculty, and Staff:
- CWU will subsidize $11.50 of any $15.00 fee.
- By making an ILL request, you are authorizing the ILL Department to charge up to $3.50 to your CWU account.
- If there is no other source but a library which charges more than our $15.00 maximum cost, you will be contacted for approval for the additional charge.
Is there a Rush service fee?
- For an additional fee of $10.00 we will prioritize your request and alert the lender to do the same. Fees are assessed to help cover delivery costs.
- Photocopies are usually obtained within 3-5 working days, so Rushes are not recommended.
- If you have questions concerning Rush requests please contact the ILL Office at 509-963-1033 or at 509-963-2107.
What may be obtained?
- Monographs published after 1800, depending on the policy of the lender.
- Newspapers on microfilm as available.
- Masters theses and doctoral dissertations as available.
- Microfiche as available.
- Photocopies of journal articles or book chapters (observing the Copyright Law).
What may not be obtained?
- Materials already owned by CWU collections in any format, unless declared missing or for some reason unavailable.
- Materials classified as reference or on reserve for classes.
- New materials in high demand.
- Unique, rare, bulky, valuable or fragile items.
How long does it take to arrive?
- Returnable items such as books, government documents and microfilms may take up to two weeks to arrive depending on availability.
- Photocopies are usually obtained within 3-5 working days, so Rushes are not recommended.
- These are merely guidelines; there are no guarantees as to when the material will arrive.
- Call the ILL office at 509-963-1033 or 509-963-2107 for RUSH service information.
How do I use this service?
- Begin by reading the Illiad FAQ.
- After registering in Illiad, there are two ways to make requests for materials.
- By using the Illiad request form on the Illiad login page.
- While searching FirstSearch databases from the Brooks Library Databases page.
- If you have questions, contact the ILL Office (509-963-1033 or 509-963-2107) or the Reference Desk (509-963-1021).
How will I be notified about materials?
- The ILL Office will contact you by email or by phone when materials are ready to use.
- For returnables, due dates and any restrictions will be noted on the book strap. Please do not remove the due date strap.
- Pick up is at the Circulation Desk, First Floor.
How long may I keep loans?
- Due dates are noted on the strap on the book. Please do not remove the due date strap.
- Most libraries have a three-to-four-week loan period, but may recall items at any time for their own patrons.
- Most libraries will allow one renewal. Non-renewable items will be noted on the strap.
- A request to renew can be done through your Illiad account up to one day prior to the item due date.
Where do I return loans?
- When finished with borrowed items, please return them to the Circulation Desk, First Floor.
How does the Copyright Law affect Photocopying?
- Copyright Law applies to journal articles published within the last five years and not owned by the Brooks Library.
- Within those five years, a library exceeding five articles per periodical title per year, or one article per issue per year, must pay royalties to the publisher.
- These fees are absorbed by the Library.