Interlibrary Loan

• Thoroughly check library catalog to see if the material is available at the Library before placing a request
• Provide accurate contact information, including a valid email address and/or a phone number
• Provide a complete citation for the item being requested
• Pick up your materials promptly
• Leave the ILL office book band in place
• Take proper care of borrowed materials and return them in the same condition in which you received them
• Return materials to the circulation desk by their due date
• Honor any restrictions that are stipulated by the lending library

• How do I request materials? 
  • To submit ILL requests, fill out the appropriate online ILL Request Form linked within the FirstSearch, EBSCOhost, or the Library website. 
• What materials may be requested? 
  • Photocopies of journal, magazine or newspaper articles, published books and government documents. Theses, dissertations, and audiovisual materials may be requested but are sometimes difficult to obtain on loan.
• What materials cannot be requested? 
  • Items owned by the Logan Library, such as:    
    • Genealogical Materials
    • “Best Sellers” (popular items that are currently in high demand)
    • Reference Materials 
    • Original Manuscripts
    • Rare, Old, or Fragile Materials
• What happens if I request materials that are available at the Library?
  • ​​To avoid unnecessary delays in getting your materials, please search library catalog before placing your requests to check the availability of books, print periodicals and online articles.
  • If the book or journal issue is on the shelf, ILL staff will cancel the request and notify you that the material is available in the Library.  If your article is available full-text in one or more of the Library’s databases, ILL staff will cancel the request, and email you instructions on how to access the electronic resource.
• Is there a limit to the number of ILL requests I can submit at once? 
  • Borrowers can submit any number of ILL requests at once; however, ILL library personnel can only guarantee to place ten requests per borrower per week through the ILL system.
• How long will it take for my ILL materials to arrive? 
  • The average time required to receive an item requested through ILL is 10 working days (some requests can be filled more quickly; others may take much longer). The actual time it takes to receive requested materials varies from loan to loan. All ILL items are requested from the nearest and fastest source available with some consideration given to cost.  Patrons are encouraged to submit their ILL requests as early as possible to ensure the timely arrival of their materials.
• How will I know when the item I requested is in? Where do I pick it up? 
  • ILL staff will notify you of the availability of your item(s) either by phone or email. Items on loan: must be picked up at the Library Services Desk using a valid ID card. Articles: are e-mailed directly to the patron’s SU email account. 
• How long will I be able to keep materials I receive through ILL? 
  • The loan period is determined by the lending library and is indicated on the ILL strap attached to the item.  On average, loan periods range from four to six weeks, but for special materials it may be as little as three days.  Some materials may be restricted to “In-Library use only” by the lending library and may not be checked out for use at home.  Libraries that allow their materials to be renewed will indicate so on the ILL strap, but a renewal should be asked for only when absolutely necessary and only once per item. To request a renewal, call (830-792-7321) or email the ILL desk at least three days before your material is due.
• Where do I return materials? 
  • Please return ILL materials with their ILL strap intact to the Library Services Desk.  (You may return ILL books to any of the Library book drops at your own risk.)  You are financially responsible for all your ILL materials from the time you pick them up until the time they are returned to the ILL office. If the materials are lost or damaged while in your possession, you must pay any repair, replacement, or processing fees which the lending library charges.
• What are the copyright restrictions for photocopied materials? 
  • The Copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material.  There is a provision for “fair use” by libraries known as the CONTU guidelines. These guidelines place two key restrictions on the requesting of articles: No more than five articles from any one periodical title published in the last five years may be requested in one calendar year. Once that limit has been reached, the ILL office cannot make any more requests until the following year (not without paying copyright fees).
  • No more than one article from any one issue of a periodical may be requested at one time by a user. No more than one chapter of a book may be requested at any one time by a user. Your request may be turned down if the copyright fee is excessive or if permission to copy cannot be obtained from the copyright holder.

Service Fees

Interlibrary loan services are provided free of charge to all authorized borrowers.  Special circumstances exist, though, such as borrowing costs charged by the lending institution, or copyright clearance fees.  You can indicate how much you are willing to pay on your request form, and we will work within your limitations.  If there are additional charges, or the item costs more than what you indicated, ILL staff will contact you before submitting your ILL request, to confirm that you are willing to pay these extra costs.

Late Fees

ILL borrowers who are late returning their ILL materials are assessed a fine in the amount of $.25 day per overdue item.

Damages

The borrower assumes all financial responsibility for ILL materials. If the materials are lost or damaged while in the borrower's possession, he/she/they must pay in full for any repair, replacement, or processing fees which the lending library charges. The library may place a hold on the borrower's account while payment is arranged.