Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is the borrowing and lending of books and other materials between libraries. If Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) does not have the item you need, ILL will try to obtain it for you from another library. The responsibility of the ILL office is to locate materials for OWU patrons working on course-related research projects. This service is not meant as a substitution for our own collections. The library reserves the right to set limits on the number of requests processed for individuals.

WHO MAY USE INTERLIBRARY LOAN?

Any OWU faculty, emeriti, currently enrolled student, currently employed staff, or designated Independent Scholars (at the discretion of the library director), may place an ILL request. Delaware County residents should use the Delaware County District Library for interlibrary loan service.

HOURS/LOCATION

ILL Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location: First floor of Beeghly Library in the reference area.
Phones: ILL Office x3239 or ILL Manager x3234

MATERIALS NOT OBTAINABLE THROUGH ILL

textbooks (books needed for an entire semester)
books owned by OWU (circulation or reserve), CONSORT, or OhioLINK
books very recently published (within the last several months)
materials that are part of a library's reference collection
rare books and other fragile, old materials
entire issue of a journal or periodical
current newspaper sections (classifieds)
some theses and dissertations
most audio-visual materials (videos, CD's)

COST

The cost of ILL is absorbed by the OWU library system, as long as books are returned on time and in good condition.

DELIVERY TIME

On an average, you can expect to get response within 2 weeks. If you need materials in less than two weeks, you should talk to a reference librarian about materials within the OWU library system that may meet your needs.

HOW TO REQUEST ILL MATERIALS

1. Check CONSORT, the online catalog, and the OWU Journal List to make sure Ohio Wesleyan does not own the item.

2. ILL forms are available on the LIS homepage.

3. Fill out the form for each item that you want to request. Make sure you supply all the information asked for on the forms, including the source of your information. DO NOT ABBREVIATE. Requests with incomplete/inaccurate citations and illegible writing will be returned to you. If you have any questions regarding your citation, ask a Reference Librarian or the ILL Manager for assistance.

4. Indicate the last date you can use the item, sometimes locating a copy can take several weeks.

5. Use the submit button to submit the form online.

When your material arrives, you will be notified by email/phone. ILL
materials are picked up and returned at the Circulation Desk in Beeghly Library.

LOAN POLICY/RESTRICTIONS ON LOANS

Photocopies are yours to keep. Most libraries loan books for about two to three weeks. Some restrictions - such as "IN LIBRARY USE ONLY" may apply. Any restrictions will be indicated on the orange book band attached to the material. Do not remove the orange book band. If an item is recalled, return it to the Circulation Desk as soon as possible.

RENEWALS

It is up to the lending library to decide to renew an item. Some libraries offer renewal periods; some do not. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO REQUEST A RENEWAL AFTER THE DUE DATE. If you need an ILL book longer than the due date, you should request a renewal as soon as possible. To do this, stop by or call the ILL Office (x3234). Circulation staff CANNOT grant renewals on ILL materials, and unlike CONSORT and OhioLINK materials you can't self renew ILL material. Only one renewal request per item is permitted.

FINES

Because the OWU Library's future borrowing privileges from other libraries are jeopardized when OWU patrons do not return books on time, patrons who do not return ILL books on time are assessed an overdue fine on all overdue ILL materials at the rate of $5.00 a day per item. Cases of abuse may be referred to the University's judicial system and/or lead to the loss of ILL borrowing privileges. In the case of lost or "presumed lost" ILL material, the patron will pay the replacement charge imposed by the lending library. Any questions regarding an ILL fine must be brought to the ILL Manager's attention (x3234). Circulation staff can only accept payment and are unable
to change the fine.

Warnings about Copyright Restrictions

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17 U.S. Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material.

Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement.

This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.