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Interlibrary Loan: FAQ

Contacts

email: dill@oberlin.edu

Interlibrary Loan Supervisor

Jennifer Schreiner

jschrein@oberlin.edu

440-775-5039

Main Library, Mudd 111A

 

Links

How do I.....?

Who may use ILL?

Current Oberlin College students, faculty, and staff are eligible to use the ILL service 

How long does it take?

You should plan ahead and allow two to three weeks for obtaining material you request through Interlibrary Loan. Although we can often get material more quickly, you should not depend on having it sooner than this. 

We will make every attempt to obtain a copy of the requested item. Sometimes it is difficult to borrow certain categories of material, such as reference books, AV materials, very new books, or very old or fragile materials. We may also be unable to locate the item at any library. If we must make repeated requests, or if we cannot obtain the material you requested, we will notify you.

How much does it cost?

There is no fee for requests made by Oberlin College students, staff, and faculty unless you accrue overdue fines. 

How will I be notified?

You will be notified by e-mail when the item you requested arrives. You may then pick up books, microfilm, printed copies, etc., at the Circulation Desk in the Mary Church Terrell Main Library. Most articles will arrive as PDFs.  Your pick-up notice will provide a link and indicate that you need to download your article ASAP through your interlibrary loan account.   

How long may I keep the material?

The lending library sets the loan period for their materials and also decides under what conditions they will be used.  This may mean that you will be allowed to use the materials in the Main Library only, especially if it is old or fragile.

May I renew ILL materials?

The renewal policy is set by the lending library. If an item is renewable, you may request an extension through your ILL account prior to the due date. Renewals are granted or denied by the lending library, not by Oberlin College staff. You may keep the materials until you receive a response to your renewal request.

Will I be charged overdue fines?

Libraries all over the world participate in ILL in a cooperative effort to provide needed materials to researchers. We jeopardize our borrowing privileges with lending libraries when materials are not returned on time.  There are generally no fines for overdue ILL materials, but if you do not return the book after subsequent warnings that it is due, you will be billed for the cost of the book's replacement and possibly other fees levied by the lending library. 

What if I need the entire volume of a periodical?

Although it is usually easy for us to obtain scans of specific articles, many libraries do not lend entire issues or volumes of periodicals. We will try to request them but cannot guarantee success.

May I borrow an ebook through ILL?

Currently, there is no mechanism for libraries to lend us ebooks through interlibrary loan. If you request a loan of an ebook, you will receive a loan of a physical copy, if available.   Licensing agreements often allow for libraries to download chapters from ebooks and provide those as PDFs as long as it doesn't represent more than 20% of the entire work.  If you only need a chapter or two from an ebook, please submit those requests as article/chapter scans. 

What is the policy on Masters Theses and PhD Dissertations?

List your citation as completely as possible on the request form, giving a source of reference if possible. We will do everything we can to acquire a copy of the thesis or dissertation for you. 

I have some more questions. Who should I contact?

If you have questions about ILL services, or want to check on the status of a request, contact Jennifer Schreiner (jschrein@oberlin.edu) in the Resource Sharing and Access Services office.