What is Interlibrary Loan?
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a way for you to get the materials you need for your research, whether those materials are in our library or not.
How does it work?
You place a request using the Request Articles or Request Books, DVDs, etc. tabs above. We request your item from other libraries across the country (and sometimes internationally!). when your item comes to the library, we send you an email that either has the item as an attachment (for journal articles) or lets you know that your item is ready for pick up (for books, DVDs, etc.).
Who can use this service?
Current Saint Mary students, faculty, and staff are eligible to participate in ILL.
Unfortunately, at this time services are not available to Faculty Emerti, Alumni, or Community Borrowers. Please contact your local public library for information on their ILL requirements. If you have overdue items or outstanding overdue fees your ILL privileges may be revoked.
How long does it take for delivery?
Delivery time varies. Delivery for an article request is about 3-7 business days and a book/DVD request may take up to 14 business days for delivery. Delivery times can be longer depending upon the lending library. We will do everything we can to be sure that your receive your request as quickly as possible.
What can I request?
Books, journal articles, government documents, and DVDs can be borrowed through ILL.
Dissertations, theses, and e-pub ahead of print articles are more difficult to obtain as they are usually not available through ILL systems, though we can always try.
How much does it cost?
At this time, the library is absorbing the cost of ILL. If the cost to the library would incur a cost beyond shipping, you will be notified of the charges and the request may not be filled.
What about renewals?
Renewals for ILL items are dependent on the lending institution. Requests for renewal must be done before the due date. Call (913-758-6306) or email (ask@stmary.edu) to request a renewal.
What is a "Closed" or "Locked" Journal?
Guidelines for Interlibrary Loan help librarians make sure that in the course of requesting material for use by their patrons, Copyright laws are not violated. Provisions make it possible to get copies of some materials, but there are limitations. The most common limitation is when the library staff receives requests for copies of articles from the same periodical title. To adhere to accepted guidelines, the library staff will not order more than five articles from the same periodical title published within 5 years of the date of the request. This means occasionally we have to "close" or "lock" a title for a year because we have met the cap on the number of articles that can be ordered.
