Interlibrary Loan: UPDATED (January 2006) PLEASE READ
To simplify and expedite the interlibrary loan process, please
familiarize yourself with the interlibrary loan policy outlined below before submitting your request. If you still have questions or require assistance please contact the circulation desk.
About interlibrary loan
Interlibrary loan privileges are extended to currently registered
Dominican University of California students, faculty, and staff only.
When you need books, chapters in books, or journal articles that are
not available in Archbishop Alemany Library and not assigned as
textbooks in the Dominican bookstore, you may request them through
interlibrary loan. Interlibrary loan staff will attempt to borrow
these items from other libraries in the United States or Canada.
How many interlibrary loan requests may I make?
No more than 7 requests per patron within a given calendar week
will be processed. If you desire more than 7 books and/or
articles, please prioritize your information needs and stagger your
requests.
How do I request an interlibrary loan?
Every book and every journal title has a unique identifying number.
For books, it is called the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and for journals, it is the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN). To ensure the quickest response to your ILL request, you must provide as much of the required information as possible.
** Please note for Journal Article requests
Individual journal articles require the COMPLETE journal title; no abbreviations ( i.e.: Do not list DAI or ECT.) Many journals have the same initials, so you will need to include all words listed in the title.
Without the volume number, issue number, correct date, and article
title, processing your request can be unnecessarily delayed. If the
citation you are using does not have all the required information, or
if you have trouble locating either one or both, the volume or issue
numbers, please ask a reference librarian to help you before submitting your request.
Once you are certain of your information and ready to fill in the
online ILL form, select and click on the appropriate form below,
complete, and submit:
How long does it take to receive an interlibrary loan?
ILL requests are processed daily, Monday through Friday, holidays
excepted. If you submit a request over the weekend, it will be
processed on the following Monday. Turnaround times vary owing to
several factors, but you should allow at least two weeks from the request date for any item to arrive. Although we will make every attempt to fill your request, we cannot gurarantee
that a lender will be able to supply your item. Occasionally, for a
variety of reasons, (i.e. "On Loan," "Missing," "Not-circulating,"
Not Owned," etc.) we are unable to secure what you have
requested. Although we can ask individual lenders, there are
no options available to formally request or guarantee a rush
order, so please allow yourself enough lead time to either receive
what you need or research alternative sources.
Due to the number of ILL requests generated, you will only be notified when your item has arrived. You are welcome to resubmit a request or contact the circulation desk if you have any questions or concerns about your request.
If the two-week lag time is too long, you might consult MELVYL,
the online catalog of the University of California, to see if the book
is available at UC Berkeley or the journal issue you need can be found
at another Bay Area library within a reasonable drive. Ask a Dominican
reference librarian for assistance in locating such a library.
Are there times when I may not request an interlibrary loan?
Yes, owing to the usual two-week turnaround time and the lengthy winter break, the Library will not ordinarily accept interlibrary loan requests between December 1st and January 15th. Special requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis and may be directed to the circulation desk.
How much does an interlibrary loan cost?
A flat fee of $3.00 is charged for each interlibrary
loan item received by the Library (per book, article or chapter).
This fee will be collected when you pick up your item.
How will I be contacted when my interlibrary loan items arrive?
You must supply a correct e-mail address and phone number
with your request so that you can be notified when your item or items
have arrived. Please note that unless your email is bounced back
to the ILL staff, it will be assumed that the intended recipient has received
the notifying e-mail. Please check the filter programs you are
running, or your settings on Internet e-mail accounts, such as Hotmail
and Yahoo, to make sure messages from unknown senders are not
deleted. If you are unsure whether your e-mail account will
delete messages automatically, please leave the e-mail field blank and
supply only a phone number in your contact information.
Where do I pick up my borrowed items?
You may retreive your items at the Circulation Desk during regular
Library hours. Unclaimed books will be returned to the lenders by the
due date listed. Journal article copies will be saved for the current
semester only.
May I renew books borrowed from other libraries?
Renewal is possible only on a case-by-case basis because library
renewal policies differ widely. Always request a renewal by
contacting the circulation desk before the due date cited on the interlibrary loan wrapper.
Can a borrowed book be recalled early?
Yes, if the lending library recalls the book at any time during the
loan period, we must comply immediately with the recall request.
Are there kinds of materials I should think twice about requesting?
In some cases, it is simply not possible to locate a library that is
willing or able to lend the book or article you have requested.
This is especially true of masters' theses, doctoral dissertations,
video's, CD's, DVD's, highly specialized journals, and materials
published in languages other than English. Theses and
dissertations, for example, are usually owned only by the sponsoring
university, and many institutions will not lend these
difficult-to-replace titles. Even when available, they are often
more expensive to retrieve. Moreover, their content is usually
more suitable to advanced work in a discipline. Therefore, we
recommend their use primarily to faculty, graduate students,
professional staff, and Senior Thesis researchers under the guidance of
their faculty advisors.
What happens if I lose or damage a book?
You alone are responsible for the book in your care. If you lose or damage it, you will be billed whatever the lending library charges us!
Furthermore, your interlibrary loan and Alemany Library borrowing
privileges will be suspended until full restitution is made.
What happens if I am overdue in returning an interlibrary loan book?
If you are overdue in returning a book borrowed from another
institution, you will be given two courtesy reminders by e-mail or
telephone. If you do not respond to the second reminder within 72 hours, you will be billed for the replacement cost of the book and your borrowing privileges will be suspended until the book is returned or full restitution is made.
Why is Alemany Library so strict about returning interlibrary loan books?
We are strict for two simple reasons: (1) we cannot afford to replace books you have lost or damaged, and (2)
we cannot afford to jeopardize our interlibrary borrowing privileges
with other institutions. If we lose these privileges, students
will suffer because they will no longer have access to the wealth of
materials presently available to them from other libraries.
Who can I call with questions?
For specific questions about interlibrary loan policies or
procedures not addressed by this document, or for questions about
the status of a pending request, the possibility of renewing a loan;
overdue, lost, or damaged items; or billing notices, please contact circulation desk.
