Interlibrary Loan
What is Interlibrary Loan?
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service that provides eligible ASU patrons with access to library materials not owned by the Levi Watkins Learning Center. ILL borrows or obtains the requested materials from other institutions.
Eligibility
Interlibrary Loan services are available to:
- Current ASU faculty and staff
- Currently enrolled ASU undergraduate and graduate students
Materials Not Available Through Interlibrary Loan
- Textbooks
- Sound recordings
- DVDs and videos
How do I submit an Interlibrary Loan request?
*Interlibrary loan requests should be submitted electronically after searching WorldCat Discovery. When your search includes an item not currently owned by the Levi Watkins Learning Center, a “Request this item through interlibrary loan” banner button will appear on the right-hand side of the screen. A completed form (including a valid email address) ensures that your request can be processed in a timely manner. Incomplete forms may result in processing delays.
Patron Responsibility
Books and other interlibrary loan materials must be returned by the due date. Materials should be returned to the Information Desk on the 1st floor. All loaned items are subject to recall and are to be returned immediately. Patrons are financially responsible for items that are not returned, lost, or damaged while checked out.
***If your request has a fee associated with it, you must accept responsibility of payment for the request to be processed. Once you have been notified of a potential fee for your requested material, you will have 24 hours to accept it. If a response is not received in the given time, the request will be deleted.
Failure to return Interlibrary Loan materials by the due date may lead to replacement charges levied by the lending library. In order to remain in good standing with our interlibrary loan partners, the patron is asked to pay replacement charges to the LWLC. Replacement fees are non-refundable.
Receipt of Materials
Most ILL requests can be filled within 2 to 3 weeks depending on the location supplying the item. Requests which require special attention or handling may take longer. You will be notified when the materials have arrived using the preferred notification method chosen on the request form. Materials are picked up at the Information Desk on the 1st floor of the Levi Watkins Learning Center.
Note: A valid ASU ID card is required to pick up ILL materials.
Length of Loans
Materials are due at the time specified by the lending institution and may vary from 2 to 6 weeks. “Library Use Only” materials are not to leave the library.
Loans must be returned by the due date. Failure to return materials on time jeopardizes the LWLC’s standing with other institutions. If a book is overdue by 10 days or more, the patron is blocked from submitting more requests and library privileges are suspended. All fines and fees assessed by the lending library are passed along to the user..
Renewals
Please make every effort to complete use of the ILL material within the original loan period. If you need a renewal, please make that request BEFORE the due date. Requests for renewal of overdue material will NOT be made. Renewals are at the discretion of the lending library. Only one renewal period is granted per title with the renewal period generally being 2 weeks.
Copyright Restrictions
The copyright law of the United States governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Photocopies or other reproductions can be furnished only under certain conditions:
- Private study
- Scholarship
- Research
Use of the reproduction for other purposes may make the user liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the request would involve violation of the copyright law. We will use document delivery vendors and the Copyright Clearance Center when possible.
Montgomery Higher Education Consortium
Alabama State University is a member of the Montgomery Higher Education Consortium. The consortium allows the faculty, staff, and students from each partner institution to check out books from the partner institution’s library. To be eligible for this service, you must complete a consortium application, which can be obtained from the LWLC’s Information Desk located on the first floor of the LWLC.
Complete the application and return it to the staff member at the desk, the staff member will then place a current year consortium sticker on your faculty/staff/ or student ID. The sticker allows you to borrow books directly from the following libraries: **Auburn University at Montgomery, Faulkner University, Huntingdon College, and Troy University at Montgomery.
- *Interlibrary Loan Department staff will not process loan requests received as an email, over the phone or through the LibChat app. Nor will they process loan requests for materials owned and housed in the LWLC which are classified as non-circulating.
- **Please note that items borrowed through the consortium cannot be returned to the interlibrary loan department at Alabama State University for return to that institution. If you borrowed a consortium item, you must return it yourself.
- ***Fees assessed for campus activities are not associated with interlibrary loan charges nor are loan charges covered as part of a departmental budget.