Weaver Library: Interlibrary Loan Service Policies

No library can own all of the books, periodicals, and other materials needed by its users. However, libraries often cope with this situation by using a system of lending/borrowing known as interlibrary loan.

MSU–Great Falls Library lends its materials to other libraries and borrows materials for faculty, staff, and students needing materials not available locally. When we borrow from other libraries on your behalf, we accept the responsibility for the careful use and prompt return of their materials.

An understanding by our borrowers of the following regulations and procedures will help us facilitate operations and provide better service.

Please check the library catalog and our Full-Text finder carefully before making an interlibrary loan request. Interlibrary loans are expensive for both the borrowing and the lending libraries.

 

Interlibrary loan requests are accepted from MSU faculty, staff, and students.

 

Please check the library catalog and our Full-Text finder carefully before making an interlibrary loan request. Interlibrary loans are expensive for both the borrowing and the lending libraries.

Interlibrary loan requests should be made through our interlibrary loan system, ILLiad. To make a request, you must first establish an account in ILLiad. Requests cannot be accepted by other means.

Once you have established an account, fill out the correct form in ILLiad. To request a copy of an article, use the "Request a Photocopy" form; for copies of book chapters, use the "Request a Book Chapter" form; to request a book or a video, use the "Request a Book" form. Help us by filling out your request with as much information as possible.

The time required to fill a request can vary from several days to several months, depending upon the availability of the material. In most cases, allow 2-3 weeks for your request.

 

If materials are owned locally (ie by Great Falls Public or UGF or another local library), the patron must visit those libraries to use or obtain the material.

Most libraries will refuse interlibrary loan requests for the following reasons: difficult-to-ship materials (such as print newspapers, LP records, or maps); reference books; recently published books; materials on reserve or in demand at the lending library; and rare items or volumes from special collections.

Many libraries do not loan their audio-visual materials such as VHS tapes. If you are requesting a periodical, most libraries will supply a photocopy of the desired article rather than an entire issue or volume.

ILL borrowing privileges may be suspended for patrons for the following reasons:

- Unclaimed ILL requests
- Excessive ILL overdues
  [more than 3 per year or an accumulation of $25 or more in overdue fines]
- Losing an ILL item.

 

All interlibrary loan materials should be picked up at the MSU–Great Falls Library circulation desk. Borrowers will be notified by whichever means (phone or mail) they have selected in their ILLiad account.

Most libraries from which MSU–Great Falls borrows do not charge loan fees. However, if a lending library charges us more than $20 for a loan or a photocopy, the user will be asked to pay the excess. If not, the item will not be borrowed.

Loans must be returned to the MSU–Great Falls Library circulation desk on or before the due date. Requests for renewal must be made at least 5 days before the book is due. To request a renewal, borrowers must log on to ILLiad, go into View/Renew Checked Out Items and select the items they wish to renew. This does not automatically renew items but rather requests that a renewal be made. If the lending library agrees to extend the due date, the borrower will be notified of the new due date.

If an item is overdue, there is a fine of $1.00 per day/per item. Your library privileges will also be suspended until the ILL item is returned. Unpaid fines are forwarded to the Business Office for collection when they reach $25 or if they have not been paid by the end of the semester. The Business Office will add the amount due to your student account and may withhold academic transcripts and other university services from you until the amount is paid in full.