What
is Interlibrary Loan?
Interlibrary Loan is a service provided to USI students,
faculty and staff that provides access to materials not owned by Rice
Library. If the library does not own a specific item, it can often be
borrowed from another library.
What
can I request through Interlibrary Loan?
Books, journal articles, and book chapters are usually
available through ILL. Videos, reference materials, dissertations and
masters theses may be requested, but are often either (1) not available
for loan, or (2) incur additional charges. Requests for textbooks
required for USI classes will not be processed. It is difficult
to locate available copies of textbooks and the length of the loan (average
is 2-3 weeks) makes them unusable for a 16-week course.
How
do I submit a request?
- Verify
that Rice Library does not own the item.
- Log
in to your ILLiad account and place a request. Include everything
you know about the item (add notes if necessary).
ILLiad
Account
- Your
request will be submitted to ILL staff at Rice Library, and processed
within 3 working days.
How
many items can I request?
Graduate
and undergraduate students can submit up to 100 requests per academic
year (fall, spring, summer). Faculty and staff can submit unlimited
requests each academic year. Retired faculty members must pay ½ of all
incurred charges. Each request in excess of the yearly limit requires
a $5.00 processing fee (includes all faculty, staff and student requests).
Courtesy card holders, including USI alumni, may check out 3 books from
Rice Library. In order to place an ILL request, however, courtesy card
holders should use their local public library.
How
can I make the ILL process as fast as possible?
- Clear
library fines and return overdue items.
- Double-check
spelling
- Provide
complete, correct citations. Libraries will not process requests without
full information. For incomplete citations, attempt to locate the
full citation in one of our research databases (e.g. PsycINFO or WorldCat)
or on the Internet.
- In the
request forms, supply the OCLC# and the ISBN (for books) or ISSN (for
journals). This helps the ILLiad system make a very fast match in
WorldCat. Copy just the number, not the word "OCLC" or "ISBN"
or "ISSN."
- Include
your USI e-mail address. Rice Library communicates via USI accounts
only.
- Before
requesting articles, do a Google search for the article. Many articles
are available online.
- Not
wanted after date: must be at least 3 days for articles; 5 days for
books.
How
much does ILL cost?
There
is no processing fee for each request, but in order to keep costs manageable,
patrons may be asked to split any lending or copyright fees.
How
long does it take to receive an ILL?
Generally,
3-21 days. Arrival time varies depending on whether the item is available,
where it is located, and how it is being shipped. Planning ahead is
essential!
How
will I know when my request has arrived?
Books,
videos, and dissertations/theses (LOANS)
- You
will be contacted via your USI email account (xxxxxxxx@usi.edu for
faculty and staff; xxxxxxxx@usieagles.org for students)
- Faculty,
staff, and students must present a USI Eagle Access card at the checkout
counter to check out ILL items.
Articles
and chapters from books (COPIES)
- Faculty
and staff are notified via their USI email account (xxxxxxxx@usi.edu).
Copies received electronically are posted online. Copies received
through the mail are sent through campus mail to your campus office.
- Students
are notified via their USI email account (xxxxxxxx@usieagles.org).
Copies received electronically are posted online. If a print copy
is received through the mail, the student is notified that it is available
for pick-up at the checkout counter.
How
do I read my electronic article ("Ariel")?
- Open
the email message from USI titled "Automated Document Delivery Notification."
It contains a case-sensitive PIN number and a link to the Ariel web
site.
- Make
note of the PIN number in brackets, and click on the URL.
- The
article is viewed using Adobe Acrobat.* If Adobe is installed on your
computer, enter your USI email address and PIN number.
- Your
document should appear as a PDF in the Adobe window.
- Since
the time and viewing of "Ariel" articles is limited, immediately print
or save the article. Use the print and save options within the Adobe
window.
* You
need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your PC in order to print/download
the article. The URL for a free download of this software is provided
in your email.
How
long can I keep ILLs? Can I renew them? What is the overdue policy?
Loan periods are decided by the lending library, which
may or may not grant renewals. Usually, you can keep a book for 3 weeks.
Copies are yours to keep. "Ariel" articles are available for 5 viewings
or 2 weeks, whichever comes first. See the complete Rice
Library ILL Overdue Policy for more information about overdue materials.
Renewal
requests should be made at least 3 days before the due date. To request
a renewal of Interlibrary Loan materials, log in to your ILLiad account
and select "Checked out Items." Then click on the transaction
number of the item you wish t renew and choose "Renew Request."
If you encounter any problems please call our office so that we may
assist you. Lending libraries may limit the timeframe in which requests
are allowed, or may not allow requests at all. Even though the request
may be initially approved, the lending library may deny the request.
If the request is denied, we will contact you via email, and the item
will need to be returned by the original due date.
How
can I get more help with ILL?Contact
Rice Library's Reference Desk (812/464-1907) for assistance verifying
whether the library owns your needed item. For information regarding
the status of your request, or to request a renewal on a borrowed ILL
item, call ILL staff (812/465-1683) Mon-Fri 8:00 am-4:30 pm, or email
libill@usi.edu.
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