BORROWING FROM OTHER LIBRARIES
General Information
Materials Eligible for Borrowing
Materials Ineligible for Borrowing
Submitting Requests
Awaiting Arrival of Requested Materials
Notification and Pickup
Terms of Loan
Borrowing Frequently Asked Questions
General Information
The Library will attempt to obtain materials not available at the University of Lethbridge Library that are required for research or study. Known as Interlibrary Loan (ILL), this service is available to faculty, students, and staff of the university who have a current, valid Campus Card. External borrowers (Alumni, Community, TAL, etc.) are ineligible for this service.
ILL funding is intended solely to support university-related research and study. ILL requests must therefore be relevant to your subject discipline or must be used for a university-sanctioned project. Otherwise, you should use the Interlibrary Loan service offered by the Lethbridge Public Library to patrons having a Lethbridge Public Library membership. University students and staff may use their TAL (The Alberta Library) Card to borrow materials from the Lethbridge Public Library, the Chinook Arch Regional Libraries and the Lethbridge Community College Library.
Materials Eligible for Borrowing
Almost any type of material may be obtained on Interlibrary Loan if a lending library will loan it or if a copy can be provided without infringing on copyright laws or licensing agreements. Books, conference proceedings, government documents, newspapers on microfilm, theses and audiovisual materials may be obtained on loan. Journal articles and chapters of books are supplied as copies.
Materials Ineligible for Borrowing
- Entire journal issues or volumes
- Reference materials
- Rare or fragile materials
Submitting Requests
Requests may be submitted electronically (https://www.ulethbridge.ca/lib/scripts/verifyRelaisIL.php). If in doubt, please ask at the services desk on Level 10 of the Library for assistance.
Fully subsidized/no-cost Interlibrary Loans are provided to all students, faculty, and staff.
Patrons may submit as many requests as needed but the Library reserves the right to limit the number of requests to a maximum of ten per week per user, during busy periods.
Awaiting Arrival of Requested Materials
Delivery time for a requested ILL item depends on the request type (copy or loan), the location of the lending library, the speed with which the lending library fills the request and the delivery method used. Some materials arrive within days or hours from the time a request is processed, while others may take months.
Patrons are encouraged to submit their ILL requests well before the date their paper or project is due. Patrons must also indicate a date by which the materials are needed in each submitted request.
Notification and Pickup
Patrons are notified by email when requested material has arrived. Loans are available for pickup upon presentation of a valid Campus Card at the General Services Desk of the Library.
Links to PDF copies are emailed to the email address provided in the requestor's submitted request. These links remain active for 14 days.
Loans not picked up within two weeks of arrival will be returned to the lending library.
Terms of Loan
The lending library has the right to impose its own conditions of loan and the University of Lethbridge Library and its patrons must adhere to any and all such limitations.
Loan Period
The loan period will vary depending on lending libraries' policies. If the lending library indicates the material is FOR USE IN LIBRARY ONLY, however, patrons must use the material in the Library and return it to the General Services Desk before closing at the end of each day.
ILL Identification
Materials borrowed on ILL are identified by either yellow or lime green bands wrapped around the item; these bands must not be removed.
Renewals
Renewals may be requested for material borrowed on ILL that is identified by a lime green band wrapped around it. To request a renewal, please contact lib.illo@uleth.ca no later that 5 days before the item is due. Items may be renewed 1 time only.
Recalls
Items on Interlibrary Loan may be recalled at any time by the lending library. If patrons are notified of any recalls on items they have on loan, these items must be returned immediately regardless of the original due date of the material. If the patron still requires the item, ILL staff will attempt to obtain it from another lending library.
Fines
Fines for overdue ILL material are $1.00 per day per item. In addition, borrowers are financially responsible for all costs assessed by the lending library for overdue materials.
Loss or Damage
If material borrowed on Interlibrary Loan is lost or damaged, the borrower must notify Interlibrary Loan staff promptly by email at lib.illo@uleth.ca or the staff at the General Services Desk. The borrower is financially responsible for the replacement or repair of materials lost or damaged during his/her use—replacement copies provided by the borrower will not be accepted. Once an invoice is issued and paid, no refund will be granted.
Copyright
It is the policy of the University of Lethbridge Library to fully comply with the provisions of the Canadian Copyright Act. Materials provided through Interlibrary Loan must be used solely for the purpose of private study, research, criticism, review or summary.
Suspension of ILL Privileges
Borrowers who disregard the conditions imposed on loaned materials obtained via Interlibrary Loan may be subject to disciplinary actions, consistent with established GFC policy regarding academic and non-academic matters. This may include the withdrawal of some or all Interlibrary Loan privileges.
For more information consult ILL Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)