Interlibrary Loan - Frequently Asked Questions
- What can't we get?
- How do you proceed?
- How long does it take?
- Why use interlibrary loan?
- Who may use this service?
- What do we need from you?
- Can I get it any faster?
- What is your responsibility?
- What will this cost you?
- Can Mohawk Valley Graduate Center (MVGC) students get ILL copies?
What can't we get?
Most libraries will not lend bound periodicals; therefore we request photocopies of articles from other libraries. We mail these directly to your address. If electronic delivery is available, we inform you via email that the item is available to pick up in the Electronically Received Articles Section of your ILLiad account. Doctoral Dissertations listed in Dissertation Abstracts are not available on ILL unless we can locate them at schools other than where they were completed. Reference books, genealogies, and oversized, rare or fragile items, especially manuscripts or newspapers not in microform, are also not loanable. Videos may be available for short-term loan; however, some libraries do not loan videos. The U.S. Copyright Law limits SUNY Cortland to one article request from the same current issue; there is also a limit of five requests from the current five years of a journal title.
How do you proceed?
First time users must register once through the ILLiad system using their C# for students, faculty and staff. This number will be your username. You then need to create a password and remember it. All requests must be submitted electronically through ILLiad. There are InterLibrary Loan links in most of the databases or you can access ILLiad by clicking the 360/Find Fulltext link. Any questions or problems call ILL at (607) 753-2491 or fill out the ILLiad problem web form.
How long does it take?
It is not possible to predict the exact time needed to complete each request. Requests are sent via a library-to-library online communication system. Each request can potentially reach as many as five different libraries and each library has four business days to respond. Plan ahead at least two weeks.
Check the status and/or progress of your active requests by signing on to your ILLiad account with C# and password, then "view/modify outstanding requests" for terms like "shipped" or "arrived", etc.
Why use interlibrary loan?
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is used to obtain materials needed for research which are not owned by Memorial Library by borrowing them or requesting photocopies or electronic delivery from other libraries.
Who may use this service?
SUNY Cortland faculty, staff, and students. An email account is required to use this service.
What do we need from you?
Under copyright and ILL agreements, we can only request specific items. A reference librarian can help you identify and provide complete citations for these. For books this means: author, title, place published, publisher, and date published. WorldCat is a good comprehensive source for book information. For journal articles, this means spelling out the full journal title (no abbreviations), volume, year, pages, author, and article title. The ISSN is also very important in identifying the correct journal. ILL requests must be filled out completely. When using most of the databases citation information will be automatically transferred to the online form.
We Must Know Where You Found Your Citation!
Complete "source of information," including author (if appropriate), title, year, and page; or database and unique identifying number (AN usually or EJ) or subject heading used. Most online databases spell out the full title of a journal. Printed paper indexes and abstracts list their abbreviations and full journal titles in the front of each issue/volume or in a separate list. You need the full journal title to check SUNY Cortland's Periodical Holdings and/or Library Catalog before requesting ILL. Check local availability and if fulltext is available online by using the SFX/Find Fulltext link in the database. If the periodical issue is missing from our collection or has been vandalized, be sure to note that on the ILL form. If a SUNY Cortland book is not on the shelf, ask at the Circulation Desk to do a search for the book.
Can I get it any faster?
The library offers fax service and commercial document delivery for library materials and hard to locate items depending on the budget available and cost involved.
What is your responsibility?
You are responsible for returning books on time. Most loans are for four weeks; there are no semester loans. A slip with the due date is placed in each book. Pick up and return ILL books at the Circulation Desk. You may keep the photocopied articles which are sent to you. Electronic documents will remain posted for 21 business days.
If you need more than the usual four-week loan, request a renewal online via your ILLiad account before the due date; the lending library may or may not grant the usual two-week renewal. If yes, the new due date will appear in your ILLiad account. If not, the book is due by the original due date, but you may request that book again and we may order it from a different library.
What will this cost you?
SUNY Cortland pays most ILL costs, but you are responsible for costs involved if material is damaged or lost. The library reserves the right to limit the requests of any individual and/or ask the user to share the costs.
Can Mohawk Valley Graduate Center (MVGC) students get ILL copies?
Currently registered MVGC students can request photocopies of articles from journals owned by SUNY Cortland. If possible these items will be delivered electronically, otherwise these items will be sent to the student's home address. Please clearly identify yourself as a Mohawk Valley Graduate student in the notes section of the article request form. Books and articles from journals not owned by SUNY Cortland should be requested through the libraries at SUNYIT.