Interlibrary Loan FAQ

What is Interlibrary Loan?
Who may use the Interlibrary Loan service?
How do I request materials through Interlibrary Loan?
- How do I fill out the Interlibrary Loan request form?
How long does it take?
How much does it cost?
How do I find out when my requested material has come in?
Electronic delivery of your requested materials
When are Interlibrary Loan books due?
May I request a renewal?
What is the overdue policy?
Who do I call for more information?
ILL Terms and Definitions

What is Interlibrary Loan?

The Interlibrary Loan department borrows materials from other libraries for use by members of the SJU/CSB academic communities. The department borrows materials which are not available at SJU or CSB. Materials are borrowed locally through a direct borrowing network, regionally through the MINITEX network, and nationally through OCLC.

Who may use the Interlibrary Loan service?

Faculty, staff, current students, and members of the Benedictine communities at SJU and CSB may request materials through the Interlibrary Loan department. Alumni and local borrowers should request Interlibrary Loan materials through their local public libraries.

How do I request materials through Interlibrary Loan?

There are three ways to request materials through the Interlibrary Loan department.

You can search "All MNPals libraries" and make an ILL request for an item within MNPals (After selecting "All MNPals Libraries, Log On to "Your Borrowing Record" before doing your search)
You can use the button located in most of our databases to create an ILL request for a specific item. will automatically populate the ILL form with information about the item. You will need to add information about yourself.
You can fill out the appropriate blank electronic Interlibrary Loan Request form available at http://www.csbsju.edu/library/services/ilremind.htm

How do I fill out an Interlibrary Loan request form?

Reference librarians are available if you need assistance filling out the form.
These sections with an asterisk are required:

Student ID

Authentication (your surname or first 8 digits of same)

Until What Date ( MM/DD/YYYY)

Each journal article or book volume must be requested separately.
To request a book, fill in Author of Book, Title of Book, and Publication year.
To request an article, fill in Author of Article, Title of Article, Journal Title, Volume, No., Pages, and Date.
Use the free-text note to add any information that may help us fill your request (ISBN or ISSN are especially helpful)
Click in the radio box to agree to U.S. Copyright guidelines

How long does it take?

Many requests for copies of articles arrive within a few days, and the majority of items arrive within two weeks so please allow at least that much processing time when making your request. Turnaround time varies greatly for Interlibrary Loan requests, depending on the nature of the material and the location of the lender.

We make every attempt to order all requested materials within one to two business days of when the requests were submitted. Materials are always ordered from local libraries if possible.

How much does it cost?

There is no charge for requests filled through MINITEX or another free lender.
There will be a charge of $5 for each request that is not available from either MINITEX or another free lender, and must be filled outside of our network or through a commercial document supplier. Requestors will be notified on a request-by-request basis, and must agree to pay the additional costs before the libraries place the order.
When an individual exceeds $25 in charges for copyright payments in any given calendar year they will be notified on a request-by-request basis, and must agree to pay the additional costs before the libraries place the order.

How do I find out when my requested material has come in?

Interlibrary Loan staff will contact you by e-mail when your material arrives.

Requested articles may be delivered electronically, in which case your email will include a URL and PIN which you use to read, print or download your article using Adobe Acrobat software. See http://www.minitex.umn.edu/docdel/medd/ for additional information. Photocopies of articles not available this way will be held for you at the Circulation Desk unless you request delivery through campus mail.

Requested books are held until due back to the lending library, usually 3 weeks.

To check the status of your ILL requests, cancel requests, or request renewals log on to "Your Borrowing Record" in MNPals

When are Interlibrary Loan books due?

Lending libraries set the due dates for the materials they lend.

Due dates are indicated on the blue or yellow bookmark that comes with the book, and in MNPals on Your Borrowing Record.

Please return books to the Circulation desk at either library on or before the due date, in order to avoid overdue charges.

May I request a renewal?

Log on to Your Borrowing Record to request renewals. Renewals are granted at the discretion of the lending library, and cannot be guaranteed. The new due date will show in Your Borrowing Record if the lending library approves your request.

What is the overdue policy?

Interlibrary loan materials can be renewed within 9 days of the due date without incurring any fines. On the tenth day an overdue fine of $10.00 per item will be charged and is non-refundable.
After 10 days, administrators, staff and faculty members may receive a warning letter indicating that they will lose their ILL borrowing privileges for three months if the books are not returned within seven days. If there is no response, the matter will be forwarded to the appropriate supervisor or Dean (Approved by CAPS September 17, 2001.)
After the material is overdue for 28 days, students, faculty and staff will be billed for the replacement cost of the material and a $10.00 processing fee. This bill will be not less than the current CSB/SJU replacement fee, but may be higher if the lending library charges us more. Library borrowing privileges may be suspended until the material is returned or the fines are paid.
If the material is returned within three months of the billing date the replacement cost will be refunded, the overdue fines and processing fee are non-refundable.

Whom do I call for more information?

For more information call Janine Lortz at SJU Alcuin Library (363-3822), or send an e-mail to jlortz@csbsju.edu. Or call Nicole Reuter at CSB Clemens Library (363-5604), nreuter@csbsju.edu.

Comments to Janine Lortz or Nicole Reuter.
Last updated: February 25, 2009. Links checked: March 22, 2007.