Services

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Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

Interlibrary Loan is a service available to Randolph-Macon College students, faculty, and staff that allows them to request journal article or book chapter copies, print books, and other physical items that the library here does not own from libraries around the world. Interlibrary loans are almost always free for the RMC community.

Most Frequently-Asked Questions About ILL:

1. How do I request research material using ILL?
2. How quickly can I get my research material through ILL?
3. What kinds of materials can I request?
4. How much does ILL cost?
5. How will I know when my ILL item has arrived?
6. How long can I keep an ILL item?
7. How do I renew an ILL item?
8. How do I return something I borrowed through ILL?

1. How do I request research material using ILL?

• Check our catalog (WMS) and Journal Title Search to verify that the McGraw-Page Library does not have the materials you need. TIP: You may also be able to find articles in Google Scholar.
• This short tutorial will walk you through how to place an ILL request.
• The Library Patron Portal (Requests) allows you to track the status of all of your pending ILL requests, view a history of your past ILL requests (up to 5 years), cancel or resubmit ILL requests, and view due dates for your loaned ILL items. 

2. How quickly can I get materials through ILL?

The time it takes to receive and process an item through ILL can vary. Articles can usually be obtained within 1-3 business days while physical books take longer, often 7-10 business days. Please plan accordingly and submit your requests as early as possible.

 3. What kinds of materials can I request? 

Below is a list of items you can request through ILL. Please note that it is at the lending library's discretion as to whether or not they will loan something through ILL.

• Books (print format) and book chapter copies.
• Journal article copies.
• DVDs.
• Items from special collections.
• Bound volumes of periodicals.
• Microfiche/microfilm.
• Theses/dissertations (these tend to be difficult to get, but we always try our best!). TIP: Try the Dissertations and Theses Global database first, you may find your item there!
• Audio-visual materials.

A NOTE REGARDING TEXTBOOKS: Due dates for items loaned through ILL are determined by the lender and can vary widely. For this reason, ILL is not recommended as a way to obtain textbooks for an entire semester.

A NOTE REGARDING EBOOKS: Please be aware that e-books, especially e-textbooks, are difficult to obtain due to publisher copyright restrictions. ILL is not recommended as a way to obtain e-textbooks, as we might not be able to get the entire item. However, individual chapters can be requested successfully!

A NOTE REGARDING RECENTLY PUBLISHED BOOKS: If a physical book has been published within the last six months, it is unlikely that we will be able to obtain it, as many lending libraries have policies that prohibit lending out recently published books. A request can always be submitted and we will do our best to obtain the resource.

 4. How much does ILL cost to use? 

Interlibrary Loan is a free service for RMC students, faculty and staff. The only time a patron would be billed for an ILL item is if it is lost or damaged and the lending library bills us for it.

  5. How will I know when my ILL item has arrived? 

You will receive a system-generated email to your Randolph-Macon email account when your item has arrived. Please be sure to monitor your spam/junk/quarantine/other folders, as sometimes the notification may land there.

• ILL loans are available to be picked up at the Information Desk when the library is open. Tell the worker at the Information Desk that you have an ILL ready to be picked up and they will check it out to you.
• Copies of journal articles that arrive electronically will be sent to your inbox (again, please be sure to monitor your spam/junk/quarantine/other folders if you don't see anything in your inbox). 

 6. How long can I keep an ILL item?

• Copies of articles and book chapters are yours to keep. Articles and book chapter copies received electronically are automatically deleted after 30 days or after 5 downloads, so be sure to save a copy to your computer, Google Drive, or OneDrive.
• Many lenders set their ILL loan periods at 8 weeks, but the due dates can vary widely. If you need some more time with your ILL loan, contact the Interlibrary Loan Office at ill@rmc.edu to ask them to request a renewal on your behalf.

 7. How can I renew an ILL item?

To renew an ILL item, contact the Interlibrary Loan office at ill@rmc.edu. They will request a renewal from the lending library. Please note that due dates and renewals for ILL items are at the discretion of the lending library and cannot be appealed.

  8. How do I return something I borrowed through ILL?

Please use the book drop in the Library vestibule or Information Desk to return your ILL books or other physical materials borrowed through ILL. Journal article and book chapter copies do not need to be returned.