Frequently Asked Questions - Interlibrary Loan

1. When do I use CLS?
2. When do I use Interlibrary Loan?
3. Who can borrow items?
4. What types of items can I request borrow through ILL?
5. What are the hours that ILL is open?
6. How do I submit a request to ILL?
7. How many items can I request at a time?
8. How long does it take to fill an ILL request?
9. How are requested items sent to Gelman Library?
10. Is there a fee for these services?
11. How will I be notified?
12. How long can I borrow an item?
13. How can I renew an item?
14. How do I return a borrowed item?
15. What are the fines for late items?
16. I'm a student at the Virginia Science & Technology Campus in Ashburn; who should I contact regarding ILL services?

 

1. When do I use CLS?

CLS stands for Consortium Loan Service. It is a way to get books quickly from a group of DC-area research libraries. This service is used when a GW library does not own the item you are seeking and one of the libraries in the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC) does, or GW Libraries do own a copy but it is not available (checked out, missing or lost).

 

2. When do I use Interlibrary Loan?

If you cannot find a book or article through Gelman Library or the other libraries listed in the catalog, Interlibrary Loan (ILL) obtains materials from libraries around the United States, or in some cases internationally. If the item you are seeking is not listed or is not available in the catalog, then submit a request to ILL.

 

3. Who can borrow items?

GW faculty, staff, and students currently registered for credit, except those in the Schools of Public Health, Medicine, Nursing, and Law, are eligible to borrow through Gelman and Virginia Science & Technology Campus ILL services. (Students and faculty in Law and Medicine use interlibrary loan services offered by Jacob Burns Law Library and Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library.)

 

4. What types of items can I request through ILL?

Requests may be submitted for books, articles, chapters, theses, microfilm and microfiche. The library which owns the item makes the decision whether or not to lend it. ILL cannot borrow non-circulating items from Reference or Rare Book collections, but in some cases scans of specific pages can be made from these items. Most libraries will not lend audiovisual materials, but in some cases it is possible to borrow them. Some libraries will lend dissertations and other theses; it is all decided on a case-by-case basis by the library that owns the material.

Looking for a textbook? Please visit the GW Bookstore for rental and purchase options. Interlibrary Loan is not a source for current textbooks. If you are looking for earlier editions of textbooks, we may be able to borrow those from other libraries.

 

5. What are the hours that ILL is open?

Go to the Gelman Library Hours Page or the Virginia Science & Technology Campus Library Hours Page to find the hours the service desks are open. Requests can be made via the Interlibrary Loan form 24 hours a day. Books are held at the Gelman Check-Out Desk or the Virginia Science & Technology Campus Library.

 

6. How do I submit a request to ILL?

You can submit ILL requests:

• via the Interlibrary Loan form
• from within some databases:
  • When you have found a record for the item you want, look for the blue Find It button or another link to borrow this item from another library. This will eventually take you to your Interlibrary Loan login screen, then to a request form with your citation information already filled in. Please double-check that the information in the form is complete and accurately describing what you are requesting.

 

7. How many items/pages can I request at a time?

There is no fixed limit on borrowing books via ILL. However, we reserve the right to limit the number of requests being processed per person at one time. For scanned pages, we can request one article from an issue of a journal, or one chapter from a book, or up to 10% of the book's total page count.

 

8. How long does it take to fill an ILL request?

The time will vary depending on how long it takes the supplying library to process and send the request to Gelman Library. Articles generally take 1-5 days to arrive, and books generally arrive in 5-10 business days.

 

9. How are requested items sent to the Library?

Books are sent through the U.S. Mail, UPS, or courier services. Articles are delivered electronically as PDFs.

 

10. Is there a fee for these services?

The library does pay lending fees charged to us by other libraries. For most requests there is not a cost to you.

 

11. How will I be notified?

You will be notified via e-mail when the requested item(s) will be available for pick up from the Gelman Check-Out Desk or the Virginia Science & Technology Campus Library. You can check the status of your request by logging in to the Interlibrary Loan page, then clicking on View Current Requests.

 

12. How long can I borrow an item?

You can borrow most ILL items for periods ranging from 2 weeks to 8 weeks. The time period is determined by the library which supplies the item. Articles are supplied as PDFs, and you should download any that you wish to keep.

 

13. How can I renew an item?

Please email ILL@gwu.edu to request a renewal.

 

14. How do I return a borrowed item?

At Gelman Library, you can return your item at the Check Out Desk or in the Book Drops. Please return items with the blue ILL sleeve still in place around the cover. This will help us to update your records promptly and accurately. You may also return ILL items at the Eckles Library on the Mt. Vernon Campus or at the Virginia Science & Technology Campus Library.

 

15. What are the fines for late items?

Overdue ILL items will be marked lost after 14 days. Lost ILL items will incur an $80 fine and a $30 processing fee. Patrons with lost items may have their GW borrowing privileges blocked until the overdue items are returned and any fines or fees paid.

 

16. I'm a student at the Virginia Science & Technology Campus in Ashburn; who should I contact regarding ILL services?

If you are a student at the Virginia Science & Technology Campus in Ashburn, VA, please contact the VSTC Library. You will be notified via e-mail or telephone when the requested item(s) are available for pick up from the VSTC Library. If you have questions, email virginia@gwu.edu. For affiliates of the Schools of Medicine and Nursing, your requests will be handled by the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library's ILL team, and you can email them at mlbdoc@gwu.edu.