First Time User Registration for Interlibrary Loan

What is Interlibrary Loan?

• The Smith College interlibrary loan service borrows books and other circulating material not owned by the Five College libraries. We borrow from other Massachusetts libraries, from out-of-state, and from overseas when necessary.
• The loan period is set by the lending library and is usually 3-4 weeks. Renewals are usually possible. Generally, however, think of these as short-term loans.
• Books are typically easy to borrow. Scores, videos, sound recordings, etc. are more difficult to obtain, but we will try to get what you need.
• The interlibrary loan service also orders photocopies of articles from journals not owned by Smith. These photocopies are yours to keep.

Eligibility:

• All currently-affiliated Smith College faculty, staff, and students may use the Smith College interlibrary loan service.
  
• Affiliates of the other Five Colleges, alumnae, and public borrowers are not eligible to use Smith's interlibrary loan service. (Use the library of your home institution or your public library, as appropriate.)
  

"Request item" vs. Interlibrary Loan:

• Use the "Request item" button in the Five College Library Catalog to request books owned by the other Five College libraries.
• For Smith books that are checked out to another user, use "Request item" in the Five College Library Catalog to request an available copy from another library. If there isn't another copy available in the Five Colleges, use "Request item" to recall Smith's copy of the book.
  
• Use interlibrary loan for books that cannot be ordered via the online catalog (either because the request is blocked, as in the case of art or photography books, or because the book isn't owned by any of the other colleges).
  
• Use interlibrary loan for all article requests.
  

Interlibrary Loan Turnaround Time:

• Most requests are sent out to a potential supplier within 24-48 hours, unless we have difficulty identifying what you need from the information provided. If you submit a large number of requests on a single day, they may not all be sent out on the same day.
• Articles usually arrive within a few days.
  
• Books can take anywhere from a few days to arrive to several weeks, depending on how far they must travel and what shipping method the supplier uses.
  
• Service may be slower during the peak of the semester or during vacation periods.
  
• If you have special needs, please consult with the interlibrary loan staff (Neilson 1/23 or x2962).
  

User Registration:

To begin using Smith's web-based interlibrary loan service, you must first complete a registration form. Registration has two major purposes:

• Once you register and select a username and password, you won't need to enter your name, phone number, e-mail, and mailing address on each request.
• You will have secure access to information about your current and old interlibrary loan requests.

About Your Username and Password:

Important Copyright Information

WARNING CONCERNING COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials.

Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research". If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use", that user may be liable for copyright infringement.

This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why do I need a username and password?
2. What if I forget my password?
3. Is security an issue at public workstations?
4. What do I see when I "View Outstanding Requests?"
5. What do I see when I "View Request History?"
6. How do research assistants submit requests?
7. What if my address, phone number, or e-mail address change?
8. Whom do I contact if I have questions about or problems with the ILL web forms?

Why do I need a username and password?

What if I forget my password?

Is security an issue at public workstations?

• Access the interlibrary loan system only from your own computer, or
  
• If using a public workstation, delete those pages that contain your personal information from the history file and make sure you exit from the web browser before you leave the workstation. (This prevents users from using the "back" button to view the pages you were using.)

What do I see when I "View Outstanding Requests?"Your outstanding requests include all requests that are currently in process as well as material that is currently checked out to you through interlibrary loan.

What do I see when I "View Request History?"

How do research assistants submit requests?

What if my address, phone number, or e-mail address change?

Whom do I contact if I have questions about or problems with the ILL web forms?