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Process

Introduction

Many of us know what Interlibrary Loan involves, although we may not think of all the individual pieces.  We'll get into the details of the ILL process in this lesson. Before you read through the actual process, take a look at the flowchart. It may help in defining the process.

Parts of the ILL Process

Reference Interview
Although you may not realize it, this is the first step in Interlibrary Loan.  You need to work with the patron to find out exactly what the patron wants, when s/he may need it, and whether or not Interlibrary Loan is the best way to fulfill that need.

Search Process
How do you search for information for a patron?  Where should you look?  Remember a local agency may have the information a patron is seeking.  If someone comes up looking for information about drug and alcohol abuse, a local prevention agency may be one resource.

Other good resources are school, college, or special libraries in the area.  You may even have something in your collection that will fill the patron's need.  If not, consider ILL.  But before you start filling out that form, think about whether or not you should purchase the item.  If the patron is asking for information about drug and alcohol abuse that may be something you need to add to your collection.  If the patron is looking for very specific information about drug and alcohol abuse then it may not be appropriate for you to purchase the item.  In that case, you should try Interlibrary Loan.

MLNCat, WorldCat, and/or other online bibliographic databases can help you find out who owns a particular item or even what a library has in a particular subject area.  Use these tools to discover which library may have the item you need to request.

 

ILL Forms
This one is important enough to have its own topic.  ILL forms (paper or electronic) should be filled out correctly. A lending library may refuse to fill a request if the form is not completed properly.   Part of filling out an ILL form is making sure your citation is correct. An example of a citation appears below, along with a description of what each part is.

Placing and Processing a  Request
Use a standard method when placing a request.  This includes mailing, web-based Interlibrary Loan, Ariel, email or fax. However don't use fax or email unless it is okay with the lending library.  It may be acceptable to use these in a case where the patron needs the information right away.  If the request is a "RUSH" order, it is best to contact the lending library before making the request. Check borrowing statistics before you decide who you are going to request an item from. Be aware of those libraries who are busy lenders. Try to even out the Interlibrary Loan load by using smaller libraries that may not lend as often.

Example: Dougherty, Richard M. 5/2002. "Reference Around the Clock: Is It in Your Future?" American Libraries, 33(5): 44-46.

 

Dougherty, Richard M. is the author of the magazine article; while 5/2002 is the date of the magazine. "Reference Around the Clock: Is It in Your Future?" is the title of the article. The magazine is American Libraries, and it is volume 33, number 5. The article is located on pages 44-46. Make sense? Book citations are similar to magazines. Typically the author is listed first and then the title of the book. Generally the publisher and year are listed instead of volume, issue, and page numbers.

 

When receiving the item, your library may have specific procedures to follow.  Some good rules of thumb are: 

  • Don't throw away the packaging until you know the item has been clearly identified.  Some libraries do not put an ownership stamp, etc. on an item, so you need the packaging to know who to send it back to.

  • Look to see if there is a postage charge.  If so, make a note of it.

  • Generally you don't have to acknowledge receipt, unless the lending library has asked you to do so.    . 

Mailing the Item Back
Follow any special instructions, make sure the item is properly packaged and has enough postage.  Include mailing labels inside the bag.

 

That's the ILL process in a nutshell.  While some parts are straightforward, others require additional explaining.