FAQs for Acadia Faculty, staff and retired faculty

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What is Interlibrary Loan?

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) allows registered borrowers of the Vaughan Memorial Library to obtain material that is not held in the Library. Materials that can be located and obtained through the ILL service include books, articles from periodicals, microforms, and some circulating theses. Interlibrary loans are arranged through co-operative agreements with other Canadian institutions and special procedures are required.

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Who can borrow through ILL?

Acadia faculty, staff, students, alumni and retired employees and members of the general public who are registered as borrowers with the Vaughan Memorial Library are eligible for ILL service.

ILL borrowers must maintain a valid borrower's status. Should a borrower's privileges be temporarily suspended or blocked at the Access Services Desk, they will also be suspended or blocked for ILL service. Borrowing privileges may be suspended or blocked for reasons such as outstanding fines, overdue books or more than 50 books signed out at any one time.

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How do I request an ILL?

All students must register in the Interlibrary Loans/Document Delivery System. Enter your library bar code or student number and password, click "Register". Registration takes place overnight. You can place requests the next day.

  1. Check holdings in the Library Catalogue to make sure that the Library does not own the item.
  2. Do not submit requests for items we own. If you wish to borrow an item on loan to another patron, place a hold. Staff members at the Access Desk can help you place a hold if you are having difficulties.
  3. To request an Interlibrary Loan (ILL) select either "Request articles" or "Request books". You will be prompted for your library bar code or student number and your password.
  4. Complete the form, click the "copyright certification" and "submit" button.
    Copyright Certification
    A confirmation screen will appear with a request number. Use this number to check the status of your request.

When you have submitted your request close the window or tab.

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How much does it cost?

Interlibrary loans are free to Acadia faculty, staff and retired faculty.

How long does it take?

ILL staff members are committed to locating and ordering requested materials within one working day from receipt of an ILL request. Hard-to-find items may take longer to locate and order. The length of time it takes to receive requested material varies from 1 day to 4 weeks, depending upon several factors. These include the accuracy of the bibliographical information supplied on the request form, the response of the lending library and the method of delivery. Please note that during high volume periods, ILL staff can only process 10 requests per person per day. Borrowers requesting more than 10 items at once should prioritize their requests.

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Can I get theses or dissertations through ILL?

Undergraduate students can request theses from Canadian universities. Many libraries restrict the circulation of their bound theses. Canadian dissertations which are not available for loan and dissertations from other countries may be purchased directly from University Microfilms International. (Order forms are also available from the Reference and Information Desk)

Can I get periodicals or journals through ILL?

Few libraries will lend entire periodicals, but most will supply photocopies of specific articles (subject to copyright regulations). When requesting periodical articles, please copy the information exactly as it appears in the citation including the correct volume, issue, date and pages. It is essential that the periodical title information be copied as found. No attempt should be made to provide full titles as abbreviated periodical titles are standardized (e.g. Arch. Hist. Med.) and attempts to guess at a full title often lead to confusion and delays. It is helpful to include the ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) if you have it, since many periodicals have the same title but ISSNs are unique.

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What can't I get through ILL?

Videos, audio cassettes, CDs, musical scores, films, newspapers, bound journals, kits, rare books, some private institutions' research documents and Psychological and Sociological Association papers are not available through ILL.

How will I know when my ILL has arrived, and where do I pick it up?

You will receive an email from documentdelivery@relaisasin.com. This email will either:

  • have your article attached, or
  • let you know your material is ready for pickup, or
  • let you know that your request could not be filled.

Please ensure that the Library has a current e-mail address, mailing address and telephone number. You can update your information by logging into the Registrar’s website and choosing "My Account" from the left menu.

If we are unable to locate the requested material, you will be notified by e-mail. Please do not hesitate to visit your liaison librarian who can suggest alternative materials or perform expanded searches for materials not located on the initial search.

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How do I check the status of my requests?

Login to the Interlibrary loan/document delivery system. You will be prompted for your library bar code or student number and your password. You can:

  • "List Open Requests" for your outstanding requests;
  • "List All Requests" for all of your requests, or
  • "Query Requests" to search for a specific request.

You can also email ill-inquiries@acadiau.ca. If requested material is no longer required, please cancel the request as soon as possible.

How long can I keep ILLs?

All material except for photocopies will have a yellow band around the material indicating certain restrictions and will indicate the due date. Borrowers are requested to abide by these restrictions. "Library Use Only" indicates that the lending library has requested that the material only be used in our library; "no photocopying" indicates that there are copyright restrictions; and "no renewals" indicates that the material must be returned by the due date indicated on the yellow band since the lending library will not permit renewals. The standard loan period is two to three weeks. Term loans are not available for ILL material.

Can I renew ILLs?

Unless otherwise stated on the yellow band around the item, most libraries will permit one renewal. Renewals must be requested two days before the due date. If fines are accrued before a renewal request is submitted, then the fines remain. Renewal requests are not guaranteed, as ILL staff must contact the lending institution for permission.

To request a renewal, login to the Interlibrary loan/document delivery system. Once logged in choose "Query Requests" from the top menu. Enter your request number in the box at the bottom of the page.

Renew ILL

Renewal forms are also available at the Access Services Desk. A temporary due date of two weeks will be assigned unless you hear otherwise. If the application for renewal is denied, you will be notified by e-mail to return the item within two days. A current email address or phone number must be provided so we can contact you. Failure to provide current contact information may result in overdue fines of $.25 per item per day.

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How do I return ILLs?

It is the responsibility of the borrower to return the borrowed material (complete with the yellow band) to the Access Services Desk by its due date. Fines will be levied for materials returned after the due date and your borrowing status will be changed to "Barred".

If material is dropped off at a location other than the Access Services Desk, there may be a delay in its being returned to the ILL staff. It is important to follow the instructions printed on the yellow band placed around the outside cover of the material. If the yellow band is removed, the book may not be identified as an ILL book and therefore not returned properly. You may be responsible for the cost of replacing the lost book. Please remember that the Library borrows material on your behalf. If the material is returned late, the Library can lose its borrowing privileges with the lending institution and the borrower could lose his/her ILL borrowing privileges. If the borrower loses an ILL item, a bill for the replacement cost will be sent to Acadia and forwarded to the borrower.

Photocopies of articles acquired through ILL are yours to keep.

Recalls

All borrowed materials are subject to recall by the lending library at any time. If this occurs you will receive an eamil from ILL staff asking you to return the book within 2 days. If material is not returned within 2 days, your account will be barred. Library and ILL privileges will be suspended until the recalled material is returned. Fines of $.25 per day will be levied.

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Fines and charges

Overdue materials

Fines of $.25 per day will be levied on overdue materials. Your account will be barred. Library and ILL privileges will be suspended until the material is returned.

Lost or damaged items

If replacement of the material is necessary, the borrower who is responsible for the loss or damage will be charged $150. Replacement will be considered necessary for any item that is lost or that requires more than minimal repair.

If minimal repair is necessary, the borrower is charged a flat fee of $50.