ILL Frequently Asked Questions
Cost
Q: How much does it cost?
A: Currently, costs for ILL are covered by the Library. The average cost for requesting an article is approximately $20. Because ILL is a shared resource and due to the costs involved, requests should be made responsibly so that the greatest number of users benefit from this service.
Materials
Q: How do I request material?
A: Because OSU Valley Library subsidizes the cost of Interlibrary loan, we ask that you check all library resources available to OSU students, staff, and faculty. These resources include the OSU Libraries Catalog, the Summit catalog, full-text databases, and E-journals.
To request material through ILL, you first need to log in to your ILL account. New users will need to register before logging in.
On the main menu of your account, the left hand side features "New Request" options. Select the type of material you are requesting, and fill in the citation information fields on the form. Use the "Notes" field to add any pertinent information regarding the request. Once the form is completed, click on the submit button at the bottom of the page.
Q: What materials are available?
A: Generally, books, master's theses, selected dissertations, and photocopies of a specific journal article or conference proceeding article. Many reference materials, textbooks, recordings, videocassettes, and whole volumes of journals are not available due to the policies of the lending library, but it is highly recommended that requests be submitted regardless of material type.
Q: What types of materials often require more time to process?
A:
- Rare, valuable or otherwise unique materials that would be difficult or impossible to replace
- Bulky or fragile materials that are difficult or expensive to ship
- Materials in high demand at the lending library
- Materials with local circulation restrictions, such as Reference or Course Reserve materials
- Audio visual materials
- Musical recordings
- Computer software
- Textbooks
- Reference materials
- Bound & unbound journals
Q: What copyright information should I know?
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials. For more information on copyright issues at OSU, please visit the OSU Printing and Mailing Fair Use page.
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.
Q: If a thesis cannot be borrowed, how can I get it?
A: You may purchase many U.S. dissertations not available through ILL over the internet. Potential sources are ProQuest, NDLTD and Dissertation.com.
For more information, please visit Obtaining Dissertations, hosted by E-Campus.
Pickup
Q: How do I know when and where to pick up ILL materials?
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Loans (books, bound volumes of journals, multimedia items, etc)
Patrons will be notified by e-mail when items arrive. Loaned items for local patrons must be picked up at the Circulation desk unless it is restricted to "in library use only."
"In library use only" materials will be available at the Archives and Maps Reference desk on the 3rd floor and must be used in that area. Please visit their webpage for hours or call 737-2761.
Loans remain available for pickup for 7 days from the email notification date. Unclaimed items will be returned to the lending institution.
OSU employees at remote locations and currently registered e-campus students will receive e-mail notification from FedEx that their item has been shipped. Items should arrive within 3 working days of notification. Please contact our office at (541) 737-4488, or by email at if the loan does not arrive.
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Articles
When your article arrives, you will receive a notification email with directions on how to retrieve it. Your articles are posted to your ILL record (log in to access).
Articles posted remain accessible to you for 21 days from the date of email notification and then are automatically deleted. You may remove articles earlier by using the delete button.
If you were notified that your article is available at Circulation, the article would not scan legibly and was not posted on the web. Print articles remain at Circulation for 7 days, then unclaimed articles are recycled.
Q: Can other people pick up my ILL materials?
A: Yes, if you are faculty and have an Authorized Borrower Application on file at the circulation desk.
Authorized Borrower Applications are available online or at the circulation desk. Bring the completed form and your OSU Faculty ID to the Circulation desk on the main (2nd) floor of the Valley Library.
After the application has been processed, authorized borrowers will need to bring their own photo ID when they pick up ILL items.
Registering
Q: Why do I need to register?
A: To request an item through Interlibrary Loan, you must first identify yourself to the library's ILL system. To do this, fill out the online registration form. Registration has three purposes:
- Entering your personal information into the ILL system means you will not have to supply the information again when making future requests.
- Having your ONID email and mail addresses on file with Interlibrary Loan enables us to notify you promptly and deliver materials accurately when your request arrives in the library.
- By specifying your ONID Username and Password, you will have access to information about your requests. You will also be able to view the status of current requests, to review the list of items you have requested in the past, and request renewals of ILL materials online.
Q: Why do I need to use my ONID password?
A: The ILL system verifies users through the OSU Network Identification (ONID) system. Using the ONID system allows for an efficient and secure authentication process.
If you are new to the ONID system, please visit the ONID sign up page for instructions and links to ONID information.
Q: What if I forget my password?
A: Follow the directions on the ONID Change Password page.
Remote Users
Q: Who qualifies for remote user status?
A: Registered E-Campus students who reside over 30 miles from Corvallis and OSU employees at remote locations.
Q: How do I let ILL know that I am a remote user?
A: When you fill out the new user registration form, you need to select your "status" from the drop down menu in the status field. The information you provide is checked against the OSU registration system.
Q: What if I need to change my status (remote or distance education)?
A: Remote service is subject to current OSU faculty or student status. If your status has changed since you last registered for ILL service, please email or call (541) 737-4488 with your ONID username and your new status. The information you provide is checked against the OSU registration system.
Q: What ILL services are available to remote users?
A: Remote users are guaranteed the same ILL services with the exception that items that cannot be delivered electronically are mailed to their address instead of being held at the circulation desk for pickup. For more information, please visit the "Delivery" pages hosted by e-campus.
Renewal
Q: Can I renew my ILL materials?
A: Yes, as long as the label on the item does not say "No Renewal" on it. Requests to renew ILL materials must be made through your ILL account. Click "View and Renew Checked Out Items" on the first menu after logon.
You will receive an email updating you on the status of your renewal request. Renewals are always conditional. If the lender does not grant a renewal, we may ask for the book back immediately.
Q: Are there overdue charges for ILL materials?
A: Interlibrary Loan materials accrue overdue and lost book charges for all patrons.
- Overdue: 50¢ per day up to $20.00
- Recalls* (overdue): $2.00 per day
- Lost ILL item: $100 lost item fee plus accrued fines
*Recalled ILL items are items for which the lending library has asked for the immediate return.
Requesting
Q: Do I need to submit an ILL request for items in the catalog that are located at Guin/HMSC, COCC, or storage?
A: No. OSU material located at our branch libraries (Guin/HMSC and OSU Cascades/COCC), or in storage are requested directly from the library catalog page. For specific instructions on using the request feature, please visit Requesting Book Delivery through OASIS.
Q: What information is needed for an ILL request?
A: Include as much citation information about the item as possible. Because incomplete citation information can result in a delay of processing and even cancellation of your request, please provide as much information as you can.
For books, include the author, title, publisher, and date of publication. Including the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) for book requests expedites the process.
For articles, include the name of the journal/conference proceedings, volume/issue number, date, pages, author, and title of the article. Including the ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) for article requests expedites the process.
Additional notes or citation information can be put in the "Notes" field of the electronic request forms.
If you are experiencing difficulties in locating complete citation information, please contact the reference desk for immediate assistance or a librarian in your given subject area.
Q. How long does it take?
A: We cannot predict the availability of material or the response-time of other libraries. All Interlibrary Loan requests are generally processed within one working day. Items that have to be requested from other states or countries can take from two to eight weeks. Lending libraries charge extra fees for rush services, so please use rush requesting for extraordinary circumstances only. For urgent needs, please include your deadline information in the "Notes" field of your request.
Items that may take longer to receive
Current average borrowing turnaround statistics
Q: Why are some of my requests filled in a few days, when others take a month?
A: There are several factors that influence how quickly you receive materials. If the item is located geographically close and is owned by a large number of schools, then the item usually arrives quickly.
To improve turnaround time, Oregon State University Valley Library has agreements with Greater Western Library Alliance (GWLA), and Rapid to provide access to a greater number of items within a short turnaround time (24 hours excluding weekends).
The Valley Library also belongs to the Orbis Cascade Alliance, made up of Pacific Northwest academic libraries. The Orbis alliance catalog, Summit, combines all the holdings of the participating libraries into a single database. For more information on how to use Summit, please visit Requesting Library Materials Through the Summit Catalog page hosted by e-campus.
Q: How do I tell ILL about special circumstances?
A: There is a "notes" field on the request form for helpful comments or additional information you want to provide such as "item is lost," "found in a certain database," "need video only," etc.
Technical Information
Q: What Web browser should I use?
A: You need a Web browser that can handle forms, tables, and, preferably, one that can handle frames and JavaScript. We recommend Netscape 7.0 or greater, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or greater, or Mozilla 1.4. Browsers are available for the current versions of Windows and Macintosh OS operating systems on the OSUWare CD available at the Circulation desk on the main (2nd) floor of the Valley Library.
Q: Is security a problem if I use a public workstation?
A: Yes. Web browsers cache information and create a history file on the local workstation. This allows a subsequent user of the workstation to access the system under your name using the browser's Back button to recall a page from the cache, or by finding a page with your personal information in the browser's history file. If you are concerned about the security of your interlibrary loan requests, you can take the following steps:
- Delete pages that contain your personal information from the history file.
- Exit the browser before you leave the workstation. This prevents the Back button from accessing the pages you were using.
Q: Why does my browser say that you're sending a cookie? What's in it?
A: The Active Server Pages technology that we use to provide live reporting for the web sends a Session ID to be stored on your personal computer. You can refuse this cookie and still be able to use the ILL webpages and OSU ILL without any problems.
