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Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

Information regarding interlibrary loan. Interlibrary Loan (ILL), is the process of requesting materials from other libraries.

ILL Policies

Who may use the service?

The service is available to faculty, staff, and students who hold a valid Durham College Library ID card. External borrowers (alumni, community borrowers, etc.) are not eligible.

We cannot process requests for a user whose library privileges are not up to date or for a user whose library account is blocked.

What can I request?

ILL staff will do their best to try to find any type of material requested, however, some materials are harder to obtain or may not be available for ILL. 

Maybe

  • Textbooks, as they are usually in high demand, on reserve, or in circulation at the home library.
  • Rare Books and original manuscripts.
  • Audio-visual materials.
  • Patents and standards.

No

  • Books that are listed in the Durham College catalogue.  If a book is charged out, place a hold request.
  • Entire journals (only a single article per issue).
  • Multiple articles from one journal issue, or copies of more than one chapter from a book.
  • Ebooks.

Loan Periods

The loan period and conditions of use are determined by the library from which the material is borrowed.  

Recalls

ILL material is subject to recall and if recalled by the lending library, must be returned immediately.

How long does it take?

On average, articles take between 2-7 working days, and borrowed material between 5-10 working days to be supplied.  Any material coming from outside the province might take longer.

Pick up and return 

An email will be sent to you when the material has been received. Your items will be available for pick up at your chosen library location.

Article Delivery

Articles are normally delivered via a secure web link but due to licensing/copyright restrictions, may have to be delivered in print.

Fees

Our service is free of charge with the following exceptions:

  • Daily fine on overdue ILL material is $1.00 per day, per item. 

  • Borrowed material that is overdue, lost or damaged by the user may incur a charge for repair or a replacement fee.  This fee is determined by the lending library.
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