In the course of your research you will encounter book titles, journal articles, theses and dissertations which are not available in the Copley Library  or books held by San Diego Circuit Libraries. The Interlibrary Loan Department at the Copley Library will try to borrow such items for you from another institution as quickly as possible. We will make a request electronically via a large international database and will ask up to five institutions to loan that item to us. If the first institution is unable to fill the request, it will automatically be forwarded to the next library on the list. Since each library on the list has up to four business days to answer that the item is available and that they are willing to make the loan, it may take up to five weeks for a request to be filled or rejected.

We ask that you follow the following guidelines when planning and executing an interlibrary loan request.

TIME: Please give yourself enough time to order an item. Books are sent surface mail and their shipping time cannot be expedited. Lending libraries will not allow a borrower to pick an item up at their libraries. Loan rules dictate that the transaction be made by mail or institutional courier between libraries. Most loaned items take between ten days and two weeks to arrive and often take longer. We may be able to obtain a photocopy of a journal article in 48-72 hours, but the document delivery companies which provide this service have a limited number of journal titles at their disposal.

CHECK THE COPLEY CATALOG FIRST!  Please check our own collection first before placing any interlibrary loan request. A great many requests received at Copley are for items currently on our shelves.  BOOKS THAT ARE HELD BY OTHER SAN DIEGO CIRCUIT LIBRARIES  MUST BE REQUESTED BY THE PATRON DIRECTLY USING THE "request an item" feature in the Circuit Database.  Requests for books owned by USD Libraries and Circuit Libraries will be disregarded.

COST: The Copley Library will absorb the lending costs associated with those items for which we are charged for up to 25 items per academic year for USD faculty members and graduate students.Undergraduate students are required to pay all costs associated with Interlibrary Loan of books and journal articles.

NOTICE OF ARRIVAL:   We will attempt to notify you when material arrives for you.    We have found that voice mail and email work best to notify patrons.   If you do not have voice mail or email, we cannot be responsible for messages left for you when materials arrive. When notified of an item's arrival, please pick it up soon after or call to let us know when you will be in for it. Items left for two weeks must be returned to the lender. When a book arrives, be sure to safeguard it. You will be financially responsible for any lost book. Replacement charges average $50-$75.

RENEWALS: Most institutions do not allow interlibrary loan books to be renewed. They must be read and returned to Copley Library by the due date.

GRADUATE ASSISTANTS: If you are a graduate assistant who is doing research for a professor, you must have written permission from your professor in order to borrow materials under that professor's name. Make sure you order materials through that professor's name or your account will be debited for any charges and you may be held responsible for lost materials.

AVAILABILITY OF ITEMS: Once a request leaves the Copley Library we have no control over whether or not it is filled or rejected. Not all books or journal titles are available for borrowing. Not all requests may be filled due to the item's unavailability on the lender's shelf, to the institution's lending policy or to copyright law.

DISSERATIONS AND THESES: Many institutions will not lend theses or dissertations. If you are unable to borrow a dissertation from another library, you may be able to buy it from Bell and Howell  International (via Web, mail or telephone request).   You may order directly through their web site and pay with a credit card.

RETURNS: Please return all borrowed items on time. Overdue items may jeopardize your borrowing privileges.

REQUEST FORMS:  Pick up and turn in written ILL requests at the  Access Services or Reference Desks in Copley Library. You may submit ILL requests electronically.   Please submit your request only in one  format.    However you are still responsible for checking the online catalog and  payment of associated charges as you would when you submit a written request.

• Use this form to submit a request for a book electronically

• Use this form to submit a request for a journal article electronically

Take care not to order too many books at one time, as they will all arrive during the same time span and you may not be able to read them all by their due dates. Renewals on interlibrary loans are rarely granted. Order materials judiciously. The Copley Library is charged as much as $30 for loans, so do not order items of dubious value to your research.

QUESTIONS: Please direct any questions to Alex Moran in the Interlibrary Loan Department at 260-2364 or via electronic mail at moran1@sandiego.edu