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Library Policies

ILL During COVID-19

Please Note: ILL services are limited during COVID-19; as such, the ILL policy may refer to services that are currently unavailable. For questions, please contact us.

ILL & Document Delivery Policy

ILL allows users to request books, journal articles, dissertations or non-print media not available at the university libraries be borrowed from other libraries. This service is provided to current members of the Lesley University community – students, faculty, administrators, and staff.

BEFORE you place a request in ILLiad

ILLiad Request Forms

  • Logon to ILLiad and complete request forms if you have competed the "before" steps above.
  • If this is your first time doing ILL, you will need to create an ILLiad account.

Important: All required fields on the forms must be completed as thoroughly as possible. If you would like assistance filling out a form, please contact a Research Librarian.

Plan ahead to allow for the time it will take to receive the materials requested. If you are in a hurry, a reference librarian or staff in the Interlibrary Loan Office can help you find the material at a nearby library or find comparable sources available at the Lesley University Libraries.

ILL Frequently Asked Questions

 

What is Interlibrary Loan (ILL)?
ILL is a resource sharing service that allow users to obtain books, journal articles, dissertations or non-print media that are not available at the Lesley University libraries. This service is provided to current members of the Lesley University community—students, faculty, administrators, and staff.

Options for resource sharing include:
Anyone with a Lesley ID may request materials from the 10 member libraries within the Fenway Libraries Online (FLO) consortium. You may request that items be delivered to the Lesley Libraries for pick-up, or borrow items in-person at the member library.
Our ILLiad software allows Lesley University patrons to request research materials not available through FLO, or our electronic resources.
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Who can use these services and how many items can I request?
All members of the Lesley University community may obtain resources from the libraries within the FLO consortium. Limits and policies are determined by the lending library.

The following limits apply to Resource Sharing services through ILLiad:

Students enrolled in an Undergraduate or Graduate program may submit up to 5 requests per month during peak periods (March, April, October and November) and 5 requests per day during less busy times.

Students enrolled in a PhD Program, and faculty, staff and administrators may submit up to five requests per day.

Copyright note regarding Interlibrary Loan: The Lesley University Libraries adhere to the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, United States Code, Sections 107 and 108), the American Library Association’s Interlibrary Loan Code and CONTU Guidelines. Staff reserve the right to refuse requests, if, in our judgment, fulfillment of that request would involve violation of copyright law.
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How can I request items?

  1. First, check the FLO catalog to see if the book is available at either of the Lesley University Library or from another library in our consortium. [Click here to learn more about FLO].
  2. Check the Commonwealth Catalog to see if the book is available from another library in Massachusetts.
  3. For articles, check the Journals List to see if the full-text is available online.
  4. If items are unavailable through those means, you may make a request using our Interlibrary Loan software, ILLiad. First time users will be asked to register for the service by providing contact information and their Lesley University I.D. number

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What items can be requested?

  • Items unavailable in FLO, the Commonwealth Catalog, our Journals List, or electronic databases
  • Items owned by the Lesley University Libraries that are declared “Lost” or “Missing” or are currently checked out
  • Dissertations/theses from other universities
  • Audiovisual titles (may be requested through ILLiad only, NOT FLO)

*Note: Interlibrary Loan via ILLiad is for one-time, short-term scholarly needs. For a long-term or repeated need, contact Collection Management staff to recommend a purchase.

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What items can't be requested?

  • More than one article from a particular journal issue or entire issues or volumes of journals
  • Items from the Reference or Reserve collections. Sometimes these items can be requested from other libraries in FLO
  • Certain items are more difficult to borrow because many libraries do not lend audiovisual materials, rare books, reference books, or textbooks. If you would like to attempt to obtain these items, please request them early in your research process to allow more time (please note that the ILL loan period will not allow you to keep a textbook for an entire semester).
  • Requests which may violate copyright guidelines (for more information on copyright)
  • Items for Course Reserve (contact Reserves staff for assistance)
  • Items where borrowing may exceed the library's cost guidelines

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How long will it take to get the item?

  • FLO items usually arrive in 4—7 business days.
  • Commonwealth Catalog items usually arrive in 7-10 business days.
  • ILLiad items usually arrive in 3 days to 2 weeks or more. Each ILLiad request is sent to a string of up to 10 lending institutions. Each institution has up to 4 business days to respond (weekends and holidays excluded) to the request. A request could therefore take up to 31 calendar days to move through an entire lending string.

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How will I receive and return the item?

For articles and chapters borrowed through ILLiad you will receive an automated email notifying you that these are available for download in your ILLiad account. You may also check the status of your requests in the “Outstanding Requests” and “Electronically Received Articles” options of your ILLiad account.

For items other than articles and book chapters, you will receive an automated email notification when the item is available to pick-up at the Sherrill Library. Items must be picked up and returned to that library by the due date.

Faculty and staff may request that books be delivered to their University Office through interoffice mail delivery.

Some rare books, research materials and all microfilm/fiche must be used in the library, though sometimes it is permissible to make copies of the material to keep. You will receive an automated email notification when the item is available to use.

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Can I renew the item?

FLO items may be renewed by logging in to the “My Account” tab in the FLO Catalog. Renewal policies and periods are determined by the lending library, so if your renewal is not granted, please contact the library that owns the item for assistance. If you would like further clarification, please contact staff at the Sherrill Library Circulation Desk, libcirc@lesley.edu or 617.349.8850. Fines will accrue on overdue items and are determined by the lending library.

ILLiad items must be renewed BEFORE THE DUE DATE. To request a renewal, login to your ILLiad account, open the request and click “Request Renewal” at the top of that page. Renewal policies and periods are determined by the lending library, not by Lesley University, so be prepared to return the item immediately if a renewal is not granted. You will receive an automated email notification to inform you whether or not your renewal was granted, and if so, of the new due date; only one renewal is allowed on ILLiad items.

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