        |
Interlibrary Loan FAQ
Interlibrary Loan FAQTo register for interlibrary loan service and to submit requests electronically, connect to ILLiad, the software used by the Standish Library for interlibrary loan. But first, you may want to read the Interlibrary Loan Frequently Asked Questions below.
• What can I get through interlibrary loan? • Is there a charge for interlibrary loan services? • What can I do to get the best results from my interlibrary loan request? • What are the limitations to interlibrary loan service? • What are the alternatives to interlibrary loan? • What are the circulation policies for interlibrary loan materials?
Courtesy borrowing privileges, alumni borrowing privileges, and Direct Access borrowing agreements do not include interlibrary loan. Individuals from other academic institutions must use their home institutions' interlibrary loan services. Individuals who are not affiliated with any academic institution are encouraged to contact the largest local library in their area. In the Albany Public Library Please contact Patricia Markley, the Interlibrary Loan Librarian, if you have any questions about eligibility (518-783-4196 or markley@siena.edu ).
Materials are obtained from libraries throughout the United States and even abroad, by means of bibliographic databases, Web catalogs, and document suppliers. Siena College participates in a number of resource sharing agreements, including: Capital District Library Council – This is a multi-type library consortium, which facilitates interlibrary loan among all the local libraries and provides a courier service. ConnectNY – This is a group of academic libraries in New York, which have created a joint catalog and a system of patron direct-requesting of each other's books. Nylink – This is a state-wide multi-type library consortium, which includes a large group of libraries that have agreed to waive interlibrary loan charges for each other. Nylink also runs the state-wide courier service, LAND, which cuts down on delivery time for interlibrary loan and ConnectNY materials. LVIS – This is a huge group of libraries – of many types – which have agreed to waive interlibrary loan charges for each other. RapidILL - This is a national consortium of academic libraries which have agreed to offer each other rush document delivery service free of charge.
The Interlibrary Loan Department makes every effort to get all materials requested by our patrons. Experience tells us, however, that materials falling into certain categories are more challenging to obtain, and the success rate for obtaining these types of materials tends to be a little lower. In general, materials in the following categories are easily obtainable: • Books printed since 1900 (except for current year imprints) • Microforms of newspapers and periodicals • Articles from scholarly journals, magazine, and newspapers • Government documents • Patents • Some dissertations (easier than it used to be, but still unpredictable)
• Books printed before 1900 and/or rare books • Manuscripts • Materials published exclusively in some other countries • Paper editions of newspapers or magazines • Audiovisual materials • Computer software • Reference materials and other non-circulating materials A request for something from one of these categories may take more time than the average of two weeks to fill, or may be filled with restrictions – such as a shorter loan period, a "no photocopying" restriction, or a "library use only" restriction. Please discuss any special needs with Patricia Markley, Interlibrary Loan Librarian: markley@siena.edu or 518-783-4196. There are some categories of materials that we will not order through interlibrary loan: • Textbooks • Books or AV intended to be put on reserve at Siena • Books or AV available on shelf in the Standish Library or accessible through Standish Library's reserve system • Journals, magazines, or newspapers available in paper format and on the shelf in the Standish Library We will order some of the following materials on occasion -- if they are owned by the Standish Library, but not really accessible to the patron: • Books or AV that are checked out. • Journals/magazines that are at the bindery • Pages that are torn out of Siena's print copy. • Any item that isn't checked out (should be on the shelf), but cannot be found If you need to order something like this through interlibrary loan, please indicate in the notes field of your request why you can't use Siena's copy.
Is there a charge for interlibrary loan services? In general, there is no fee for interlibrary loan service. There are costs in obtaining materials through interlibrary loan, of course -- in terms of staff time, supplies, shipping, and fees charged by libraries for the use of their materials -- but these costs are subsidized by the Standish Library. The Interlibrary Loan Department tries to fill as many requests as possible through our free resource-sharing partners, but, if necessary, will pay up to $50 to a lending library per request. A Siena patron will be charged; however, any fees charged by a lending library for damaged, lost, or long-overdue interlibrary loan materials. If the Interlibrary Loan Department receives a bill from a lending library for material you have not returned or returned damaged, we will notify you. We then will pay that bill and charge your Standish Library account that amount. If you return a book after being charged a replacement fee for it, the Interlibrary Loan Department will refund you whatever the lending library refunds us -- sometimes they keep a certain amount for the cost of processing the bill. Please contact Patricia Markley, Interlibrary Loan Librarian, if you have any questions about charges connected to interlibrary loan service: markley@siena.edu or 518-783-4196.
What can I do to get the best results from my interlibrary loan request?
• Before placing an interlibrary loan request, check to make sure that the item isn't already here at Siena. Check our online catalog, CYRIL: For books and AV: Title Search For journals, magazines, and newspapers: Journal Finder • You must register with ILLiad, our electronic interlibrary loan system before ordering something. In the ILLiad customer profile, please keep information about yourself and your contact information current. • In your request, provide as complete and accurate information as possible about the item you want. If you don't have a complete citation, check with the Standish Library Reference Desk – the librarian there will be glad to help you. • Requesting books – Provide the full name of at least the first author or editor. Provide the title and, if possible, the publisher, place, and year of publication. If you need a special edition or volume of a set, indicate that in the "notes" field of the request. If you have the ISBN for the book, it is helpful to include it. • Requesting media – Provide the full title, and, if possible, the publisher (label or production company), place, and year of publication/release. If there is a primary artist and/or director associated, please give that information, too.. • Requesting articles – Do not abbreviate the title of the periodical, except when your source abbreviated the title. Make sure that you searched Siena's local holdings (a journal title search on CYRIL) for the periodical title, not the article title. If the periodical has a short and common name ("Life" e.g.), include the place of publication and/or publisher, if you can find it. If possible, provide the ISSN of the periodical. • Requesting a dissertation or thesis – Provide the author, title, academic institution, and year. • If possible, provide the source of your citation, such as the name of the database or the URL where you found the information. • Plan ahead. The peak times of year for ILL work are October-early December and March-April, so the sooner you get your requests in, the more likely it is that we can fill them on time.
• Items borrowed from other libraries are lent for short periods of time, generally 4 weeks, with possibly one renewal. • Items borrowed are subject to immediate recall by the lending libraries. Local availability: 1. Materials available in print at Siena will not be ordered through interlibrary loan. If, in our verification process we determine that an item requested is owned and accessible through our collections, we will email you that we are cancelling the request. If you have difficulty locating material at Siena, contact the Standish Library Reference Desk for assistance. 2. If we determine that a book requested is available through ConnectNY, we will order it in your name, cancel your interlibrary loan request, and notify you of the cancellation by email. You will then receive an email when your ConnectNY book comes in. Copyright law: Limit on the number of requests that can be made: The focus of the ILL Department is to support research and instruction. For that reason, and because the costs involved in interlibrary loan are absorbed by the Standish Library, we ask that you consider carefully the value of the items you request to your research.
What are the alternatives to interlibrary loan?
• Discuss your research needs with a reference librarian at the Standish Library. S/he may be able to help you find alternative materials owned locally or available online. • Use ConnectNY – access ConnectNY through CYRIL by clicking on the ConnectNY icon. You can search ConnectNY by subject, keyword, etc. and request books without going through interlibrary loan. Plus, the books should arrive sooner – usually within 3 to 5 days. • Use the Direct Access Program. If you take your Siena ID to the Standish Library Reference Desk, the librarian there can give you a Direct Access Card. Along with your Siena ID, that little green card will let you go in person to most libraries in the Capital District (academic and other types) to check books out. The Reference Librarian also can show you how to find and search other libraries' online catalogs, CaDiLaC Online, or WorldCat to find out which local libraries own the best resources for your project. Time may not pose a problem for longer term projects (honors theses, etc.), but the type of resources needed for some research may: some topics require very old, rare, and/or noncirculating materials. If the Interlibrary Loan Department has not been able to borrow such an item for you, you may want to try the following: • Ask either the Interlibrary Loan Librarian or a librarian at the Reference Desk to help you find out where the item is located, so that you can go to the nearest library and use the resource there. • If you are searching for material from a special collection or archive at a distance, try contacting that institution. The Interlibrary Loan Librarian (markley@siena.edu or 783-4196) or the librarian at the Standish Library Reference Desk should be able to help you find contact information. Whatever problem you may encounter, if interlibrary loan cannot help you, make sure you check with the Reference Desk before giving up. The librarian there may know of options or approaches you haven't considered.
What are the circulation policies for interlibrary loan materials?
• The loan periods vary, but are typically about four weeks. A paper band or label attached to the item indicates the due date. Renewals • Renewals may be made by connecting to ILLiad and choosing View/Renew checked out items. • Overdue materials cannot be renewed. If you still need the item, contact us (sienalibrary@siena.edu / 518-783-2518 or come in person M-F 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.). We usually will have you return the overdue item, then we order you another copy from another library. Recalls • If you receive a recall notice from us, you must return the item IMMEDIATELY. In this case, too, if you still need to use it, we will find you another copy elsewhere. Fines • Replacement fees are charged for grossly overdue, lost, or damaged materials. We will charge you whatever the lending library charges us. If you are billed and then return the material undamaged, we will refund whatever the lending library refunds us. • Interlibrary loan fees are added to your main library account and should be paid as soon as possible at the Standish Library Circulation Desk. If they are not paid within a limited period of time, they are added to your general Siena account. • Fees that are large enough may result in loss of interlibrary loan borrowing privileges, and even a hold being put on your Siena College registration, graduation, and/or transcripts. If you have any questions about our policies, please contact Patricia Markley at markley@siena.edu or 783-4196. |
