Interlibrary Loan  Tags: interlibrary_loan ill borrow_books borrow_articles loan  

What is Interlibrary Loan (ILL)?

ILL is a service provided by the University/College Library (U/CL) to further the scholarly research of its faculty, students, and staff by obtaining research materials that are not owned by our library or may be checked out or lost.

To expedite the process, we ask that you take a moment to read through the information on these pages.

*Note: FAU Davie faculty who are requesting the loan of material from the FAU libraries at Boca, Jupiter, or Port St. Lucie, click here for further instructions or click the FAU Faculty tab above.

Your BCcard  or FAU OWL card is the non-transferable card used to check out materials from the U/CL and Learning Resources (LRC) on Central Campus. The borrower is responsible for all items charged to their card and is responsible for the safe return of all library materials. If an item is lost, stolen, or damaged, the card holder is responsible for all replacement costs.

Appropriate posted fines and fees are applicable for overdue, lost, damaged, reprocessing, or rebinding of items, including ILL.

The willful mutilation or unauthorized removal of Library or ILL materials may result in severe disciplinary and/or legal action.

Who is eligible to use this service? 
ILL is available to current faculty, students and staff at Broward College's Central Campus and Florida Atlantic University's Davie Campus. FAU Davie patrons may also place their ILL requests through the FAU Boca campus library; however, the material must then be picked up and returned to the Boca campus library (See FAU Faculty tab). Non-affiliated patrons must request items through their local public library.

How long does it take?
Most loan requests are filled within 3 to 12 days from libraries within the state, not counting weekends and holidays. If the item is available within the South Florida region, it may be delivered within the week. However, out-of-state loans can take two weeks or more. Requests are usually placed with the first library that shows the item available. Please remember that with ILL requests we are at the mercy of the lending library and the mail service.

How can I speed up the process?

1. Search the LINCC catalog to be sure that our library does not own the book.
2. Search the Database by Subject list or Database by Title list to be sure that the library does not have electronically the article you need.
3. Ask a Reference Librarian to help you find something similar at our library.
4. Fill out a separate request form for each book or article.
5. Make sure that the request is filled out accurately. Write legibly and fill out the form completely, including a phone number or e-mail address.
6. Include ISSN or ISBN numbers if you know them. These numbers help us identify the exact item you need.
7. If our library owns the journal, but not the specific issue you need, make a note of this on the request form.
8. Indicate a date after which you no longer want the book or article. If you do not indicate a date, we will search for two weeks after which we will contact you to see if you still want us to keep searching. If we can not get the item after a month, the request will be cancelled and you will be notified.

How will I be notified about my ILL?

We will call or e-mail you when your material arrives. Please be sure to include your telephone number and your college or university e-mail address on the form. If we can not obtain your request, we will notify you.

Where do I pick up my ILL request?

Once we notify you that your request is here, you may pick it up at the Check Out / Check In Desk at the Library.

Where do I return my ILL materials?

Please return your ILL book at the Check Out/ Check In Desk at the Library. Journal articles that we borrow are yours to keep.

The U/CL protects the rights of library users to view and read materials without fear of intrusion, intimidation, or reprisal as stated in the American Library Association's Code of Ethics, Item 3. To safeguard our patrons’ privacy, the U/CL recognizes that its patron records, which are defined as any library record that links a specific individual to a particular library registration, circulation transaction, interlibrary loan, library financial obligation, or information search, are confidential in nature. This applies to library records in any format, including but not limited to microform, paper copies, and electronic data files. Such records are accessible only to appropriate library staff in accordance with FERPA, Florida Statutes, and the U.S. Patriot Act. It is the responsibility of all library personnel to protect the privacy of library patron records.

What kinds of material can ILL get for me?

Various types of circulating materials are available through ILL including: books, book chapters, dissertations, journal articles, government documents, theses, and microforms. The lending library determines what kinds of materials it will loan.

What types of materials are difficult to obtain through ILL?

New books, leisure reading material, rare books, reference materials, textbooks, items on Course Reserve, and audiovisual items are usually difficult to obtain. However, videos owned by the FAU Boca Library can usually be borrowed for FAU students and faculty at the Davie Campus. Since it is difficult to obtain an entire journal through ILL, please request only the article(s) you need. Journal articles available electronically are not requested.

Can I request old books or articles?

We can usually find a library to lend an old item, though they may not lend a rare or or something from their Archives. Articles may arrive on microfiche or microfilm and you may be restricted to using it here in our library.