Interlibrary Loan Policy

Questions and Answers

Who may use this service?

Current Biola University students, faculty, and staff. Courtesy card holders are not eligible to use this service (including Alumni). These individuals may access ILL service through their local public library or their own school library.

What items are available through ILL?

Books, journal articles, conference proceedings, microform, audio-visuals, government documents, theses, and dissertations not owned by the Biola Library. Items owned by Biola Library but declared lost or missing. Items owned by Biola Library that are at the off-campus bindery.

What items are not available through ILL?

  • Items checked out to another patron.
  • Textbooks for current classes.
  • Items listed as available in the Biola Library catalog.
  • Entire issues or volumes of journals.
  • Reference works, items in special or rare book collections, some dissertations,
  • and audio-visual items may not be available through ILL.

How long does it take to get an item through ILL?

It may take up to two weeks to obtain an item from another library through the mail. However, articles received through the Ariel system may arrive within one or two days.

How much does an ILL request cost?

Students/Faculty/Staff

  • Fees are paid only after exceeding $100 of fees from lending libraries during a fiscal year.
  • Fees in excess of $100 for Faculty/Staff for work-related requests will be paid by the department/school.
  • Fees in excess of $100 for personal requests will be paid by the individual.
  • No fees will be charged for items requested for dissertation research, even if the dissertation is being written for a doctorate from another institution.
  • Overdue items incur a $1/day fine. There is no grace period.

How many requests can I make?

There is no limit to the number of requests. However, if more than ten requests are submitted, prioritize them so that the most important items will be processed first.

How will I know when the item has arrived?

The ILL staff will contact you by phone/email, on the same day the item arrives, or the very next day at the latest. Item will be made available for pick-up at the Circulation Desk on the same day you are contacted.

How long can I keep the loaned item?

  • Photocopies of articles are generally yours to keep.
  • Loan periods for books and other items are determined by the lending library. The average loan is typically two weeks but can vary from one week to four weeks.
  • The loan period actually begins the day the item is received by Biola's ILL staff. Due date is the day on which the item is expected to be returned to the ILL staff at the Circulation Desk.
  • Overdue items incur a $1/day fine. There is no grace period.
  • Patrons who disregard due dates risk damaging our library's borrowing privilege with the respective lending library. ILL service is an agreement between libraries which may be rescinded at any time. The Biola ILL Department may suspend borrowing privileges of patrons who abuse ILL services.
  • If items are lost, patrons will be charged a replacement fee by the lending library.
  • Items must be returned to the Circulation Desk. Do not return ILL items to the book drop or through campus mail.

May I renew a loan?

Please be aware that while renewals are at the discretion of the lending library, many libraries do not permit renewal of Interlibrary Loan items.

Requests for renewals must be made prior to the due date. If the request is granted, we will notify you of the new due date. If the request is denied, you will be asked to return the item as soon as possible if you have not already done so. Requests for renewals occuring on or after the original due date will not be honored.

What limitations are there?

Lending libraries may set limitations on certain loans: "For Use in Library Only," "No Photocopying," or "No Renewals." These limitations must be honored in order to insure that ILL services with the respectve libraries will continue in the future.

What about the Copyright Restrictions?

Please read the following Warning Concerning Copyright Restrictions: The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material.

Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use", that user may be liable for copyright infringement.

This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve a violation of copyright law.