Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary Loan is an essential and popular service provided for UMM students, faculty and staff by Briggs Library. As part of an effective network of lenders and borrowers, Briggs Library successfully extends the scope and number of resources owned locally to resources owned by regional, national and international partners.

Methods of Initiating Requests

1) Library database or index link. Click on the Interlibrary Loan icon or click on the FindIt button. If the FindIt link does not indicate full-text availability, an interlibrary loan form will be one of the choices further down on the screen.

2) MnCat All Campus online catalog link. Click on "Request this item from another library" found on the full view form of the online record. You will be asked to authenticate into Your Account by using your UMM ID and password. Fill out the interlibrary form and hit "Go". Using MnCat to place your ILL requests can speed up your wait time, provided you don't put anything in the comments section. You will receive an email confirmation confirming your interlibrary loan request.

3) Blank electronic request forms. There are three forms, depending on the type of material needed:

• Article
• Book (and other formats such as videos/DVD's and music CD's that constitute an entire work)
• Document

After requesting the item you should receive a paper confirmation in your campus P.O. Box. You will then be notified by campus mail (or email if requested) when your item has arrived or if the item is unavailable. Articles may arrive via e-mail by choosing this option on the ILL form. Books and other physical items can be checked out from the library's main desk. Allow between 4-7 business days to fulfill a request. Status checks for requested materials can be made by calling the ILL department at 589-6171 or stopping at Room 260 of the library.

Purpose of Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary Loan is a resource sharing service. It provides Rodney A. Briggs Library users access to materials which are not available at our library, but are available from collections of other participating libraries. Materials necessary for study and research are borrowed from these libraries. Photocopies of materials or journal articles that libraries will not lend can also be acquired through interlibrary loan.

The conditions of this service are set forth by the National Interlibrary Loan Code, 1980 (adopted by the American Library Association), the MINITEX Interlibrary Loan User Guide, the policies of the University of Minnesota, Morris Rodney A. Briggs Library, local agreements, and the regulations of individual lending institutions.

Who May Use Interlibrary Loan

All faculty, students, and staff affiliated with the University of Minnesota have full interlibrary loan privileges. "Local scholars" may apply for and be granted interlibrary loan privileges. Members of the Rodney A. Briggs Library Associates are also granted interlibrary loan privileges.

What Materials Can Be Obtained Through Interlibrary Loan

Books, theses, and some materials reproduced in microform (such as newspapers) may be borrowed. Videos/DVDs/music CDs, older than six months, may be requested if they can be identified as being owned by a library within our region. Photocopies of other materials can be requested in accordance with the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, US Code). Items missing from Briggs Library can be requested.

What Materials Cannot Be Obtained Through Interlibrary Loan

The following types of materials cannot generally be requested: books owned by this library and temprarily in use; periodical volumes; materials for class, reserve or group use; reference books; videos/DVDs/music CDs newer than six months, rare or valuable materials; and unpublished manuscripts.

Requesting materials directly from other University of Minnesota libraries

When using MnCAT, the all-campus U of M catalog, there is a link to directly request an item owned by other U of M libraries (Twin Cities libraries, Duluth, and Crookston). Requestors no longer need to cut and paste information into a blank interlibrary loan request form. From the "Full View" of the item record click on the "Request this title from another campus" link. You will be asked to log in to Your Account with your UMM ID and password, and then be taken to Your Account page. Click on "New Basic Search" at the top to duplicate your previous results. Find the item you're interested in and then click on the "Request this title" link. An ILL Request form will appear. Fill in the appropriate information and then hit "Go" at the bottom. The request does not have to be handled by the Briggs ILL office-- it goes immediately to the owning library. The only exception is when words are typed in the free text box of the request form. Use this free text box only if there is relevant information to add. The request will then be directed to our ILL office for human intervention. Because of this added step such a request will take longer to process. Requestors will be notified when their item arrives via e-mail and can be picked up at the circulation desk.

Electronic Delivery

In keeping with the University electronic communication policy and ‘going green’ efforts, the default for interlibrary loan article delivery through the "Article" request form found on this page will be electronic whenever possible. You will receive an instructional e-mail and will be able to print or save the article as you see fit. If electronic delivery is not possible, a print copy will be sent and placed at the Briggs Library Circulation Desk for pick-up. When using the ILL button in a database, such as WorldCat, place a note in the "Comment" section stating your desire for electronic or MEDD delivery. If using the MnCAT form please use the "Preferred Media" pull-down menu choice to affirm you want electronic (MEDD) delivery. When the request is filled, an email message is sent to you providing a PIN number and complete instructions for retrieving the article. Articles can be retrieved from any web browser that has Adobe Acrobat installed. Articles are available for 7 days OR five viewings, whichever comes first.

Color Copy

Color copies are available through MINITEX for articles with color charts and graphs. If you need a color copy please make a note of that in the "Comment" field when sending your request. Color copy can take up to two days longer to obtain.

Loan Period

Materials usually circulate on interlibrary loan for a period of 28 days. However, due dates are dictated by the lending library and renewals are often difficult to obtain. The lending library determines the length of the loan period as well as any special conditions or limitations that apply; i.e. "No Renewal" or "In Library Use Only". If a renewal is necessary, please contact our ILL Department at 589-6171 for assistance.

Cost

At the present time, Briggs Library does not assess any fees for interlibrary loan service.

Books that are borrowed by Briggs Library for our patron's use are subject to the same circulation policies and penalties that are in effect at the library. Failure to adhere to these policies may result in fines and loss of library privileges.

Contact Information