Interlibrary Loan
Frequently Asked Questions
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- Why would I use Interlibrary Loan?
- Interlibrary loan expands the in-house collection by millions of
books, journals, and other materials. It allows you to request
materials from other libraries, many times at no charge, and the
materials are sent to MTSU so you don't have to travel to another
library.
- What is copyright? How does it affect my request?
- Copyright is the set of laws and guidelines which help protect the
creators of information. Normally, copyright will not affect your
request. You must follow the guidelines and not use the materials
inappropriately. The copyright guidelines state:
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 specified conditions is that the photocopy or other
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 violation of copyright.
- How long does it take?
- The length of time involved in obtaining a loan or photocopy
varies, but most materials are received within seven (7) to
twenty-one (21) days. Frequently the length of time is shorter but
it can also be longer.
- Can I call to check the status of my request?
- Yes! You may. But please remember that most requests take about a
week or more to fill. You have twenty-four access to your
ILLiad account.
- Why is there a charge?
- Most of the time, there is no charge to use interlibrary loan. We
have various reciprocal agreements with almost all libraries within
the state of Tennessee which allow us to borrow items for free. With
books and other returnable materials, there may be the cost of
postage if we are unable to obtain the item from a library within
the state. Other charges would come directly from the library we
request the item from, usually ranging from $15.00 to $35.00.
We will always try to obtain materials for free before
turning to other libraries that charge. Currently, we are using a
Co-Pay system to offset some of the costs for patrons.
- What is Athena?
- MTSU and a number of other Nashville-area libraries, including the
Nashville Public Library and Vanderbilt University, provide priority
ILL service with regular courier delivery -- typically within a week
-- for returnable materials (books, microforms, etc.). Liberal
policies allow us to request items that are in use (checked out) at
MTSU. The combined Athena Catalog is accessible from the Library's Research
Gateway. Plus, ILL requests can be made directly from the Athena
Catalog.
- The book I want is checked out of the MTSU Library. Can I get
it through ILL?
- Most Interlibrary Loan departments do not allow you to request
books that are part of your library's collection. However, if a book
is checked out and available from one of the libraries in the Athena
project, you may request it through interlibrary loan.
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