FAQ Interlibrary Loan

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. How much does an order through interlibrary loan cost?
2. Which media are generally available for order?
3. Which media are usually not available for order?
4. I need a specific chapter in a book. Should I order the section as a copy or the entire book?
5. How can I request media with manual data input?
6. What else should I be aware of regarding interlibrary loan requests?
7. How long are delivery times?
8. When can I pick up my order?
9. I can’t pick up my ILL order in time. Can I send someone else to pick it up?
10. Where can I pick up and return my ILL media?
11. How long are loan periods and are extensions possible?
12. Why can I take some ILL orders home and others not?
13. How do I reserve media that have been loaned out?
     

1. How much does an order through interlibrary loan cost?

A standard processing fee of €1.50 is charged for all interlibrary loan requests, regardless of the success of the order. ILL fees are automatically booked to your account and must be paid when picking up your requested media at the information desk.

Additional fees may also be incurred for copies of articles longer than 20 pages (or 60 pages for orders handled by libraries in NRW). To avoid additional fees, you can also set a preferred limit for the amount of additional copy costs when making an interlibrary loan request. _{back to top}

2. Which media are generally available for order?

Interlibrary loan is used to order media that is not available in the library holdings of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences. Generally, books and copies of articles from journals, newspapers and books can be ordered, as well as audio books and educational CDs/DVDs.

The prerequisite is that ordered media must be used for the purposes of researching, teaching or learning, or otherwise for work-related purposes. _{back to top}

3. Which media are usually not available for order?

The following media are explicitly excluded from the interlibrary loan programme (link in German):

• Media already available in the library holdings of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences
• Media with a retail price of less than €15
• Licensed electronic publications (ebooks)
• Unbound issues of periodicals
• Newspapers
• Loose-leaf publications

Requests for the following media are usually denied, but possible on a case-by-case basis:

• Bound volumes of journals
• Theses/dissertations
• Works published before 1800; however, chapters from these books can usually be ordered as copies
• Microfilms can be ordered individually, but can rarely be removed from the library premises and cannot be viewed at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences because of a lack of suitable viewing equipment _{back to top}

4. I need a specific chapter in a book.
    Should I order the section as a copy or the entire book?

If you order a section of a book as a copy, you will usually receive it quicker and it has no return deadline.

By law, however, libraries in Germany are not permitted to copy and send more than 10% of a book via ILL for copyright reasons. Requests that exceed this limit may only be delivered in part and can even be cancelled outright. In this case it is naturally better to order the entire book. _{back to top}

5. How can I request media with manual data input?

If you are given the option of an ILL order request with manual data input, first verify that your search terms do not contain any spelling errors. Additionally, if you did not search through the interlibrary loan menu, your search may also contain results that are not in any library holdings and thus unavailable for ordering.

When searching for media, always check whether it is listed as available in a library’s holdings and that the holding library participates in the interlibrary loan programme. If you submit an order request with manual data input that cannot be delivered, it will be automatically cancelled. _{back to top}

6. What else should I be aware of regarding interlibrary loan requests?

If you are requesting a work consisting of multiple volumes, please note that each volume must be ordered individually. Articles must be ordered individually as well.

The success of an interlibrary loan order depends, among other things, on the number of available copies in circulation. Some libraries will also exclude certain titles from interlibrary loan. You can check if a particular work is available by clicking the tab "Holdings Info". _{back to top}

7. How long are delivery times?

Depending on availability, delivery times can range from approx. 1 week for article copies and approx. 2 weeks for books, sometimes a bit longer. _{back to top}

8. When can I pick up my order?

You can check the status of your ILL request in your Katalog PLUS user account. You will automatically receive a delivery notification when your order is available for pick-up. _{back to top}

9. I can't pick up my ILL order in time. Can I send someone else to pick it up?

In exceptional cases, ILL orders can be picked up by someone else with your permission. Please note that we will need to see an authorisation letter containing relevant personal information and the specific ILL title being picked up. The authorised person must also present a valid photo ID at pick-up. _{back to top}

10. Where can I pick up and return my ILL media?

Orders can be picked up within 10 days at the information desk during our service hours with your library card.

ILL media can be returned during or after service hours. Media returned outside of our service hours will be processed retroactively at the beginning of the next service hours. Copies do not need to be returned.

Please note that ILL orders cannot be processed via self-service terminals or the exterior return station! _{back to top}

11. How long are loan periods and are extensions possible?

Loan periods are set by the lending libraries and are usually 4 weeks. The exact due date is listed on your receipt.

If the lending library permits loan extensions, you can submit a request 2 to 5 days before the due date in person during service hours or by email. _{back to top}

12. Why can I take some ILL orders home and others not?

Lending libraries can restrict the use of their media, particularly in the case of rare, very old or new titles. As a result, in some cases media ordered through interlibrary loan cannot be removed from the library premises or even copied in some cases. _{back to top}

13. How do I reserve media that have been loaned out?

If the media you are looking for has been loaned out by all participating libraries, you can submit a reserve request. Media can be reserved through the ILL form by selecting the option “Yes” for "Make reservation - if applicable". Please note that this will lead to delays in delivery times. _{back to top}