What is an interlibrary loan?

Items not owned by the Dalton State College, Derrell C. Roberts Library may be borrowed from other libraries in Georgia or elsewhere in the United States. 

Interlibrary Loan Service is available to all current Dalton State College faculty, staff, and students.  Students are limited to 6 requests in process at a time, and requested materials must be course-related.  Non-Dalton State College users, including those with library issued community patron cards and students with recreational reading requests, should contact their local public library for interlibrary loan service.

Interlibrary Loan Request Forms are available at the Reference Desk in the Library or online . After you have verified that the item isn't owned by DSC’s library, fill out the form completely and accurately, including the source for the citation (the book, article, or database in which the citation appeared), the latest date that receipt of the material will be of use to you, and the maximum cost you are willing to pay for the item.  You may leave the form with any library employee or send it through campus mail.  Printouts of citations are welcome and can be attached to a form.

Every effort is made to get materials at no charge, but sometimes it's not possible to find a lender that lends or makes photocopies for free.  All charges from the lending library are passed on to the patron requesting the interlibrary loan, including fees for overdues, loss, or damage.  

Typically items will be obtained within ten working days of ordering—often quicker.  Sometimes it takes as long as a month or more.  Articles are often faxed or sent through the Internet and may arrive in a shorter time.  How quickly the lending library responds, the scarcity or popularity of a book, speed of the U.S. mail, and other factors can affect waiting time. 

Students, faculty, and staff are usually notified by e-mail when materials arrive.  Materials can be picked up at the Roberts Library Circulation Desk.  Photocopies will be sent through campus mail to faculty and staff unless specified as “rush.”

The loan period is determined by the lending library—not by Roberts Library staff—and is usually at least two weeks. A renewal may be requested by contacting the Interlibrary Loan Office before the material is overdue. A few lending libraries have a "no renewal" policy.  The lending library reserves the right to recall interlibrary loans.  Photocopies of periodical articles are yours to keep.

Where do I return interlibrary loan materials?

Materials borrowed through interlibrary loan can be returned to any library employee or through the book drop.  Please don't remove book wraps from interlibrary loans or send other libraries' materials through campus mail.

Most library materials can be borrowed through interlibrary loan, but each lending library has their own policy for loans.  Many libraries will not lend videos, current and previous year imprints, popular books, dissertations, reference books, special collection items, bound or whole issues of periodicals, microforms, fragile items, etc.  Also, some libraries may lend a rare item, but limit it to "In Library" use only, in which case you would need to use it within the Roberts Library.

What’s the difference between GIL Express and Interlibrary Loan?

GIL Express is patron initiated, meaning the patron requests books directly from another University System of Georgia library by filling out an e-form in the GIL Universal Catalog @ http://giluc.usg.edu  GIL Express requests are limited to books in the University System of Georgia. Patrons can check the status of their loans by checking their account in GIL. Interlibrary Loan is mediated by Interlibrary Loan staff. The patron sends requests to the DSC ILL Office via e-form, e-mail, telephone, paper ILL form, citation printouts, etc., and staff request library materials from any library in the country. Books, articles, and other items may be requested via Interlibrary Loan.

For more information on either service , contact the ILL office at 706-272-2474 or ill@daltonstate.edu.