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Serving public libraries in Cayuga, Cortland, Seneca, Tioga and Tompkins Counties
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119 E. Green St.
Ithaca, NY  14850
(607) 273-4074 or
(800) 909-3557
(607) 273-3618 (FAX)
Hours: Mon.-Fri.
8:00AM-4:30PM

ILL Frequently Asked Questions - FAQS

WHAT IS INTERLIBRARY LOAN?

WHO MAY REQUEST AN ITEM?

IS THERE A MAXIMUM NUMBER OF OUT-OF-SYSTEM REQUESTS

WHAT MAY BE REQUESTED?

HOW DO I REQUEST A PERIODICAL/MAGAZINE ARTICLE?

ARE THERE ANY FEES?

ARE RENEWALS PERMITTED?

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?

 

 

WHAT IS INTERLIBRARY LOAN?

Interlibrary Loan service is provided to all member libraries, reading centers and other eligible institutions, such as county jails and state correctional facilities, within the five‑county service area Materials are provided within the system from the FLLS headquarters collection, and member library collections. In addition, FLLS has access to the resources of other public, school, academic and special library collections nationwide, through participation in the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) ILL network.

WHO MAY REQUEST AN ITEM?

Library card holders at one of the FLLS member libraries in good standing may request an Out-of-System request. Each member library determines its own criteria of what it means to be "in good standing". If  patrons are restricted from completing an Out-of-System request, they should contact their home library.

IS THERE A MAXIMUM NUMBER OF OUT-OF-SYSTEM REQUESTS?

Patrons may only have five active Out-of-System requests on their library card at any one time. It is therefore important that patrons prioritize their requests. If the patron has five active Out-of-System requests, once one of the requests has been processed and is on the local library's hold shelf, the patron may place another Out-of-System request.

WHAT MAY BE REQUESTED?

    EXCLUSIONS

HOW DO I REQUEST A PERIODICAL/MAGAZINE ARTICLE?

 

Please submit a completed paper Periodical Request form. A complete citation includes article title, article author, periodical or magazine title, volume and issue numbers, month - day (if applicable) -  year of article and page numbers. In most cases, the patron can keep the article. On rare occasions, the lending library will ask FLLS to collect the copied material. If this is necessary, FLLS will treat the item like a book - barcode it, create a record, give you a due date, etc.

ARE THERE ANY FEES?

If your library charges for hold requests, your account will be charged accordingly. In almost all cases there is no additional fee for interlibrary loans. However, if the lending library charges for an ILL, we will contact you before we complete the request. You must pay the fee before you receive the book. Patrons will be charged $1.00/day per overdue ILL item regardless of their local library's overdue fine policy. You will be charged for any lost or damaged item.

ARE RENEWALS PERMITTED?

Each lending library has its own policies for renewals and we must abide by their policies. If we know that a particular lending library does not permit renewals, we will stamp that on the book band. When an item comes in, we automatically request a renewal if the due date is less than two weeks from the date received. Please request a renewal at least three days before the due date. It takes several days to hear back from the lending library whether or not they will renew the item. We can not guarantee that renewal requests will be granted by the loaning library nor can we guarantee a specific time extension. Only one renewal per item.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?

It is difficult to predict. The length of time to fill an Out-of-System request depends on how long it takes to identify a willing lender, the distance it travels, and the shipping method. When the item arrives at FLLS, we will change your Hold Request to reflect its arrival and will send it in the next delivery to your library.

 


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