Interlibrary Borrowing Policies
Interlibrary loan (ILL) borrowing provides Rutgers University faculty, students, and staff access to materials that are needed for research but are unavailable in the collections of the Rutgers University Libraries.
ILL borrowing requests are accepted through an online form. Users are notified by email about the status of their requests and the availability of materials.
Eligible borrowers
Rutgers University Libraries primary borrowers, as defined in our Access to Library Resources and Services policy, are eligible for ILL.
Eligible Material
We accept ILL request from Rutgers borrowers for materials:
- Not owned by the Libraries
- Listed as unavailable in QuickSearch
Ineligible Material
We do not accept ILL requests from Rutgers borrowers for:
- Textbooks or other required course materials
- Items available for circulation in QuickSearch
- Items on reserve or on reference
- Items requested more than twice for the same title and same person within the same calendar year
Limits
In most cases, there are no restrictions on the number of requests that can be submitted.
Loan Periods
Loan periods are established by the lending library. The lending library may also designate material for use only within the library, or impose other restrictions.
Renewals
Renewals are normally not allowed by the lending institution.
Recalls
Borrowed materials are subject to recall by the lending library. ILL staff may contact the borrower directly to request return of the item and/or place a recall on the item. Borrowers are given seven days to return recalled ILL materials. Recall fines apply for interlibrary loan materials.
Loss
The borrower is responsible for all costs associated with lost materials. The average replacement and processing charge for lost ILL materials is $102 per item. The Libraries reserve the right to adjust this fee if it does not cover the lending library's cost of replacement. If the material is lost in transit after it has been returned to a Rutgers University library, Interlibrary Loan Services will reimburse the lending library.
Overdue Material
Borrowers who keep interlibrary loan material past the due date imposed by the lending library are responsible for the $102 per item replacement charge. Failure to respond to ILL overdue or recall notices will result in the loss of borrowing privileges at the Rutgers University Libraries.
Copyright
The Rutgers University Libraries comply with U.S. Copyright Law and regulation. To insure compliance, interlibrary loan forms contain a statement of borrower copyright responsibility. In cases where requests from an individual violate the copyright law, interlibrary loan staff will inform the borrower and provide alternatives for access to the information.