Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a free service available to all CSS students, faculty, and staff. It allows one to borrow materials that the CSS Library does not own from another Library. CSS works in cooperation with MINITEX, a Minnesota State Library agency, to borrow materials from Libraries throughout Minnesota, North & South Dakota.

Note: You must have an active Library barcode to submit an ILL request.

Interlibrary Loan Request for a Book

Need a book, video, CD that the CSS Library does not own?

You can search for these items in other libraries. Then request them from interlibrary loan. If available they will be sent to the CSS Library. You can pick them up and return them at the Library Circulation Desk.

Suggested Library Catalogs to search:

MnPALS - a consortium of Libraries in Minnesota who have agreed to borrow and lend materials freely.

World Cat - huge library catalog that includes many libraries (public, private, college, etc.) in the United States as well as 13 other countries.

To request books and other materials fill out the online form:

Interlibrary Loan Book Form

Interlibrary Loan Tutorial - Step-by-step instructions for filling out the interlibrary loan from.

Interlibrary Loan Request for an Article

Need a copy of an article that is not available in the CSS Library?

It the fulltext of the article you are searching for is not available in the database you were searching OR in any of the other CSS databases or CSS Library. You can request a copy be sent to you. Articles are automatically sent electroncially to your CSS email.

Before you can request an article through interlibrary loan, first search the A to Z: Find Online Print Journals to ensure that the CSS Library does not own the journal or it is not available in any of the CSS databases.

To request articles from other libraries fill out the online form:

Interlibrary Loan Article Form

Interlibrary Loan Tutorial - Step-by-step instructions for filling out the interlibrary loan from.

Renewing Your Interlibrary Loan Request

Due dates for interlibrary loan requests are set by the lending library.

If you need more time with the item you requested, we can ask the lending Library to renew your item. This will be up to the lending Library. Not everything can or will be renewed. To renew Interlibrary Loan requests, email Barb Werner or the Library the following information:

the due date on the blue or yellow slip,
the ILL # on the blue or yellow slip,
and your name.

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions about Interlibrary Loan (ILL):

How long does it take?
Please allow 7 working days for books, videos, etc., and approximately 72 hours for electronic delivery of articles. Times may vary due to volume of requests or holiday hours.

How will I know when my ILL request arrives?

Articles - You will receive an email from MEDD, which will give you instructions to access your article on a remote server. **NOTE: Articles come as PDFs; therefore you will need to have Adobe Reader on your computer

Books, Videos, CDs, etc. - You will be sent a print notice to your CSS mail box or an electronic notice to your CSS email account when your item has arrived. Once you receive this, you may pick it up at the Library's Circulation Desk.

Do I need to check to see if the CSS Library has a print or electronic copy before I make a request?

Yes. Check to be sure the CSS Library does not already own the journal by searching the A to Z: Find Online & Print Journals for e-journals available in CSS databases and print journals available in the CSS Library.

May I abbreviate the journal title on the request?

No. Journal titles must not be abbreviated. To find the full title of an abbreviated journal title either: type the exact abbreviation into PubMed Journal (for medical journals only), or call the Library.

Can the article be delivered to me by email?
Yes. Articles are automatically sent to your CSS email. If you do not want an electronic you must choose "NO" for Electronic Copy (MEDD) near the end of the ILL form. **NOTE: To ensure that CSS patrons receive their ILL requests, electronic ILL will only be sent to CSS email accounts.

When you request an article to be sent to you electronically, MINITEX will send an email message to you with a PIN and instructions for retrieving the document on a remote server, at which point you may print or save the article. Articles will remain on the server for 5 viewings or for 7 days after the notification is sent.

If you are a Rover patron please put ROVER or Distance Student in the Notes box, too.

For more information regarding electronic delivery of Interlibrary Loan articles please go to the following MINITEX Electronic Document Delivery FAQ pages: MEDD FAQ; MEDD Troubleshooting Guide

Would I ever have to pay a fee?

Possibly. Even though ILL is a free service to members of the CSS community, copyright royalty fees may apply if more than five requests for articles are made from one journal in a given calendar year. In these cases there is a $5 fee per article. Patrons will be notified of any charges before the request is submitted. Also, once in awhile the Library must borrow items from outside of Minnesota, and some libraries do charge fees to loan materials. If this happens, the patron would be responsible for paying the fee. Patrons will be notified ahead of time if this should occur. Patrons would have the option to cancel the request.

When are ILL books due?
Due dates are set by the lending Library. Generally, materials are lent out for 2 to 4 weeks. See the blue or yellow slip on the requested item for an exact due date.

For questions about your ILL requests, please contact Barb Werner by email, or by phone at (218) 723-6178.