Changes to Interlibrary Loan (ILL) procedures – August 2010
There remain two options for placing ILL requests:
I-Share – to request items from libraries within the CARLI (Illinois) consortium
ILLIAD – to request items (books, articles, etc.) from other libraries
Major changes have recently been implemented in the I-Share system; procedures for ILLIAD are unchanged. Both systems now require patrons to create an account with login and password. The two systems are quite independent; you may use the same or different login/passwords for each.
I-Share, the amalgamated library catalog of over 75 colleges and universities in Illinois is now running exclusively on the VuFind interface. If you search for an item in WIU’s catalog (WestCat) and you see a message telling you that no matches were found, you have the option to ‘Repeat Search in the I-Share catalog.’ Unlike previously, the system will not automatically re-run your initial search; rather, it will take you to the VuFind page. To make an interlibrary loan request, it is a good idea to log in to the VuFind platform (click on Login at the top right hand corner to log in or Create New Account) before beginning to search. Having logged in you must re-enter your query in the I-Share search box.
If your search is successful, the item you are looking for appears in a results list. Click on the record and the system will generate a list of libraries that hold the item under the 'Location' tab (scroll down). It randomly selects one institution to head the list, and includes the option to ‘Request this item.’ However, a patron may choose to request from any institution on the list, if she/he so wishes. (At this point, if you have not already done so, you will be requested to log in.) Click on the 'Choose pick-up location' button; you will see that the institution and pick up locations are automatically entered (hence the need to log in first). Click on the 'Request' button and receive a ‘Request submitted’ acknowledgment. This request can now be tracked on your ‘My Account’ page. You will receive an email when the item is ready for pick-up at the main circulation desk of Malpass Library.
NOTE: Should you, on occasion, get “odd” results, it may be helpful to know that I-Share only performs keyword searches. The drop down menu following the search box simply limits the search to specific fields – title; author; subject, ISBN/ISSN – in the computer record. In other words, if you set the limit to Title, say, and enter Hip-hop Japan or Japan hip-hop, you will get identical results.
LOAN PERIODS. As of August, 2010, loan periods on materials borrowed from within the I-Share consortium have been standardized to a 4-week initial check out with up to 3 further renewals of 4 weeks (i.e. total possible loan time = 16 weeks). This does not affect WIU library checkouts, which remain at 16 weeks, plus two further renewals of 16 weeks.
For information on how to request items via ILLiad, please go to the Interlibrary Loan Unit’s homepage: http://www.wiu.edu/library/units/ill/
