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Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service which allows the libraries at WCSU to borrow materials from libraries outside our Consortium of Connecticut state university and community college libraries.. Interlibrary Loan is based on a network of cooperative agreements which provide access to books and periodicals in the collections of over 13,000 libraries in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Europe. Document Delivery Service provides access to articles in about 20,000 periodicals, and to doctoral dissertations from 550 universities.
You may request Interlibrary Loan service when the book you need is not available from the CSCU Libraries, or when the article you need is not available from WCSU. Before requesting an Interlibrary Loan, please discuss your information needs with a Research Librarian. We may be able to find other items which are currently available that may satisfy your information needs.
If WestSearch indicates that the item you need is available at one of the other CSCU Libraries (CCSU, ECSU,SCSU, or the Connecticut Community Colleges), you may request it electronically via WestSearch by using the "Request" command at the full record display.
WCSU students, faculty, and staff may use interlibrary loan service. Members of the public may use WestSearch and other WCSU library resources on-site, but must use the interlibrary loan services of their public library.
You must submit Interlibrary Loan requests electronically using ILLiad
The WCSU Libraries will make every effort to fill requests for all types of material, including dissertations (see special instructions below).
Special Instructions for Dissertations
Before requesting a dissertation, be sure to check the resource(s) below:
If the item you need is not available in the database(s) above, requests can be sent via Interlibrary Loan.
Should ILL be unable to locate a copy, you may need to purchase it. To do so, you can place an order yourself using the "Order a copy" button available from within the database (prices vary).
Please ask a reference librarian for any further assistance.
Other Exceptions
Government documents, dissertations, theses, microfilm, and microfiche may also be difficult to borrow from libraries outside the CSCU system. Interlibrary Loan service is also subject to copyright restrictions.
Under normal circumstances, most Interlibrary Loan requests are sent by our staff to the lending library within 24 hours of receiving them. However, during periods of heavy demand, processing may take longer.
After a request is sent, it normally takes 1-2 weeks for an item to be delivered. Article copies which are frequently delivered by electronic means are the exception. Occasionally, Interlibrary Loan takes longer than 2 weeks, so please be sure to get an early start and allow plenty of time for delivery. We cannot guarantee delivery within a specific period of time. You will be notified by mail or e-mail as soon as the material arrives. Items must be picked up at the Circulation Desk at either the Ruth Haas Library or the Robert S. Young Business Library at the Westside Campus. Electronically delivered articles may be accessed from your desktop.
The loan period for books is established by the lending library and may vary from 2-4 weeks. The due date is indicated on the yellow paper band on the front cover. When a periodical article is requested, the lending library sends a photocopy which the borrower may keep. To maintain good relations with cooperating libraries, books borrowed via Interlibrary Loan should be returned to the WCSU circulation Desk on or before the due date.
Some lending libraries allow Interlibrary Loan materials to be renewed, others do not. Please call the Interlibrary Loan Desk at 203-837-9106 before an item is due to inquire about renewing it.
Interlibrary Loan usage is heaviest during the last half of each semester. During peak load, you may be asked to prioritize your requests. The library staff will process the first five requests received per person per day. Additional requests from the same person will be processed as time permits.
The majority of books and approximately 75% of periodical articles received through Interlibrary Loan are provided by the lending libraries free of cost, but sometimes an item is only available from a library that charges. When there is a fee, the person requesting the item is responsible for paying it. The cost may vary from $10.00 to $25.00 depending on the policy of the library which lends the item.
On the Interlibrary Loan request form, please check off the maximum amount you are willing to pay if there is a fee for borrowing the item. The Interlibrary Loan Desk always tries first to get the item from a free source. When an item is not available free of charge, we use the least expensive source we can find. No purchase is made with first consulting the requestor.
With the use of new document delivery technology , we are able to satisfy many requests in just two or three days of receipt of your order. There is no extra charge for this service.
For extreme "rush" situations which may involve commercial document suppliers or other delivery methods such as FAXing, please call the Interlibrary Loan Office at 203-837-9106 to discuss your needs. Substantial additional costs may be incurred which would have to be passed on to you.
If you have already requested items using ILLiad and you want to check on their status, simply log on to the system using the ILLIAD sign in at the top of this page. Your home screen will show you how many items are outstanding and where each item is in the process.
