Interlibrary Loan Policy
BYU Interlibrary Loan
3421 Harold B. Lee Library
Provo, UT 84602
Telephone: 801-422-6344
Fax: 801-422-0471
Direct Contact:
- Borrowing:
- (801) 422-8663
- Contact person: Ti'Ata Sorenson
- E-mail: tiata_sorensen@byu.edu
- Lending:
- (801) 422-4155
- Contact person: Stacy Given
- E-mail: stacy_given@byu.edu
- Faculty Delivery Services:
- (801) 422-5480
- Phone messages: 422-5282
- Contact person: Tasha Merrill
- E-mail: fdds@byu.edu
- Document Delivery Services Manager:
- (801) 422-3624
- Nancy Alder
- E-mail: nancy_alder@byu.edu
The Interlibrary Loan Office of the Harold B. Lee Library serves the faculty, staff and students of the Brigham Young Universities by providing access to research materials from libraries throughout the U.S., and the world.
Tips for effective use of Interlibrary Loan Services:
- Be sure the contact information on your ILLiad account is current and correct
- Provide us with a complete, correct citation. Include author(s), title, and year of publication for books. For article requests, include journal title and year, volume number, article title, author and page numbers.
- Books checked out of the HBLL collection and due within 10 days should NOT be requested through Interlibrary Loan. Instead, place a hold on these items at the General Reference Desk.
Interlibrary Loan Policies - Frequently Asked Questions
Click on a topic below for more information:
- Eligibility - Who can use interlibrary loan?
- Is there a cost?
- What type of material can I request?
- Where do I begin?
- Delivery Time / Loan periods
- What about renewals?
- How will I receive the items?
- How am I notified?
- What if I don't have a computer?
- What if I am a student at BYU Hawaii or BYU Idaho?
- What if I am a distance education student?
- Recently published books
Eligibility - Who can use interlibrary loan?
To keep up with the demands of our primary users, the Interlibrary Loan office restricts usage to the following groups:
- BYU faculty, including retirees and emeritus faculty Full service
- Admin and staff Full service
- BYU students Full service
- BYU Provo, BYU Hawaii and BYU Idaho students, LDSBC students, and students at the Salt Lake Center: full service
- Local genealogy patrons: limited Service
- Corporate groups: limited Service
Interlibrary loans (ILLiad) are provided to support the research needs of the faculty, staff and students of the Brigham Young Universities and the Consortium of Church Libraries and Archives (CCLA) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This includes distance education students and other continuing education students who are officially enrolled at Brigham Young University. The ILL office also serves local community patrons who cannot locate critical genealogical resources at their local Family History Centers, the Utah Valley Regional Family History Center in the Lee Library, or at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City.
Who is not eligible to use Interlibrary Loan?
Interlibrary loan service is not intended for the following:
- Community patrons
- BYU alumni and alumnae
- Friends of the Library (Circulation privileges only)
- Students of Seminaries and Institutes
- Distance Education students (article requests only)
These patrons should contact local public or academic libraries to request materials via interlibrary loan.
Is there a cost?
Presently, Interlibrary Loan is free to students. This may change sometime in the future. We do, however, charge faculty and Corporate patrons.
What type of material can I request?
The following types of material are frequently obtained via interlibrary loan:
- Books and monographs
- Pamphlets
- Journal articles
- Maps and atlases
- Microfilm
- Microfiche
- Microcard
- Newspapers (on film)
- Musical scores
- Dissertations and theses (with some restrictions)
- Government documents
- Genealogical materials
- Proceedings and reports
- Patents
The following types of materials are generally not obtainable via interlibrary loan:
- Textbooks
- Media items such as DVDs, CDs, films, audio/VHS tapes
- Bound periodicals/magazines
- Books and binders with multiple parts or items
- Unpublished manuscripts
- Rare, expensive or archival material
- Special Collection items (with some exceptions)
Some items are loaned with the stipulation that they can be used ONLY within the Special Collections reading room of the Lee Library.
Where do I begin?
- All interlibrary loan requests must be submitted via ILLiad. Access the ILLiad request screen by clicking on the “Request Interlibrary Loan” button on an HBLL item record (for items that do not circulate or are checked out and due in longer than 10 days) OR by selecting Interlibrary Loan from the library webpage.
- Every patron must create a personal profile on ILLiad requiring use of the patron's RouteY BYU I.D. number and password.
Delivery Time / Loan periods
- Books usually arrive within 10 days depending upon availability
- Books are usually available to the patron for a period of two to three weeks. Some items may be renewed. Due dates and other conditions are printed on the Interlibrary Loan book label. Books should be returned directly to the Interlibrary Loan Office.
- Electronically delivered articles can usually be posted for the user within 2 business days, though the wait may be longer. Articles are delivered electronically unless special arrangements are made. Articles may be downloaded and kept.
What about renewals?
Many books may be renewed for an additional one to two weeks. Please call the Interlibrary Loan Office several days before the original due date to request a renewal. In cases where the lending institution refuses to renew, please return the item immediately. Interlibrary loan items do not belong to BYU and we do not want to jeopardize our privileges with the lending libraries. In most cases we can locate the identical item at another library and request it.
Overdue Items
Delinquent accounts are sent to the Records Office where transcripts, tuition, and other official records will be held until the item is returned or replacement costs are paid.
How will I receive the items?
- ILLiad generates an email to the patron when a book arrives, or when an article is posted electronically. Included in this email is the ILLiad URL. Registered users can then log on to the ILLIad Main Menu page and access the article by clicking on the "View/Download Electronically Delivered Articles" button. Electronically delivered items are viewed in Adobe Acrobat.
- Unless stipulated otherwise, all journal requests will be delivered electronically.
- Books and other paper items will be held in the Interlibrary Loan Office for pickup between 8am and 6 pm, Monday-Friday. All faculty materials will be delivered to the respective Department Offices.
How am I notified?
- An email notice is generated whenever a requested item has been received in the Interlibrary Loan Office.
- Electronically delivered items also generate an email and contain a hot link to the ILLiad log-in page.
What if I don't have a computer?
Individuals may use the computers in the Library or in the ILL Office to place requests and view electronically delivered articles.
What if I am a student at BYU Hawaii or BYU Idaho?
- All interlibrary loan requests must be submitted via ILLiad. Every patron must create a personal profile on ILLiad requiring use of the patron's RouteY BYU I.D. number and password.
- Students at BYU-Hawaii, BYU-Idaho, and the LDS Business College must set up their accounts through their affiliated library website.
- For BYU-Hawaii students: http://w2.byuh.edu/library/.
- For BYU-Idaho students this: http://www.lib.byui.edu/.
- For LDS Business College students: http://www.ldsbc.edu/Library/Library/index.htm.
What if I am a distance education student?
- Distance Education students are eligible for interlibrary loan services of journal articles only. Access to a computer with Adobe Acrobat is a must. Journal articles will be posted electronically For more information, see the Books and Articles Delivery Service.
- Contact local public or academic libraries to request books via their interlibrary loan.
Recently published books
- Most libraries will not loan recently published books until from six months to a year from publication date.
- Popular reading items should be requested via your local public library.
- Academic works are typically not loaned until from six months to a year from publication date.