Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary loan is one way in which the Library obtains books and articles that you need for your study and research here at Greensboro College. If, in the course of researching a topic for a paper, you discover that you need a book or an article that the Library does not have access to, you can utilize interlibrary loan through the James Addison Jones Library in order to obtain a copy of the book or article. In this guide, we will take a closer look at interlibrary loan, who can use it, how it works, what the rules are, when it is most beneficial, and more.

The Greensboro College Library will not knowingly order any edition of a required textbook through Interlibrary Loan for the following reasons:

• Materials borrowed through Interlibrary Loan are intended to supplement required course content by providing access to scholarly materials not owned by Greensboro College Library. These services are not intended for ordering required textbooks.
• Purchasing textbooks is considered the responsibility of the student.
• Interlibrary Loan services do not meet student needs for ordering textbooks.
• The process of borrowing a textbook can take up to several weeks, leaving the requester without a text for an extended period of time.
• Loan periods are set by lending libraries and do not allow students to keep a textbook for an entire course.

Current students, faculty, and staff of Greensboro College are all eligible for Interlibrary Loan privileges. Borrowing privileges may be suspended, however, if a patron fails to return borrowed materials in a timely manner, or fails to pay any invoices in a timely manner. Replacement charges will be assessed per the lending library's lending policies. Please note that once invoiced by the lender, we cannot remove or reduce the associated bill. 

Interlibrary Loan is a free service with few exceptions. Sometimes the lending library will charge for lending books and for photocopying articles. If this occurs, students, faculty, and staff may have to pay a percentage of the amount on the invoice.

Access and Information Services will process up to 5 book requests and up to 5 article requests per week for each patron. When requesting more than 5 items of each type, a patron may be asked to indicate priority. Please note that interlibrary loan materials cannot be placed on reserve for a course.  

Please note, per the policies set forth by the consortium of lending libraries, requests for course textbooks and/or leisure materials (non-academic/research based) will not be fulfilled.  

Interlibrary loan materials are checked out to the patron with a printed bookstrap.  This bookstrap provides important information regarding the interlibrary loan request number, the due date for the materials, and the lending library's contact information.  Bookstraps may not be removed from the materials provided through Interlibrary loan.  Should the strap come loose from the cover of the book, it must be kept with the book for processing.  No exceptions.

The loan period, renewals, charges, and conditions of use are determined by the lending library. If a renewal is desired, this request  renewal must be made three days before the date the item is due back in the Greensboro College Library. Please note that most interlibrary loan materials are not eligible for renewal. If the lending library denies your renewal request, the item must be returned to the Library as soon as possible. You will be responsible for any overdue or replacement charges if the item is returned late.  

Replacement and processing charges for interlibrary loan materials vary according to lender library's policies. Please note that once invoiced by the lender, we cannot remove or reduce the associated bill. 

The following items are usually unavailable through interlibrary loan services: rare, fragile, or bulky items; theses, dissertations, and materials in special collections, and audiovisual materials. 

Please note that Interlibrary Loan is intended to support research needs and other academic pursuits. Please use the public library for leisure reading and other personal requests as Greensboro College Library is unable to fulfill these. 

Please do not remove the interlibrary loan labels or other identifying information from the materials. 

By submitting your request for interlibrary loan materials, you agree to the following Copyright Notice:

The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of the copyright law.