The Salmon Library Interlibrary Loan Services Department obtains loans (books, DVDs, CDs, Dissertations, scores, etc.) or copies of journal articles, book chapters, etc. not owned by the Salmon Library for UAH faculty, students and staff. Persons not affiliated with the University in this manner should consult their local public library.
When should I use InterLibrary Loan?
Use Interlibrary loan when Primo Pathfiner, the on-line catalog, indicates that the Salmon Library does not own the book you want or does not have the journal with the article you need, either in print or electronically. Ask a Reference Librarian if you need assistance.
What Materials are not available through ILL?
We are usually not able to borrow from other libraries: E-Books; entire journal issues; materials for reserve or group use; reference books; textbooks and items that violate copyright guidelines.
How much does it cost?
Interlibrary loans are available at no cost to UAH faculty, students and staff. The cost to the library averages $35.00 per request and borrowers are encouraged to avoid unnecessary expense to the library and university.
Borrowers are charged $1.00 per day for each day that an ILL book is overdue After 21 days overdue, the ILL book is declared “LOST” and a fee of $100.00 is imposed which includes a non-refundable processing fee of $25.00.
How long will it take?
Minimum time: Articles may arrive within 24 hours but some article may take more than 7 working days to arrive. Since books are shipped to us via U.S. Mail, UPS or FedEx, allow at least 15 working days for their arrival. Some books and journals are owned by very few libraries so it may take longer to fill your requests.
Average time: Probably 5 to 7 days for an article, 15 to 30 days for a book.
Maximum time: This can vary from 20 days or longer. We will continue to find a lender for you until we have exhausted all our options.
You'll be notified via your UAH email when the items are ready for pickup.
If you do not pick up your requested materials or notify us that you do not need them, you may be charged a $5.00 fee.
What information should I provide to facilitate the request?
Please provide as much citation information as you can for each request.
For books: title, author, edition if appropriate, and ISBN if available.
For articles: journal title (no abbreviations, please), article author, article title, volume/issue/page numbers, publication date and ISSN if available.
Please provide us with as much information as possible so that we can process your requests promptly and efficiently.
How will I receive the material I request?
ARTICLES - Articles may be delivered in several ways. The method of delivery depends on how the material was sent from lender.
1. Electronic Delivery - You will receive an email to your UAH account with information on how to obtain the article via Article Exchange. Please download the article as soon as possible. The article remains available on the server for 30 days or 5 views and then it is automatically removed and no longer accessible.
2. Hard Copy - Lenders may send the article as paper copy due to publisher and/or copyright restrictions. The material will be placed at the User Services Desk for pickup. You will receive an email that the article is available at the User Services desk.
3. Electronic Delivery as PDF attachment - Articles may be sent your UAH email address as a PDF attachment.
BOOKS - Books are held at the User Services Desk for pick up. Patrons will be notified via their UAH email that their requested book is available and ready for checkout. If the books are not picked up by the lender's due date, they are returned to the lending library. ILL books cannot be sent to you through campus mail.
If you do not pick up your requested materials or notify us that you do not need them, you may be charged a $5.00 fee.
NOTE: If you live more than 30 miles from the UAH campus and do not attend any classes on campus, we can ship your filled requests to you. Please let us know as soon as you receive the email that the book is available. You will be responsible for shipping the book back to the UAH library.
Are renewals possible?
The lending library sets the return date. In many cases it may be two or three weeks with no renewal. Salmon Library has no control over these dates. The due date is indicated on the pink book band wrapped around the item's cover. Borrowers are charged $1.00/day for each day that an ILL book is overdue.
Institutions that loan materials reserve the right to recall items at any time.
I'm a Distance Learning Student (Graduate or Undergraduate), how do I request Articles?
We will order articles that you request through Interlibrary Loan. Once the article is received we will email you information on how to access the article to your UAH email. If the UAH library has the article in print we will scan and deliver it to you via your UAH email.
I'm a Distance Learning Student (Graduate or Undergraduate), how do I request Books?
If you live less than 30 miles from the UAH campus, you will need to come to the library to check out the books that are part of the Salmon Library collection.
If you live more than 30 miles from the UAH campus, we can check out books belonging to the Salmon Library and ship them to you via U.S. Postal Service. You will be responsible for the cost of mailing the books back to the library by the due date.
We can also borrow books for you from other libraries. These books will be shipped to you via UPS and will require a signature upon delivery. When you ship the books back to the UAH Interlibrary Loan Department you must put the books in a secure box, insured the package for at least $100 and use a shipping method that requires a signature upon receipt.
I'm an Off Campus Faculty member, how do I request Articles?
We will order articles that you request via Interlibrary Loan and send them to you via your UAH email. If the article can be found in one of our print journals, we will scan it and send to you via your UAH email. Please be sure to note that you are off campus in the Notes field of your article request.
I'm an Off Campus Faculty member, how do I request Books?
If the book is in Salmon Library's collection we will check the book out to you and ship it via U.S. Postal Service. You will be responsible for the cost of mailing the books back to the library by its due date. Please be sure to note that you are off campus in the Notes field of your book request
We can borrow books for you from other libraries. These books will be shipped to you via UPS and will require a signature upon delivery. When you ship the books back to the UAH Interlibrary Loan Department you must put the books in a secure box, insured the package for at least $100 and use a shipping method that requires a signature upon receipt.
I'm an Off Campus Staff member, how do I request Articles?
We will order articles that you request via Interlibrary Loan and send them to you via your UAH email. If the article can be found in one of our print journals, we will scan it and send to you via your UAH email. Please be sure to note that you are off campus in the Notes field of your article request.
I'm an Off Campus Staff member, how do I request Books?
If the book is part of the Salmon Library's collection we will check the book out to you and ship it via U.S. Postal Service. You will be responsible for the cost of mailing the books back to the library by its due date. Please be sure to note that you are off campus in the Notes field of your book request
We can borrow books for you from other libraries. These books will be shipped to you via UPS and will require a signature upon delivery. When you ship the books back to the UAH Interlibrary Loan Department you must put the books in a secure box, insured the package for at least $100 and use a shipping method that requires a signature upon receipt.
How can I order my own copy of a dissertation?
If a thesis or dissertation is unavailable at another library, it usually can be ordered from ProQuest Dissertation Publishing. Select "Dissertation Express" in the right hand column. Follow the links to search for your item, to place your order and to pay by credit card. This is a patron's personal transaction and not a library-facilitated purchase.
How can I contact the Interlibrary Loan office?
We are located in Room 343 of the Salmon Library (3rd floor of the Central Tower). Our office hours are 8:00 AM - 4:45 PM Monday through Friday. Please come in, call us (256-824-6124 or 256-824-6522) or email us at illuah@uah.edu if you need assistance or have questions.
What should I know about copyright restrictions on interlibrary loans?
Submission of an official interlibrary loan request form indicates that the requester recognizes and agrees to comply with copyright laws and guidelines governing duplication of materials for interlibrary loan.
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 specific 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 copyright law.
NOTE: Interlibrary Loan is not an option to meet the class textbook requirements.