Revised 11.23.2021

Current Milligan University students, faculty, and staff may borrow items not held by Milligan Libraries from other lending libraries utilizing Interlibrary Loan. This service is not available to alumni or community borrowers. If you are a student in a distance education program be sure to also read the section below entitled “Interlibrary Loan for Distance Students.”

Interlibrary loan requests for books and audiovisual media can be made directly from within the Online Catalog. From the full item record (by clicking on the title link), click on the “Request via Interlibrary Loan” button under the “Check Availability” tab. Fill in the required fields on the form and click “Submit”. Library staff will process and submit your request. You will receive an email when the item arrives, which can be picked up from the Circulation Desk at either Welshimer or Seminary Library location. During the academic year, library staff will deliver items requested by faculty and staff to staff/departmental mailboxes in Derthick Hall. This tutorial will provide you with more information about using the interlibrary loan service within the Online Catalog.

Interlibrary loan requests for journal articles can be made directly from within Milligan OneSearch or an EBSCOhost database by clicking the “Request via Interlibrary Loan” link on the associated item record. Journal article requests and requests for individual book chapters can also be made utilizing the webform under the “Campus & Interlibrary Loan” menu on the library website. Fill in all required fields. Include as much citation information as possible (e.g., Volume, Issue, Chapter Number, Pages) to assure accurate request fulfillment. Filled article and chapter requests are typically delivered to your Milligan University email as an attachment or link to a document retrieval system. Adobe Reader or other PDF viewer software is required to open and view articles.

Important notes regarding interlibrary loan:

• Please help Milligan Libraries staff to assist you. Confirm that Milligan Libraries doesn’t have local holdings for needed books, media, or journal articles before placing an interlibrary loan request. Consult information resource discovery tools (Online Catalog, Milligan OneSearch, and Journals Full Text Finder) on the library website.
• Milligan Libraries is committed to the accurate and timely processing of all interlibrary loan requests. However, a variety of factors influence the length of time required to fill requests. The library is unable to provide a guaranteed delivery date. Please allow plenty of lead time when requesting items. Average time to receive are 5 days for articles and 2 weeks for books.
• In rare instances, libraries assess a charge for lending interlibrary loan items. Milligan Libraries will pay this charge on your behalf. However, before filling the affected request you will be notified by email and asked to confirm your continuing need for the requested item. Once confirmation is received, we will process your request immediately.
• The library does not fill student requests for textbooks through interlibrary loan.
• The library will fill interlibrary loan requests for items in its holdings that are unavailable because they are billed, missing, or in repair. The library will also consider filling requests for a print version of a book that is locally held in ebook format. Contact the User Services Librarian for assistance.
• Books and media borrowed through interlibrary loan typically include a label or strap with an item due date. Do not remove this label or strap. Return interlibrary loan items to the Welshimer or Seminary Library Circulation Desk on or before the posted due date.
• Milligan Libraries will not fill interlibrary loan requests for users whose library account is blocked for long overdue items (35 days overdue for staff/students; 65 days overdue for faculty).
• Milligan Libraries reserves the right to block the library account of any user with interlibrary loans that are more than 14 days overdue or that have been recalled by the lending library. You will be notified via email if an item has been recalled. Interlibrary loan items may be renewed at the lending library’s discretion provided they are not overdue or recalled. Contact the User Services Librarian to request a renewal.
• If Milligan Libraries is invoiced for an overdue interlibrary loan item, the user who requested the item is responsible for payment unless returned. If the item is not returned to the library within 7 days, Milligan Libraries will pay the invoice, but the requester will then be charged the amount owed plus a $20.00 processing fee.
• Loss of or damage to an interlibrary loan item will result in a $20.00 processing charge per item in addition to any fees charged by the lending library.
• Contact the User Services Librarian with any questions or concerns.

Interlibrary Loan for Distance Students

Milligan Libraries is committed to serving the Milligan University learning community with relevant, quality information resources (books, journal articles, media, and online resources) necessary for the completion of course assignments and conducting research. This commitment is extended to students enrolled in distance education programs with as little restriction as possible, including accessing needed information resources from other libraries via interlibrary loan.

Journal articles requested through Interlibrary Loan. Distance students needing access to journal articles that are not available in full-text, either from the library’s print periodicals (from which scans can be requested) or in an online journal database to which the library subscribes, should follow the instructions above.

Books and media requested through Interlibrary Loan. Distance students needing access to physical books and media that are not available in Milligan Libraries’ holdings should contact the user Services Librarian for assistance in securing needed items. If alternative means or resources are not available, students may request these at no charge via the library’s Interlibrary Loan service.

It is important to understand that book and media items requested on the student’s behalf from another library have to first be received by Milligan Libraries and then shipped to the student’s address. This will add significantly to shipping times. Since return due dates are set by the lending library, usable borrowing time may be significantly reduced. Additionally, as with items borrowed from Milligan Libraries’ holdings, the student assumes responsibility for any costs associated with lost, damaged, or otherwise non-returned (non-received) items as imposed by the lending library plus a $20 per item processing fee.

Follow this procedure closely:

1. Search the Online Catalog. Confirm there are no holdings for requested item(s) at Milligan Libraries.
2. Open the full Catalog item record (by clicking on the title link). Click the “Request via Interlibrary Loan” button under the “Check Availability” tab. Fill out and submit the webform. All information must be supplied to assure accurate and timely processing of requests.
3. Once the request has been successfully submitted, send an email to library @ milligan.edu with the subject line: “Distance Student ILL Request.” In the body of the email include your NAME, MILLIGAN ID BARCODE NUMBER (begins 41881…), ITEM TITLE, SHIPPING ADDRESS, and DATE NEEDED. (Delivery by needed date cannot be guaranteed. But this helps the library determine whether shipping by date needed is feasible.) A separate email is required for each item requested.
4. Once items are received by Milligan Libraries from the lending library, they will be shipped to the student’s address via USPS Media Mail at no charge. Students should save the enclosed pre-paid return shipping envelope for returns. (If the pre-paid return shipping envelope is misplaced, damaged, or otherwise not used, students will need to return borrowed items to Milligan Libraries at their own expense.)
5. Due dates for returning requested items are set by the lending library. Students must allow sufficient time to return items to Milligan Libraries before the due date. It may be possible to request additional checkout time on items. However, this must be done before the current due date, and is not guaranteed. Contact the User Services Librarian for more information and assistance.
6. Books and media must be returned to Milligan Libraries before the due date. Items should be carefully and securely packaged with provided pre-paid return shipping envelope, and dropped off at the nearest US Post Office.
7. Student is responsible for any costs associated with lost, damaged, or otherwise non-returned (non-received) items as imposed by the lending library plus a $20 per item processing fee.