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UCSC DOCUMENT DELIVERY SERVICES

Frequently asked questions about Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery

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UCSC faculty, staff and currently enrolled students. Community patrons and UC alumni should consult with their local public library.   [top]

How much does an interlibrary loan cost?

Though we provide ILL services to eligible UCSC patrons at no cost, the average cost spent by a research library to acquire a research item through interlibrary loan was $18.62 in 1993. Please request only those materials necessary for your research, retrieve items promptly after being notified of their receipt, and return materials on or before the due date. [top]

How to request an interlibrary loan (ILL)?

The fastest and most accurate method for UCSC users to borrow items from other libraries is to use the "Request" feature available in:

• Melvyl ... show me how
• Article Indexes and Databases (using "UC-eLinks) ... show me how

If you are unable to use "Request" above, use one of the following forms:

• Book Request Form
• Article Request Form
• Book Chapter Request Form

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CDL Request is a program that allows authenticated users to place requests directly from the Melvyl catalog or, via the UC-eLinks function, directly from various article databases.   For more information about CDL Request, see:

• How to Use Request with Melvyl (books)

• How to Use Request with Article Databases (largely articles)

What if UCSC owns the item?

An ILL request may be placed for an UCSC-owned item, provided the item is currently checked out to another patron, is declared lost or missing, and is available elsewhere in the UC system.  Materials that are available in the Reserve Book Service may not be secondarily requested through the ILL service. Requests for items on Reserve at either McHenry or the Science & Engineering Library will be canceled. [top]

Book Loans

When an item is borrowed for your use, the lending library will determine the length of the loan period, indicate whether that period may be extended by a renewal, and/or stipulate any restrictions on the use of the book. For example, when lending a rare or valuable book, a library may specify that it must be used only in the borrowing library building or that it may not be photocopied. [top]

Journals

Libraries rarely lend entire issues or volumes of journals. Most libraries will provide photocopies or electronic copies of journal articles rather than send the issue. If a photocopy is sent it then becomes the property of the requesting individual. [top]

How Long Does It Take?

75% of all materials obtained from within the UC system of libraries arrives within 3-5 working days. The fastest method for requesting materials is via CDL Request. Materials not owned within the UC system that are requested from elsewhere take an appreciably longer period of time to arrive.  In some instances, materials may not be available.  This is especially true for rare and unique items.  If items are requested during peak activity periods such as mid-terms and finals, processing time will be delayed. [top]

Notification of Materials' Arrival

We will inform you by e-mail about the arrival of ILL materials.  Therefore, it is very important that an accurate e-mail address is included with each request.  Inquiries about the status of a request may be made to the ILL Office via e-mail ill@library.ucsc.edu or phone 459-2234. Please note that when using Request, you have the option to confirm your order by sending yourself an email. For items ordered through Request, you may first receive your confirmation email, and then another email saying your ILL order has arrived. [top]

Picking Up Materials

Materials are held for pickup at the Circulation Desk of either McHenry Library or the Science & Engineering Library. Materials must be picked up by the person making the request or their proxy. You must present your UCSC library card to pickup the material. UCSC faculty, staff and graduate students may select campus delivery of their ILL items. For materials delivered via the Web, borrowers will be emailed with instructions on how to retrieve the item. [top]

Returns & Renewals

 ILL due dates and other restrictions (library use only, no photocopying, no renewal, etc.) are set by the lending library and must be adhered to.  The date due and lending restrictions are noted on the green strap wrapped around each item. Materials can be returned at the drop box under the Interlibrary Loan window, or at either circulation desk.

To ensure that ILL materials are renewed properly, please submit renewal requests between two weeks before and two weeks after the due date.  Renewals may be requested at http://library.ucsc.edu/services/ill/renew_form.html.

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What If My ILL Item is Overdue?

ILL books are renewable beginning two weeks before the due date and ending two weeks after the due date. Four weeks after the due date, the item is billable. Patrons with an ILL bill charged to their account will be blocked from using library services until the book is returned or the fines are paid. [top]

Borrowing Standards

Your adherence to the borrowing regulations specified by the lending library are critical to the continued use of that institution's resources by this university.

The UCSC Library subscribes to the National Interlibrary Loan Code of the American Library Association as well as to regional agreements. We also adhere strictly to copyright law.  [top]

UCSC Document Delivery Service, a division of ILL

The UCSC Document Delivery Service (DDS) is a convenient method available to UCSC faculty, staff and graduate students for requesting materials from the UCSC collection.  Both circulating books and photocopies of articles will be sent to a patron's campus department.  A fee, as noted below, is associated with photocopies of articles.

Document Delivery does not provide delivery of non-circulating material, i.e. whole issues/volumes of bound journals, microfilm, materials on reserve, Reference, Special Collections, or Film & Music Center material. We cannot provide copies or scans of articles available on microfilm. You will need to visit the library to view these materials. Articles that are available on the web via Cruzcat will not be provided through Document Delivery.

• Who is eligible to use DDS?
  This service is for UCSC faculty, staff and graduate students requesting materials to be delivered to UCSC campus addresses only.  
• Submitting DDS Requests
  DDS requests may be submitted by Request.  For materials requested via CDL, please select "UCSC Document Delivery Service" under the "Campus Document Delivery Service" heading.  UCSC materials, requested via DDS, will be paged, checked out to the patron and delivered through campus mail to UCSC campus addresses only.
• Document Delivery requests that cannot be filled from either McHenry or the Science & Engineering Library will automatically be forwarded to Interlibrary Loan. If you place an Interlibrary Loan request for a book that is held at a UCSC library, it will be sent to you as if it were a Document Delivery request.
  
  Please note: This means if you place a Document Delivery request for an item that is checked out, we will get the book from another library. If you need the UCSC copy, you should recall the book.
• Fees
  A fee of $3.50 per article will be charged for photocopies or scans of UCSC materials. If an article is available online through the Cruzcat catalog, the patron will be notified and the request canceled. Copying of materials is based on compliance with copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code).

For more information, stop by the ILL/Document Delivery office on the main floor of the McHenry Library, email us at ill@library.ucsc.edu, or call 459-2234.

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