Do I have access to Interlibrary Loan or I-Share? How do I get something you don't have?
Answer
Overview
Current students/faculty/staff are welcome to place requests for items we do not have via I-Share or Interlibrary Loan (ILL).
Articles: All articles are received electronically within 2-3 business days; requests must be placed via Interlibrary Loan. You will receive an email to your CLC email account when your item(s) are available for download.
Books and other physical items: All books, DVDs, CDs, etc. are delivered to us via mail or courier. Requests can be delayed depending on shipping times, library availability, and which system you used to place your request. Please plan up to 3-5 business days to receive items from I-Share and 7-10 business days to receive items via Interlibrary loan. You will receive an email to your CLC email account when your item(s) are available for pickup.
Due to licensing restrictions we are unable to obtain ebooks via ILL or I-Share.
Which system should I use?
Whenever possible, use I-Share to place requests. Items are more readily available and will be received in much shorter time periods.
As noted above, use InterLibrary Loan for all article requests.
What's the difference between the systems?
I-Share is a consortial borrowing agreement between libraries in the state of Illinois. Because your request is "self-initiated" the process is much faster. There is a standard route run between libraries further speeding up receiving times.
InterLibrary Loan requires you to place a request which is then sent along to a string of possible borrowing libraries. While a library close by may have your item, it is not guaranteed to come from a local source. As a result, items may come from libraries country-wide and can often take longer to arrive due to mailing times and delays.