Making Requests
1. What is the Interlibrary Loan Service?
2. How can I ensure that my request is processed as quickly as possible?
3. Is there a charge or fee for Interlibrary Loan?
4. Is there a limit or quota on how much I can use Interlibrary Loan?
Technical/Access Issues
1. Why do I need a username and password to use ILL?
2. What if I forget my password?
3. What Web browser should I use?
4. Why does my browser say that you're sending a cookie? What's in it?
5. How do I get Adobe Acrobat Reader?
Getting Requested Materials
1. How will I be notified?
2. Why was my request was cancelled?
3. How will I receive my materials?
4. How long can I keep the materials?
5. May I renew materials?
6. How do I get my articles when they arrive?
7. How do I know which requests will be electronically delivered and which ones will not?
8. What is electronic delivery?
9. How do I know if my computer can receive electronic articles?
10. What if I have questions about electronic delivery?
11. Why don't I see all my older requests when I look at my request history?
12. My item hasn't arrived. What do I do?
Returning Requested Materials
1. How will I return my materials?
2. I need a new return mailer.
3. How can I tell if the materials I returned arrived at the University at Buffalo Libraries?
4. Will I be fined for overdue materials?
5. Can materials that I have out be recalled?
6. I returned my materials but my account says they're still out. What's going on?
Other
How do I update my address and other information?
Who do I contact if I have problems with or questions about this service?
ANSWERS
Making Requests
1. What is the Interlibrary Loan Service?
This is an ongoing cooperative ILL project that allows Empire State College graduate students and tenure-track faculty to request materials from the circulating collections at the University Buffalo's libraries. The State University of New York at Buffalo has the largest research library in the entire SUNY system, with more than 3.6 million volumes. Collectively, the Arts and Sciences, Health Sciences, Law, and Music Libraries are ranked among the top 60 research libraries in the North American continent. Books not available through the University at Buffalo may be purchased for their collection from Alibris or Amazon.com, and shipped to you. Articles not available through the University at Buffalo may be borrowed from another institution and delivered electronically.
2. How can I ensure that my request is processed as quickly as possible?
First confirm that the materials you are requesting are not available through the Empire State College library's online collections. You should check our E-book Catalog for books and the FReD journal tool for articles before submitting any Interlibrary Loan request.
Next, please be sure to include full bibliographic information for the materials you are requesting. Information to include, if possible:
| For Books: | For Journal Articles: |
- correct spelling of the authors' first and last names
- full title
- publication date (and, if applicable, edition)
- ISBN, if available
- Information where you found this title
|
- correct spelling of the authors' first and last names
- the full title of the article
- full title of the journal
- volume and issue/number of the journal
- page range of the article, or at least the starting page
- publication date
- ISSN, if available
- Information where you found this citation
|
3. Is there a charge or fee for Interlibrary Loan?
Borrowers are not charged for using Interlibrary Loan. The costs are covered by Empire State College.
4. Is there a limit or quota on how much I can use Interlibrary Loan?
Users are limited to a maximum of 15 items at a given time. This includes requests in process and items checked out (in your hands or in transit.)
Technical/Access Issues
1. Why do I need a username and password to use ILL?
Your username and password allows us to give you secure access to information about your interlibrary loan requests. You can also edit your contact and shipping information.
2. What if I forget my password?
In the event that you forget your password, please contact library at ill@esc.edu or call 800-847-3000 ext. 2222. We can reset your password so you can access ILLiad. Please change your password once you log on to ILLiad.
3. What Web browser should I use?
We recommend either Internet Explorer or Firefox.
4. Why does my browser say that you're sending a cookie? What's in it?
The technology that we use sends a Session ID to be stored on your machine. You can refuse this cookie and still be able to use ILLiad without any problems.
5. How do I get Adobe Acrobat Reader?
Adobe Acrobat Reader is available without charge from Adobe Systems, Inc. Click the "Get Adobe Reader" button to go directly to the download page.
Getting Requested Materials
1. How will I be notified?
You must submit a valid e-mail address to receive notification of the status of your request. You will also receive notifications of cancellations, due dates, recalls and overdue notices.
2. Why was my request was cancelled?
Requests may be cancelled for a number of reasons.
- The item may be available through the Empire State College Library
- The book, journal title, or that particular issue of the journal may not be obtainable through any source we have available to us
- The book may be out of the library at the time you requested it
- It may be a non-circulating item like a reference book or part of their special collections
- It may be a kind of material that is not provided through the Interlibrary Loan Service, like a thesis or dissertation.
3. How will I receive my materials?
Journal articles and some book chapters will be made available to you to read and download through the ILL system. You will need the free, downloadable software application Adobe Reader to open these PDF documents. For more information, refer to the detailed information below on electronic delivery.
Books and most audio, visual, and multimedia materials will be delivered by parcel post to your home or office address. University at Buffalo cannot ship to P.O. boxes. Please submit an address at which someone will be present to sign for a package - yourself, a trusted neighbor, or mailroom staff. UPS will attempt to deliver your package 3 times before returning it to the sender. These materials will be shipped with a return mailer that is already addressed and postage-paid. Put the mailer in a safe place, because you will need it to return the books to the University at Buffalo.
If the University at Buffalo has to purchase the book you requested, then the book will be shipped to you from Amazon.com or Alibris. A pre-addressed, postage-paid mailer will be shipped separately from the University at Buffalo. You must use this mailer to send the book to the University at Buffalo by its due date.
4. For how long can I keep the materials?
The loan period is 30 days.
5. May I renew materials?
You may renew materials up to the date they are due. Renewed items may be kept for an additional 30 days after their original due date. You may renew only once.
To renew your materials, log in. In the View menu, click Checked Out Items. Click the link for the item you want to renew. Then click the button for Renew This Item.
6. How do I get my articles when they arrive?
- Logon to the library's ILL site.
- From the main menu, click the "Electronically Received Articles" link under the View Requests options.
- A list will be displayed containing all of the items that you have waiting to be viewed or downloaded.
7. How do I know which requests will be electronically delivered and which ones will not?
The library sends you an e-mail notification for each item received. That e-mail will include information about the delivery method.
8. What is electronic delivery?
Some libraries ship photocopies of articles to us in electronic format. In the past those would be printed out and you would have to pick them up or have them mailed to you. Now, through ILLiad, we are able to offer you the option of electronic delivery of these articles in PDF format (Adobe's Portable Document Format). You can read more about electronic delivery on the Electronic Delivery Information page.
9. How do I know if my computer can receive electronic articles?
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader installed and configured to work with your Web browser in order to view, download, and print these articles. If you can read the sample page, then your computer has the necessary software installed to work with your Web browser. However, if your computer tells you the file type is unknown and asks if you want to save the file to disk, then you need to install the Adobe Acrobat Reader software.
10. What if I have questions about electronic delivery?
You can e-mail questions to ill@esc.edu or call us at 800 847-3000 x2222.
11. Why don't I see all my older requests when I look at my request history?
From time to time we purge older records from ILLiad. Our policy is to keep requests online for several years order to comply with record keeping requirements of the copyright law.
12. My materials haven't arrived. What do I do?
First, have you moved? You must change your address in the system so that your items will be shipped to you. Check with your old address to see if somebody picked up the packages for you. You can contact Sarah DiThomas - sfd@buffalo.edu - about missing items. Please indicate that you are an Empire State College borrower in your message.
Returning Requested Materials
1. How do I return my materials?
Materials that you receive in electronic format (journal articles, etc.) do not need to be returned. Books and multimedia will come with a pre-addressed, prepaid mailer, which you must use to send them back to University at Buffalo. Books that the University at Buffalo purchased from Amazon.com or Alibris were shipped to you from that vendor, but must be returned to the University at Buffalo in the pre-addressed, postage-paid mailer that was shipped to you separately.
2. I need a new mailer.
If you need a new mailer, send an e-mail to Sarah DiThomas - sfd@buffalo.edu - to arrange for a new one. Indicate that you are an Empire State College borrower in the e-mail. Please request your new mailer in plenty of time to return your materials before their due date (at least a week)!
3. How can I tell if the materials I returned arrived at the University at Buffalo Libraries?
Every UPS package has a tracking number. Before you send your materials back in their designated mailer, note the tracking number (located beneath the barcode.) You can use that tracking number to find out the current status of the package at the UPS website here.
4. Will I be fined for overdue materials?
It is up to the University at Buffalo's discretion whether and when they bill you for overdue, lost, and missing materials.
5. Can materials that I have out be recalled?
Yes. If the material you have is recalled, you will receive a notice by e-mail. You will have 14 days to return the materials to the University at Buffalo library, or you will be responsible for overdue fines.
6. I returned my materials but my account says they're still out. What's going on?
Sometimes shipping takes longer than expected. If you returned your books more than a week ago, but they are still listed as overdue, please contact Sarah DiThomas - sfd@buffalo.edu. Be sure to mention that you are an Empire State College borrower. It's a good idea to keep your UPS tracking number handy.
Other
How do I update my name, address, e-mail address, or phone number?
Log in via http://www.esc.edu/ill. In the left side navigation column under Tools, click on Change Personal Information. Alter your information as needed and click Submit Information. The changes will take effect immediately. If you have moved, you must change your address in the system or you will not receive materials shipped to you.
Who do I contact if I have problems with or questions about ILLiad?
You can e-mail questions to the library at ill@esc.edu or call us at 800 847-3000 x2222.
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