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Interlibrary Loan FAQs

The Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service can be used to acquire items that are not found in the library’s catalog. Please use the appropriate form to submit a request and allow 2-3 weeks for processing. The ILL department will look to acquire the requested item from an outside library, contingent on the lending library’s policies. You can also use this site to check the status of your request.

For more information on the ILL service please see the ILL Tips found below. For help finding citations for your request, see these Citation Resources.

Please see our Purchase Suggestion form if you'd like to recommend that the library add an item to its collection.

What is an Interlibrary Loan?
An interlibrary loan (ILL) is a loan of materials between libraries. When you request an ILL we ask other libraries to loan the materials to us so that we may loan them to you. ILL materials can be obtained from local, state, and national sources.

Who can use Interlibrary Loan?
Anyone with a current and valid Camden County Library System borrower's card can place ILL requests.  

How do I place a request?
A librarian may enter a request for you in person or you may submit a request using one of the options above. Please ask a staff member for assistance if you would like help filling out the form. Remember to check our catalog first to make sure that the item is not already in our collection.

How much does it cost?
While there is no fee to place an ILL request, some lending libraries charge a fee to loan or photocopy materials. We try to avoid borrowing from these libraries, but sometimes they are the only places willing to loan the materials requested. If you are willing to pay such a fee, please indicate the maximum amount when you complete the ILL form. If you do not fill in an amount, we will assume that you do not wish to pay a fee.

What kind of materials can I request?
Please be sure to check our catalog first since ILL is not available for titles owned by the Camden County Library System. If we own the item, you will get it much more quickly by placing a request for our own copy!

In addition to books and photocopies of articles, materials such as DVDs, CDs, Audiobooks, CD-ROMs, and microfilm may also be obtainable as an ILL. However, lending libraries ultimately make the decisions as to whether or not they will send the item to us. 

Most libraries will not lend:

Reference materials
Rare, valuable or fragile items
Genealogical records
Materials in high demand at the lending library
U.S. books published within the current calendar year (you may suggest that we purchase these books ).

What information do I need to place an ILL request?
In addition to the author and title of the item you’re requesting, identifiers such as the ISBN or the OCLC number are the most helpful in terms of us locating the correct item for you. If you need a certain edition or volume, please let us know in the Comments box of the online request form. The more you are able to provide us, the more likely it is that we will be able to quickly locate and borrow the correct item!

For AV materials, please indicate which format you would like us to obtain. You may also indicate in the Comments box of the online form which, if any, alternate formats you will accept.

For articles & photocopies please supply a complete citation including article title, journal/magazine/newspaper name, date of publication or volume and issue number, and page numbers.
 
If you are missing the minimum details, please ask a librarian for assistance before completing an ILL. You can contact our reference librarians at 856-772-1636 x7311 or ref@camdencountylibrary.org. A reference librarian can assist you in researching the item and finding the information needed to complete your request!

How can I check the status of my ILL requests?
You may check the status of your request by logging into My Camcat and clicking on the ILL link. You will see a list of your outstanding ILL requests along with their status.

The status will either show as "Awaiting Arrival," which means that the request is still in process, or "Ready for Pickup," which means that the item has arrived and is on being held for you.

Please note -- If the request was just entered, it may not yet appear on your account. The Interlibrary Loan staff must actually begin to process the request before it will appear. Since they work during regular business hours, a request entered in the evening, may not appear on your record until the following morning.

How can I identify items that might be available for ILL?
First check our collection for items in your area of interest by using Camcat and our selection of databases. If your research takes you beyond our collection, you can try these web sites for ideas:

Search the catalogs of libraries all over the state of New Jersey
Catalog.loc.gov – The Library of Congress catalog
Amazon.com
Barnesandnoble.com
Worldcat.org

The more libraries that own the item, the higher the chance that we will be able to obtain a copy for you. A librarian can also show you other sources of information in our reference collection that may list items of interest.

How many times can I use this service?
We will process 5 requests per day per patron. You may have a total of 28 requests in process at one time.

How long does it take?
The amount of time varies and depends upon the item, its location, and the delivery method. On the average, materials arrive within 2-6 weeks, therefore it is important to plan ahead!

What if I need my materials more quickly?

For photocopies of articles, another local library may own the magazine or journal needed. If they do, you may be able to go to that library and photocopy the materials yourself. The New Jersey Union List of Serials can help you identify which New Jersey libraries own a particular magazine or journal. 

There are also commercial document delivery services that will fax, e-mail or mail articles directly to you for a fee. These services usually specialize in scholarly materials. One commercial document delivery service is The Copyright Clearance Center.

How will you notify me that materials have arrived?
You can check the status of your requests by viewing your library record in Camcat. If your request has arrived, then it will have “Ready for Pickup” next to the title. We also send notices by e-mail or US mail.

Once I've been notified, how long do I have to pick up the item?
ILL materials are held for 7 days after notification; it is advisable to pick up your item as soon as possible.

How long can materials be kept?
Most ILL materials have a three-week loan period, although the lender may specify a shorter loan period. Photocopies do not need to be returned. 

Occasionally a lending library will loan an item but restrict it to Library Use Only. In this case the item is held at the library and may not be taken home, however you are allowed access to the item as many times as you’d like until it has to be sent back.

To maintain good relations with lending libraries, it is very important to honor due dates for ILL materials!

How can I reset or change my password?
If you need to request a new password, or would like to change your current password, please follow these instructions. 

 

Questions?
If you are visiting the library and have further questions, please ask a librarian for assistance. You may also contact reference librarians or ILL staff by telephone at 856-772-1636 x7316, or by e-mail at ref@camdencountylibrary.org or ill@camdencountylibrary.org. 


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