Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary loan policyRequest a bookRequest a journal article

Purpose of interlibrary loan

Interlibrary loan (ILL) is a service provided to obtain academic materials which are not available at the GCC Library, the broader CW MARS library consortium, and the Massachusetts Commonwealth Catalog for the purpose of meeting the information needs of the GCC academic community. The conditions of this service are set by the Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States, 2016 (adopted by the American Library Association).

What is interlibrary loan? 

Interlibrary loan obtains academic materials not available at GCC, such as:

  • Copies of journal articles 
  • Copies of book chapters
  • Books and media, both in physical and electronic form
  • Books and some materials reproduced in microform, such as newspapers
  • Photocopies of non- circulating materials, primarily periodicals, can be requested in accordance with the copyright laws.

Interlibrary loans are provided to you free of charge. We absorb most fees charged by other libraries for supplying materials via ILL.

Users of ILL services may be responsible for overdue fees and/or replacement costs arising from their requests.

Who may use interlibrary loan

  • Current Greenfield Community College students, faculty, and staff may use GCCs interlibrary loan service.
  • This service is not available to alumni, or to public borrowers. 

 Materials not available or subject to be canceled

We will contact you in the event that a request is canceled. Though we will attempt to fill almost any request submitted, the following types of material often are difficult to obtain through interlibrary loan:

  • Books owned by this library that are currently checked out
  • recent, unmicrofilmed or undigitized newspapers
  • Dissertations
  • Videotapes and bulky or fragile items.
  • Recently published items
  • Textbooks, study guides, and workbooks (note that we do not request textbooks for class use)
  • Entire volumes or issues of periodicals
  • Reference works
  • Rare and/or fragile books and original manuscripts
  • Audiovisual materials and computer software

Turnaround time

Plan ahead when requesting materials, as turnaround time varies according to lending institution. Depending on the type of request, three days to four weeks may be needed for the lending libraries to search, process, and fill each ILL request. 

Loan period & restrictions

  • Loan periods vary. The lending library determines the loan period, options for renewal and any restrictions on use. You must adhere to any conditions placed by the lending library regarding the use of their material. 
  • All materials borrowed via interlibrary loan are subject to recall by the lender at any time.
  • Please contact us in advance if you would like us to request a renewal from the loaning library. Late return of materials jeopardizes the ability of the GCC Library to borrow from other libraries in the future.

Picking up and returning materials

  • Books/items will be held for 7 days after arrival for you to pick up at the circulation desk of the library. If you require more time to pick up the item(s), please contact us as soon as you are able. 
  • All materials borrowed through ILL must be returned to the library’s circulation desk or the drop box outside the library on the third floor of the main building. ILL material cannot be returned to your public library or any other CW MARS library

Accessibility 

Please let us know in the last section of the request form, or consult with the interlibrary loan staff if you have accessibility requirements for the material you are requesting. For example, books in large print. 

  • Copies typically arrive electronically in PDF format. 

Still have questions about ILL? Email or contact the library.