Interlibrary Loan

If the University Libraries (Alkek, RRC, ARC) or the Schneider Music Library do not have the item you need readily available, Interlibrary Loan (ILL) will attempt to borrow a copy or request an article/chapter scan from another library. This is a free service available to current Texas State students, faculty, and staff.

Typical turnaround time for a widely available book is 4-5 days, excluding weekends.  Turnaround time for articles varies but averages 23 hours.

If you need access to an entire book electronically and not just a chapter scan, we recommend submitting a purchase request for the ebook via Acquisitions. 

The following materials are difficult/slow to obtain via interlibrary loan but we will attempt to obtain them:

  • Dissertations and theses
  • Scores
  • Materials primarily held in foreign countries 
  • DVDs, CDs, microform, other media
  • Recently published items and current bestsellers

 

Round Rock Campus (RRC)

Please indicate in your ILLiad account profile and on the request form RRC as the delivery location. Contact the RRC Library for additional assistance, 512.716.4700 or Ask a Librarian@RRC.

Distance Students

Please used ILLiad for article requests only. If you need to borrow a book the University Libraries does not own, please request it through your local public library. To request materials the University Libraries owns to be delivered to you, use the Distance Education Material Request form.

Electronic Delivery

When electronic delivery is possible for article requests, you will be notified via email when the article is available to access.

Alkek Pickup and Return

You may pick up items at the Checkout Desk all hours Alkek is open. Please return items to the Checkout Desk.

RRC Pickup and Return

Pick up and return items at the Information Desk in the RRC Library, Avery Building, Room 255. You will be notified after an item arrives at the RRC Library.

Renewal of ILL Items

Renewals may be requested. However, they are granted at the discretion of the lending institution. Please request an extension several days before the material's due date in ILLiad.

Contact ILL Staff

Alkek ILL

Michelle Williams, 512-245-4893
libraryloan@txstate.edu

RRC ILL

512.716.4700
rrclibrary@txstate.edu
View RRC Library Services

 

Interlibrary Loan FAQ

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  • Interlibrary Loan is restricted to current students, faculty and staff at Texas State University.  If you are not currently affiliated with the university, please contact your nearest public library for interlibrary loan services.

  • Article Requests

    Check Periodical List to see if we have the periodical and the volume/year in electronic format
    Check the catalog to see if we have the periodical and the volume/year in print format

    Books and Media

    Check the catalog

  • No. ILL staff determine which library(ies) to contact in order to borrow the items.

  • Books, media, hard-copy articles:

    Alkek: You may pick up and return items at the Checkout Desk all hours Alkek is open.

    RRC delivery is possible as long as RRC is indicated as the delivery location within ILLiad request / profile. Please contact RRC Library Services for additional information 512-716-4700.

    Electronic delivery:

    If you selected electronic delivery in your ILLiad account, articles are typically sent to your ILLiad account. Log into ILLiad and retrieve them online within your ILLiad account. However, not all lending libraries support electronic delivery. Therefore electronic delivery is not guaranteed.

  • Most libraries lend materials for two weeks, and renewals may be requested. However, renewals are at the discretion of the lending institution to grant renewals. Please request an extension several days before the material's due date.

  • Renewals can be requested in your ILLiad account under View -- Checked Out Items.  Click on the transaction number. If the item is eligible for renewal, you'll be able to request renewal.

    Renewal requests must be done at least three (3) days before the due date.  Renewals are at the discretion of the lending library. Only one renewal request per item is allowed.

  • A notice is sent to patrons with overdue ILL material. Please return the items as soon as possible, so that we won't be billed by the owning library.

    If the lending library sends us an invoice, the patron is responsible for all charges assessed by the lending library. 

    Having excessive incidences of overdue items will result in the permanent revocation of Interlibrary Loan privileges.

  • Because books in the Wittliff Collections do not check out, you may request copies from other libraries through Interlibrary Loan.

  • We are no longer able to borrow textbooks from other libraries. This because we have had problems with students not returning textbooks in time, and we have been billed for the overdue textbooks.

    1. Before making a request, check the library catalog or Periodical List to make sure that the material is not already available to you.
    2. Supply all information including title, author, publisher, date of publication, and edition.
    3. For periodical articles, provide the author, unabbreviated journal name, volume, date of the issue, and page numbers.
    4. Indicate the date after which material is no longer needed.
    5. Indicate the specific source of the citation.

    Valuable time can be lost if ILL staff must contact you to obtain additional information in researching rare/hard to find resources.

  • Faculty Article Delivery Service allows faculty to request articles from the library's print journal collection to be delivered to them electronically. The requests can be submitted in ILLiad.

  • The Graduate Article Delivery Service (GrADS) allows graduate students to request articles from the library's print journal collection to be delivered to them electronically. All GraADS requests are submitted through your ILLiad account.