Interlibrary Loan

Current faculty, staff, and credit students of LCCC are eligible for interlibrary loan services.

Alumni and community card patrons are not eligible for interlibrary loan services.

The length of time it will take for materials to arrive depends on a variety of factors. In general, you should expect physical items to take 1-2 weeks to arrive and electronic resources to take at least 4 days to arrive. Please be aware that items may take longer than these estimates to arrive, so plan accordingly.

Contact a librarian and we will find what options are available. We may be able to find the item at a local public library that you can visit, or we may be able to find an alternative item that will suit your needs.

Interlibrary loan is a free service. We will not request from lenders who charge for items. Lost or damaged items are the responsibility of the borrower and replacement fees will be charged.

First check the Library’s catalog to be sure we do not already own this material. For articles check Full-Text Periodicals: Electronic & Print to see if the complete article can be obtained from one of the library’s databases. If the item is not found, submit an Interlibrary Loan online request form.  Include as much of the requested information as possible. Audiovisual and audio recordings requests may be entered on the book form.

Please include all requested information, especially your L# and College email address (@mymail.lccc.edu for students). After you submit the form, a confirmation screen will appear. If you see the confirmation screen, the request has been sent for review.

• If you need help with your citation, decoding an abbreviation, verifying a reference, or finding additional or substitute sources, just ask a librarian at the Service Desk (610-799-1150).
• Add any additional information that will help the ILL Librarian obtain the item you want in Other Information field, such as a specific edition or format, a specific language, etc.

All material types may be requested, but the service is usually used for book and periodical article requests. We will try to obtain any type of material but the following materials might not be available or might be hard to obtain through Interlibrary Loan:

• Videos, DVDs, CDs, and other audiovisual items are not lent by all libraries, but we will try to obtain these materials for you.
• Requests which exceed copyright limitations may not be obtained.
• Materials that are owned by LCCC will not be requested. If a book is checked out at LCCC, we will place a hold on it for you.
• Non-circulating materials such as reference books, maps, bound periodicals, whole issues of periodicals, reserve materials, rare or archival.
• Ebooks are not lent. We may be able to attain a single chapter from a non-fiction book.
• Genealogical material is not lent by some libraries. The Library of Congress does not lend genealogical items.
• Computer software is not lent.
• Books published during the current year or very new books are not lent by many libraries. We will not request books that have been published within the last 6 months.
• Theses or dissertations are usually only lent if a library owns more than one copy.
• Textbooks for courses in which the requesting student is enrolled will not be requested.

Faculty: Please note that items obtained through interlibrary loan may not be used as course reserves. Please contact the library for specifics.

No, we will search based on our lending groups and availability.

You will be sent an email to your college email letting you know once your item has been received by the library. If you have requested to pick up the item at one of the sites, you will be given further information.

Students may have 10 ILL requests in process at the same time. Staff and faculty do not have a limit, but all of their requests might not be processed at the same time.

The lending library determines the loan period. Most loans are for about 3 weeks. LCCC must return the item by its due date in order to maintain in good standing with the lending library. Interlibrary Loan is a privilege extended by the lending library. If the lending library recalls your ILL item, you must return it to the Service Desk as soon as possible. A few ILL items may only be used in the Rothrock Library. Photocopies of articles are yours to keep.

Renewals should only be requested in unusual circumstances for ILL materials. If you need a renewal, you should contact the Service Desk (610-799-1150) or the Interlibrary Loan personnel (610-799-1163) before the original due date. ILL items cannot be renewed online. You may continue to use the material until you are contacted with the new due date. The library which lent the book will determine the new due date or deny the renewal request.

ILL books should be returned to the Service Desk in the Rothrock Library in Schnecksville. Faculty and staff may send them in an interoffice envelope to the Service Desk. Students at LCCC Tamaqua at the Morgan Center or LCCC Allentown at the Donley Center should return the ILL book to the main office at their center who will send them to the Rothrock Library. Please keep any paperwork in the book when it is returned. Photocopies do not need to be returned. Students must return their ILL books before the end of the semester or grades may be blocked.

You are responsible for the payment of the fee set by the lending library for any lost or damaged ILL books. Patrons who abuse the privilege of ILL may have their ILL privileges restricted or limited.

• Interlibrary Loan Librarian: 610-799-1163; lehighcarbonill@lccc.edu
• Service Desk: 610-799-1150; rothrock@lccc.edu
• Ask a Librarian