Library Services and Resources During COVID-19

What you need to know about new Interlibrary Loan requests 

Requests for digital/electronic items

• Requests for electronic articles will be filled within a typical timeframe (usually between 1 and 14 days, generally closer to 1 than 14, depending on the availability of the requested item within lending libraries).
• Requests for digital scans of book chapters may take longer than typical to fill than electronic articles based on lending library availability. 
• Requests for ebooks are welcome, but very few ebook publishers give libraries the copyright license to share ebooks through ILL. Keep an eye on your BSU email account for further information or questions about your request when requesting an ebook.

Requests for physical items

• Requests for all physical items (books, media, etc.) are filled when possible.
  • Expect up to a 7 day delay in receiving your requested physical material because of various material quarantine practices and decreased USPS mailing speeds across the country. 
  • Some libraries in the country are still unable to loan physical materials, which may limit our ability to acquire every item requested.
  • Keep an eye on your BSU email account for further information or questions about your request when requesting a physical material. 

Delivery of Materials

If you are unwilling or unable to pick up your requested material from the library, we will mail your material to you. Request delivery by:

• Request an ILL as usual
• When the material arrives at the library, you receive an email with the subject line "Your requested item is available"
• Reply to this email notifying us that you'd like this material delivered along with your home address, dorm room, or office number
• We will let you know when the material is in the mail

We thank you for your patience as we continue interlibrary loan services while following social distancing, material quarantine, and other COVID-19 guidelines.

Returns

You have several options if you would like to return your interlibrary loan library books. You can either:

1. Drop them off in the A. C. Clark Library’s outside drop box any time
2. Return them at the drop box of any library on this list 
3. Email interlibraryloan@bemidjistate.edu to request a postage-paid mailing label to mail the materials back to us.

When an electronic version of a physical material is available through online BSU resources or generally accessible online, ILL staff will not attempt to acquire the preferred physical format for the patron.