Interlibrary Loan

Forms | Policies | Renewals | Distance Students | Notification | Alternatives

Interlibrary loan is a courier service through which the CIIS Library obtains materials from other libraries for use by CIIS students, staff and faculty.

Forms

Please read this entire page carefully before filling out any forms

• Article Request Form
• Book Request Form
• Chapter Request Form
• Dissertation/Thesis Request Form
• Distance Student Payment Pre-Authorization Form

• Interlibrary Loan privileges are limited to current CIIS faculty, students and staff.
  
  
• A maximum of TEN interlibrary loan requests PER PERSON can be processed IN THE SAME WEEK.
  
  Please use a separate form for each item requested.
  
  Requests are processed in the order in which they are received. If you have several requests, enter the most important ones first.
  
  
• Only one chapter may be requested from a particular book in a single week. If more than one chapter is desired, request the entire book.
  
  
• While we do our best to obtain interlibrary loan materials for free, occasionally there is a fee from the lending library which we will pass on to patrons. The CIIS Library has no control over a lending library's charges. Most lenders have minimum fees of $5 to $20 for photocopies, regardless of the number of pages copied. If the requested material is older than five years, it may be held on microform, which is more expensive to copy than standard sources. Fees are not limited to photocopies; many lenders charge a fee for lending the actual item.
  
  Patrons must choose on the request form whether they wish to authorize the Library to obtain items that may cost up to $15, or whether they only want items if they are free of charge. The Library will respect the cost parameters indicated; if it would cost more than $15 to obtain the item, we will contact patrons to get permission before going further.
  
  Payment is due when items are picked up at the Library's Circulation Desk.
  
  
• Two attempts (up to ten sources) will be made to locate requested materials through Interlibrary Loan. If none of the attempts are successful, the request will be canceled and the requester notified.
  
  
• Turn-around time is typically from two to four weeks, but it can take longer depending upon mail and workload at the borrowing and lending libraries. Do not anticipate turn-around time of less than two weeks.
  
  
• All materials obtained through Interlibrary Loan are subject to the policies of the lending library and of the National Interlibrary Loan Code. These policies include due dates and copyright restrictions.
  
  
• Patrons are responsible for any charges for overdue materials.
  
  
• Check local resources first before submitting a request. It may be quicker and cheaper to access an item at a local library than to use interlibrary loan.
  
  
• We will make every effort to notify you when we receive your materials, but it is your responsibility to keep track of what is still outstanding.

Renewals

Renewal policies are set by the lending library, not CIIS. Some items may be renewed and some may not. Check the wrapper on the book's front cover to ascertain whether that book may be renewed. To request renewal of an Interlibrary Loan item, contact the Interlibrary Loan department three days before the item is due. Email library@ciis.edu or call (415) 575-6185. Do not use any forms to renew Interlibrary Loan items.

Distance Students

All currently enrolled CIIS students who live outside of the San Francisco Bay Area are considered distance students by the Library. The San Francisco Bay Area includes the following counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara.

As of July 1, 2005, distance students are eligible for interlibrary loan of articles and book chapters. At present, books and dissertations may not be requested.

Distance students must pre-authorize the CIIS Library to charge their credit card before any requests can be filled. Complete the Payment Pre-Authorization Form and mail it to the Library in advance. This will pre-authorize the CIIS Library to charge a credit card in those situations when the request can not be filled for free and the patron has agreed in advance to a fee. The Library will not charge more than the maximum amount specified in the request. The Library will keep all credit card information in a secured file, and update it on a regular basis.

Interlibrary Loan is only for materials not present in the CIIS Library collections. Materials already owned by the CIIS Library can be mailed to distance students via a separate service. More information about this is available on the Distance Students page.

Notification

Journal articles & book chapters, no fee:

• Patrons are not notified of the arrival of journal articles or book chapters that are free of charge.
  
  
• Articles are placed in student or faculty/staff mailboxes.
  
  
• Articles will be mailed to distance students.
  
  
• Journal articles and book chapters need not be returned to the Library.
  

Journal articles & book chapters, fee:

• Patrons are notified by phone and/or email upon arrival of journal articles or book chapters that require payment.
  
  
• Articles or chapters may be retrieved and paid for at the Library's Circulation Desk during Library open hours.
  
  
• Distance students' credit cards will be charged and articles or chapters will be mailed.
  
  
• Journal articles and book chapters need not be returned to the Library.

Books and Dissertations:

• Patrons are notified by phone and/or email upon arrival of each book or dissertation, whether or not payment is required.
  
  
• Books and dissertations may be retrieved (and paid for, if necessary) at the Library's Circulation Desk during Library open hours.
  
  
• Distance students are not eligible for interlibrary loan of entire books or dissertations. Please see Alternatives to Interlibrary Loan below.
  
  
• Books and dissertations must be returned to the CIIS Library by the due date specified on the cover wrapper.

Alternatives to Interlibrary Loan

• CIIS Journal List
  Downloading, e-mailing or printing from full-text databases may obviate the need for requesting an article through Interlibrary Loan. Search the Library's complete Journal List for journals available either in the Library or in full text online.
  
  
• SF Bay Area Libraries
  A nearby library may have the item you want. Links to local library catalogs are available on the CIIS Library Web site at Other Libraries.
  
  
• Northern California Consortium of Psychology Libraries (NCCPL)
  CIIS students, staff and faculty may borrow items directly from NCCPL member libraries.
  
  
• LibDex
  Use LibDex to Find library catalogs online by location or institution throughout the world.
  
  
• WorldCat
  Try also using WorldCat, which searches the contents of thousands of libraries simultaneously.
  
  
• Infotrieve | Ingenta
  If you are in a rush, a commercial document delivery service such as Ingenta (formerly Carl Uncover) or Infotrieve, may be able to help.
  
  
• ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
  Most dissertations and theses from 1996 onward may be downloaded free (CIIS students, staff or faculty only) through ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. Almost all U.S. dissertations can be ordered online or by phone at 1-800-521-3042.