InterLibrary Loan and Document Delivery Services for Faculty

Sawyer Library happily provides document delivery (ILL) services to obtain materials it does not already own or have direct access to.

A Note on Local Library Resources

Boston is an information-rich city with many academic libraries accessible to faculty members and within walking distance from the subway system.

If the materials being sought are available from these libraries, the faculty member might want to visit these locations in person to use the collections directly. This approach is particularly useful if time is important in obtaining needed materials. Sawyer Library’s reference librarians will help identify which library has the materials the requester is seeking. Or, to check local holdings for yourself, you may use our WorldCat.  Most local libraries are open access and have photocopying facilities that the general public can use to copy periodical articles.

Also, please do not assume that Suffolk does not own access to a journal just because the full-text does not link from a particular database. Always check the Full Text Search Engine and the Archer Online Catalog before visiting another library or ordering an article through ILL.

InterLibrary Loan

Library staff makes all reasonable accommodations to further faculty research. ILL requests are accepted and processed within the constraints of available staff resources.

Turnaround Time

Interlibrary loan requesters must allow at least two weeks for materials to arrive. In many cases, journal articles are received much more quickly. And in some rare cases materials may not be available for loan or photocopying or provisions of the copyright law may restrict the library from requesting materials.

Number of Requests

Due to limited staff resources, request processing may be limited to two per day, per individual user.  (That is, we impose no limit on the number of requests you can submit.  We only warn that we may not be able to process all requests immediately.)

Receipt and Return of Materials

Faculty will be notified by phone or e-mail when their materials arrive. If a faculty member prefers, the Library will place the non-returnable material (such as articles) directly into campus mail when received. In addition, some articles are received electronically, and may be converted to PDFs and emailed. Please indicate on your ILL form, if you prefer this option, when available. To prevent loss or damage, returnable items (such as books) must be picked up at, and returned to, the Reference Desk of Sawyer Library.

Please note that the Library cannot fill ILL requests for materials that are already available in the Sawyer, Suffolk Law, or NESADSU libraries in print, microform, or electronic formats. In addition, some materials may be limited to use within the library by the lending institution. If there is a photocopying restriction, it must be honored.

Books are checked out to the requester for the loan period determined by the lending library. Renewals are at the discretion of the lending library. Anyone who borrows a book is responsible for any charges for late, lost or damaged materials. When materials are returned late, or lost, it jeopardizes not only the requester’s borrowing privileges, but also the borrowing privileges of the Sawyer Library. Photocopies or faxes that are not picked up will be discarded 30 days after receipt.

Anyone who consistently abuses interlibrary loan borrowing privileges will be denied the use of the service.

InterLibrary Loan Request Forms

Faculty may fill out paper forms, available at the Reference Desk, or they may choose to use web-based ILL forms to request journal articles and/or books.

If you have any questions about our ILL services or how to verify or locate materials, please contact a Reference Librarian at 617-573-8532 or email us at sawlib@suffolk.edu.  In addition, our ILL assistant, Phally Eth, may be contacted directly at 617-573-8427 or via email at illsawlib@suffolk.edu.