Though we understand that prices are high, the library is unable to borrow course required materials via Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Why?
1 Most libraries in the United States do not include textbooks as part of their collection development policies. Therefore, it can be extremely difficult to locate a library that owns any edition of the needed title (much less the exact edition being used in any given semester.) Even if an edition is located and borrowed, it could be well into the semester before the book arrives.
2 Books borrowed through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) usually take one to two weeks to arrive after they have been located, which results in further delays for the student.
3 Interlibrary Loan (ILL) due dates are relatively short, on the average two weeks. Some libraries will allow a 1 to 2 week renewal while others will not. Rarely is a student able to keep the book for the whole semester.
4 There are not enough copies of textbooks in libraries to accommodate requests for an entire class as demand almost always exceeds supply.
5 Failure to return the items when due often leads to the library’s borrowing privileges being suspended by the lending library. As a result, all patrons suffer when we cannot borrow books from those lenders.