Eligibility for Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery Services
Interlibrary Loan services are available at no charge to WashU Medicine affiliates. Service fees are charged to non-WashU affiliated BJH and SLCH physicians and staff.
Borrower’s Obligations
Borrowing materials from another institution is a privilege. You are expected to honor any restrictions that are stipulated by the lending library.
Special ILL Loan Restrictions
Lending libraries sometimes place special restrictions on the use of loaned items, as explained below.
Library Use Only
The lending library will not allow the item to be taken from Becker Medical Library. This means that you may check the item out from interlibrary loan and we will hold your picture ID while you use the material within the library building. When you return the item, please tell us you are finished with the item or will need us to hold it for further use.
No Renewals
The lending library will not allow renewals. This is a condition for borrowing from them. Such items cannot be renewed and must be returned by the original due date.
No Photocopying
The lending library will not allow the item to be photocopied. There may be copyright restrictions on the item, or the item may be subject to damage during photocopying. Please honor this restriction so we may retain our borrowing privileges.
Time Required
During most of the year, it takes an average of two days to obtain an article and five days to obtain a book through interlibrary loan. These times may increase by 40 to 50 percent during December due to holiday mail delays coinciding with increased end-of-semester workloads at the lending libraries. Many non-medical libraries do not lend at all during the winter holidays extending from mid-December through early January.
We cannot predict the delivery time for any particular request. We do know, however, that:
- The average turn-around time for receiving books is 5.43 days.
- The average turn-around time for photocopies is 24 hours.
- If you have an emergency need for a book or document, please ask the interlibrary loan staff for assistance.
Copyright Law and Library Photocopying
The full text of the copyright law can be found in the United States Code, Title 17-Copyrights. Copyright owners are assigned exclusive rights to their works, including the right to reproduce those works. The law defines several limits on exclusive rights that allow others to make copies of copyrighted works. Those engaged in teaching and research are granted certain reproduction rights in §107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use.
Libraries are authorized to photocopy materials from their own collections for their clientele under the provisions of §108. Limitations on exclusive rights: reproduction by libraries and archives. Under the provisions of §108(d), the Becker Medical Library may photocopy a single article from a periodical or a chapter of a book and give the copy to a Washington University student, faculty, or staff member.
When obtaining photocopies of copyrighted works from other libraries through interlibrary loan, libraries must comply with the conditions defined in subsection 2(g) of §108. Limitations on exclusive rights: Reproduction by libraries and archives. The basic requirement is that Washington University must not receive copies in “such aggregate quantities as to substitute for a subscription to or purchase of such work.” Just how much copying would violate this provision is not defined in the law.