MBLWHOI Library

Interlibrary Loan is available to members of the Woods Hole scientific community only.
Interlibrary Loan Borrowing Information  for other libraries

Requesting books

Patrons should first check the library catalog to see if we own the volume that you need.  Use the ILL/Document Delivery form to request books from other libraries, providing as much bibliographic information as possible.   If you think the book might be held by one of the member libraries of the Boston Library Consortium, then you can also place a request using WorldCat Local.  You will need your remote access password.

Requesting articles

Patrons may request to have articles scanned and emailed to them directly.  Use the ILL/Document Delivery form.  Please be sure to include an account or project number to cover scanning costs if you need an article scanned out of a print volume that is owned by the MBLWHOI Library.  No account is needed for article obtained from other libraries that we do not have.

Practices & Guidelines 

The conditions of this service are set by the Interlibrary Loan Code of the American Library Association, U.S. Copyright Law, and by the regulations of individual libraries.

Eligibility

All currently registered library patrons, including readers, faculty and students are eligible to use the Interlibrary Loan service. Please check with library staff if you are unsure of your status. Others are urged to contact their home institution or their local public library.

Limitations on Loans

The following types of materials are generally not available via Interlibrary Loan:

1.     Rare books and archival materials

2.     Material owned by the MBLWHOI library

3.     Journal volumes

Time Requirement & Rush Service

Materials take from 4 hours to 7 days from the time they are requested depending on the borrowing library. If there is a problem locating a lender then it may take longer. In certain cases articles may be requested on a rush basis. Please bring these requests to the attention of the library staff for processing. Books cannot be rushed.

Loan Periods

Loan periods are set by the lending library. They generally range from 2-4 weeks.

Renewals

The libraries that lend us materials generally require that a renewal be requested before the initial loan period is up.

Notification & Delivery of Loan Materials

The patron will be notified of arrival by telephone or email, unless intercampus delivery is indicated on the request form. Material may be picked up in the MBL Lillie library office or the WHOI Data Library between the hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday.