Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary Loan Information

Interlibrary Loan is managed by the Technical Services department on the second floor of the Morton Library.  Mengistu Lemma is responsible for requests submitted by our users, and Jonathan Yates handles outgoing materials sent to other institutions.  Current students, faculty and staff of UPSem are eligible for ILL services.  We recommend that others who wish to request materials not in our collection seek help at their local public library.

Details about ILL services can be found in the FAQ below. Our ILL Request form is provided at the bottom of this page.  You can use this form, or the form found in our catalog’s bibliographic records, to place your requests.  The information collected on these forms will be sent automatically to Mengistu Lemma.

For a statement of our Interlibrary Loan policy, click HERE.

Interlibrary Loan FAQ

  • Who is eligible to request BOOKS through Interlibrary Loan at UPSEM?

      • UPSEM current students, faculty and staff who are able to come to the Morton Library to pick up and return materials may request both books and articles through our ILL service.
      • Requests for books (and other physical items, including media) can be made through the ILL Request form on this page.  Please check our catalog first to make sure that we don’t already own the title.  We do not submit ILL requests for items that we already own, even if they are checked out.
      • Students who are not able to come to Richmond may not request books through ILL services.  We cannot borrow physical items for students outside of the Richmond area because we are not allowed to mail materials that we have obtained from other libraries.

  • Who is able to request ARTICLES through Interlibrary Loan at UPSEM?

      • Union Presbyterian Seminary students, faculty and staff may request articles through our ILL service.  Articles are usually delivered as digital files which can be sent to you as email attachments.
      • Students in Charlotte who need articles that are not available through our databases should speak to David Mayo in the Charlotte Library for arrangements to secure the needed article.

  • I'm not among the patron types listed above. How can I access books and articles that I need?

      • Library patrons not served through our interlibrary loan agreements should request that their local public library obtain materials for them through ILL.  Public libraries have access to the same ILL database we use and should be able to provide this service.
      • If you place a request through a public library for material from our library, please be aware that we fill ILL requests in a particular priority order.  We are occasionally unable to fill public library requests depending on the number of requests we are managing from our Virginia (VIVA) consortium partners and other American Theological Library Association schools.

  • When will my book or article arrive?

    • Anywhere from 2 days to 3-4 weeks, depending on the lender.  We request from the closest locations first.  Please plan as far ahead as possible.  We will place your request immediately, but lending institutions sometimes take time to respond.

  • Where do I pick up and return ILL material?

    • Physical items (books, media, photocopies, etc.) will be held for you at the Circulation Desk of Morton Library in Richmond. Digital materials will be sent electronically. In either case, you will be notified by email regarding the readiness of your item.

      Please return your physical items to staff at the Circulation Desk of the Morton Library in Richmond.

  • How long may I keep a book?

      • Each lending library has its own loan period for physical items, but typically it is 3-6 weeks.
      • A lending library determines if a book can be renewed. If a lending institution restricts a loan to NO RENEWALS, we must honor the their policies even if they do not support our patrons’ needs.
      • Please contact Mengistu Lemma at 804-278-4337 to inquire about renewal possibilities of your physical item loan.

  • Are there overdue fines?

    • Yes, $1 per day will be charged to your library account.  Items overdue 7 days or more will cause your library privileges to be suspended.

  • Are there other things I should know about borrowing through Interlibrary Loan?

      • A student can have only five books borrowed from interlibrary loan at one time.
      • Some material (such as microfiche and microfilm) must be viewed in the Morton Library building.  Other libraries can also request that their books not leave Morton Library as well.  If that is the case, we will let you know.
      • Whole issues or volumes of periodicals cannot be borrowed.
      • We are only allowed to borrow five articles from one journal within the most recent five years of that journal’s publication.  This is five cumulative articles and not five per patron. When we have reached that five article limit, we will pursue purchasing the article for your use.
      • We will not request textbooks or other required course readings via ILL. If you believe that the Library needs more copies of a particular book for student use, please contact our Seminary Librarian.

ILL Request Form

Please fill out the form below  to request books and/or articles via interlibrary loan. One book title and one article can be submitted per form.

Interlibrary Loan Request

  • Contact Information (Required)

  • Book Request

  • Periodical Article or Essay Request

  • Copyright Agreement

    The copyright law of the U.S. governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. They can be furnished only under certain conditions, i.e. to be used solely for private study, scholarship or research. Use of reproductions for other purposes may make the user liable for copyright infringement. Morton Library reserves the right to refuse a copying request if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the request would violate copyright law.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.