"Request a Copy" link AWOL

You may have noticed that when you try to request an article from a different library, occasionally the link letting you do so doesn't show up. (See image below).

That's annoying, huh. Please share your pain with us by letting us know. If you need the full text of a specific article, email us the citation at tclibrary@smumn.edu, and we will request the article for you through interlibrary loan. You'll get it in 1-2 business days.

Or, if you would like your article even faster, you can request it yourself using our article request form. Or, learn more about requesting articles.

We apologize for this inconvenience. Please let us know if you have any questions.

ILL Textbook Policy Change

As of Fall Semester 2011, the Twin Cities Campus Library is implementing a change to our interlibrary loan textbook-ordering policy. The policy is below. You can also read it here.

Though we understand that textbook prices are high, Twin Cities Campus Library will not order any edition of a book that is required in a course syllabus (in other words, textbook) through Interlibrary Loan for the following reasons:

• Interlibrary loan services are not intended for ordering textbooks.

Interlibrary loan services were established to assist students and faculty with borrowing supplementary materials for class related research.

• Purchasing textbooks is the responsibility of the student.

Similar to paying tuition and fees, acquiring textbooks and other required course materials is the responsibility of the student.

• Interlibrary loan services do not meet student needs for ordering textbooks.
  • Most libraries do not purchase textbooks.
    Most libraries do not purchase textbooks for their collections, including Saint Mary's. If a library does purchase a textbook for its collection, the textbook is often placed on restricted course reserve for use by their students.
  • Interlibrary loan books take 1-2 weeks to arrive.
    Because so few libraries own textbooks, we often have to request textbooks from out-of-state libraries. The process of requesting, shipping, and receiving the textbooks takes 1-2 weeks.
  • Students can only keep interlibrary loan textbooks for three weeks.
    Loan periods set by lending libraries do not allow students to keep a textbook for an entire course.

We welcome feedback and comments.

Update: Interlibrary Loan Available

Monday, March 23, 9:00am: Interlibrary Loan is available again. Hooray!!!

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In order to make improvements to our catalog, Interlibrary Loan services will be down from March 21, 2009 2:00 a.m. to March 23, 2009 9:00 a.m. You will not be able to request books and articles online during this period. Instead, please email your Interlibrary Loan requests to tc-library@smumn.edu. Please include the following information with your requests:

1. Your name
2. Book/article title
3. Book/article author(s)
4. Book/article year
5. Journal title
6. Journal volume and issue (if possible)
7. Article page numbers

Requests emailed between March 21-23 will be processed the morning of Monday, March 23, 2009. Please call the library at 612-728-5108 if you have any questions. Thanks for your patience!! The catalog upgrades will be worth the wait!