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Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary Loans and Document Delivery Service

To obtain items that are not available from Omni Partner Libraries, our Interlibrary Loan (ILL) and Document Delivery Service will order it for you from another Library via our resource sharing system.

What can be borrowed

  • books
  • journal articles
  • book chapters
  • theses (check if available online first)

Laurentian is unable to supply any loaned materials from other libraries to students residing outside North America.

Create a request

In Omni, sign in to your account to find the item you need. 

You can request physical books as well as digital-format articles and chapters/excerpts through Omni's request form that is displayed when you click: Not available locally, check for more options -> Get it from another library from a search result.

Eligibility

Current students, faculty, staff, retired faculty (including adjunct faculty). 

The service is not available for alumni, community borrowers, and other external borrowers; contact your local public library for interlibrary loan services.

What can’t be borrowed

This service normally excludes:

  • periodical volumes or issues (ie. journals)
  • reference works
  • rare books
  • eBooks
  • items that are already in our collection, even if they are currently in use.

Required textbooks are available at the University Bookstore.

Contact Us

Please email ILLPEB@laurentian.ca or visit the Library Services Counter at the main entrance of the J.N. Desmarais Library.

Loan period and fees

Document delivery

The library will contact you when your borrowed item is available for pickup. 

We will also notify you if we are unable to fill your request.

Articles are typically available within 10 days.

Books and microforms are typically available within 3 weeks.
 
Books borrowed from libraries outside Canada may take in excess of 2 months to become available.

Book Recall

The lending library may recall books at any time.
 
Upon receipt of a recall notice, you have 24 hours to return the requested material to the J.N. Desmarais Library or the Architecture Library.

Failure to return the recalled material will result in a fine that will be levied against your Laurentian library account at $1 a day with no maximum. 

If you are still in need of the material that has been recalled, you may re-order the same material from Omni.

Fines, Lost and Damaged Materials

Borrowers will be charged $1 per day for any material that is overdue.

A pattern of late returns on items may result in a loss of borrowing privileges.

Borrowers are responsible for library materials that are lost or damaged and are subject to any overdue fines accrued and to replacement fees. Replacement fees and other related charges for lost or damaged materials are determined by the lending library. Interlibrary Loan staff will pass these charges on to the borrower’s library account.

Damage includes for example any markings, underlining, highlighting, sticky notes, etc.  
 
The loss or damage of interlibrary loan material must be reported promptly to library staff.

Loan period

Due dates for items (e.g., books) requested through the Interlibrary Loans and Document Delivery Service are set by the lending libraries. 

Borrowers are responsible for returning all borrowed items on time; fines for overdues items will apply. 

In general, loan periods (Books / Microforms) are:

  • 6 weeks for books received from other Ontario universities 
  • 3 weeks for items from all other sources 

Loan renewal is not possible.
 
When a Bookband is included with the book you borrowed, it must not be removed.

Fees for ILL requests

Generally, there are no charges for items obtained through the Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery Service. 

However, charges apply to the following:

MAILING AND SHIPPING CHARGES
 

Items from outside of Canada: the library will pay up to $30 mailing charge; the patron pays any extra costs.

Patrons will be notified before their request is processed if these charges would apply, so that they can accept the charges or cancel their request.  

Please pay upon receipt of material.

ITEM NOT PICKED UP

Books received but not picked up by the due date will be subject to a $5 charge.

There is a $30 charge for non-pick up of interlibrary loans obtained internationally. 

These charges will apply to each item that has been ordered and will be added to your library account.

Home Delivery

Eligibility

  • You live 50 kilometres or more from Sudbury and you are currently enrolled only in Laurentian courses offered online.
  • You are a student on placement in your program and your placement is 50 kilometres or more from Sudbury.

Request an Item

In Omni, sign in to your account to find the item you need. 

Click "Request" then check the checkbox indicating that you are a distance education student. Include your address in the comment section.

For more information please contact bibdesmaraislib@laurentian.ca.

Delivery of Material to Your Home

Home delivery is not normally available for regularly scheduled on-campus courses, regardless of the distance you live from Sudbury.

Articles and chapters/excerpts will be delivered to your Laurentian email address only. 

Physical books will be shipped to your current home address on file. Please ensure your current address is provided.

A postage paid shipping label will be provided in your package. When finished with your library material, return the books to the J.N. Desmarais Library by taping this postage paid shipping label onto the original envelope sent to you, and drop it off to any Canada Post outlet.
 

Loans to Other Libraries

Loans to Other Libraries

Other Libraries or institutions can request materials from the Laurentian University J.N. Desmarais Library, please contact bibdesmaraislib@laurentian.ca.