Interlibrary Loan and MeLCat
When the resources of the Alma College Library are not sufficient, Alma College students, faculty, administrators, and staff may borrow materials from other libraries and institutions through Interlibrary Loan and MeLCat, at no cost. Millions of specialized books and other materials are available from thousands of libraries throughout Michigan, the United States, and many other countries.
Questions and comments can be emailed to the Interlibrary Loan Assistant, Susan Cross, at cross@alma.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions About Interlibrary Loan and MeLCat
- What is Interlibrary Loan?
- What is MeLCat?
- How do I request Interlibrary Loan materials?
- How do I request MeLCat materials?
- How long may I keep the materials?
- How do I renew these materials?
- How long does it take for materials to arrive?
- How will I know when materials arrive, and where may I pick them up?
- Who may use these services?
- What kinds of materials may I request?
- Is there a limit on how many items I can order?
- How much do these services cost?
What is Interlibrary Loan?
How do I request Interlibrary Loan materials?
ILL items must be requested by filling out a form (available at the circulation desk and online). The green paper forms may be turned in at the Circulation Desk. Alternatively, if searching in any of the FirstSearch databases, you may submit an ILL request by clicking Borrow this item from another library.
How do I request MeLCat materials?
Search the Alma College catalog for the item that you seek. If we do not own it, click on the button at the top of the results page, that says Try MeLCat. MeLCat items can also be requested directly from the MeLCat home page.
Tips for Using InterLibrary Loan:
- Only one request per form. Each request requires a separate form, even articles from the same journal. (Note: If you have a list of complete citations, you may fill out the top part of the green paper form and attach your list, rather than filling out a separate form for each item).
- Do not use abbreviations.
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Please check the Alma College Library Catalog first to determine if we have the item.
- Please note all relevant information available, such as ISBN/ISSN numbers and relevant page numbers, to speed the processing of your request.
- Please supply a source for your information. This also speeds the processing of your request.
- Fill out all personal information completely. We must have an accurate campus email address for electronic delivery of articles, telephone number and mailing address.
