Frequently Asked Questions

• Who can use Concordia's ILL service?
• I'm having trouble making a request in COLOMBO - what am I doing wrong?
• How long does it take to get books or journal articles?
• Is there a charge for the ILL service?
• Can I request a thesis?
• Can I request media material?
• Is there anything that cannot be borrowed through ILL?
• How will I know when my request is ready?
• How can I check the status of my request?
• I need this book for longer than the period indicated, what can I do?
• Where do I pick up and drop off my ILL materials?
• My pickup location is Vanier Library. Why do I have to wait 24 hours to get my item?
• I requested Vanier as a pickup location but when I submitted my request COLOMBO said the pickup location was Webster. What can I do?
• Can I cancel my request?
• I have more questions about ILL - who can I contact?

Who can use Concordia's ILL service?

All Concordia faculty, staff and students (undergraduate and graduate) can use the Interlibrary Loans service. Alumni, Continuing Education students, CREPUQ users, and other members of the external community cannot use Interlibrary Loans. If you are from the external community and you need to obtain an item from another library, try contacting your local public library's Interlibrary Loans service. If you're uncertain what class of borrower you are or what privileges you have, check our list of borrower types on the Library information for... page.

I'm having trouble making a request in COLOMBO - what am I doing wrong?

There could be several reasons why you might be unable complete your request:

• The system won't let me log in
  

  If your library record is expired (which would happen, for example, if you are no longer registered in courses), you have outstanding fines, you don't have an email address in your MyCLUES record, or you are not a Concordia faculty, staff or student, you will not be able to login to COLOMBO. Please contact the Circulation Desk for help resolving the issue with your record.

• When I login, I get a page saying I've timed out
  

  You may have to change your internet browser settings. Please see our COLOMBO Troubleshooting page for more information.

• When I try to submit my request the system says "Some fields were not supplied or were invalid."
  

  You did not fill out all required elements of the form or you may have manually entered a date in the "Not needed after" field - note that you must use the calendar in COLOMBO to fill in the date.

• I searched for my item in COLOMBO, but didn't find it
  

  COLOMBO only searches a certain number of libraries - staff in Interlibrary Loans have access to many more library catalogues where they can search for your item. If you can't find your item in COLOMBO, use the CREATE REQUEST button (on the left-hand menu in COLOMBO, see below):

  
  

  This opens a blank request form that you can fill in and submit. For journal article requests - be aware that individual journal articles are not indexed in COLOMBO, so you can't use it to find an article. You can search for the title of the journal, and when you find it, click the "Get It!" button and be sure to fill in the information about that particular article (in the "Part Details" section of the form). Or you can use the Create Request button. Just because you don't find something in COLOMBO doesn't mean that the ILL office can't get it for you. Use the "Create Request" button to fill out a blank form and we will do our best to locate your requested item.

• If you're still having trouble, contact the Interlibrary Loans department at (514) 848-2424 ex. 7716 or by e-mail at colombo@alcor.concordia.ca

How long does it take to get books or journal articles?

The time taken to fill requests can vary considerably. Some materials might be acquired within 2 days, others may take 2 months. We borrow from libraries within Montreal and around the world, so it's very difficult to guarantee delivery times. However, books generally take at least 1 week to arrive after a request is submitted, and most articles take 24-48 hours to arrive.

If you do not need the item after a certain date, be sure to indicate this on the COLOMBO request form.

Is there a charge for the ILL service?

Most ILL materials are free, including books, media materials and photocopies of journal articles.

There are some exceptions, for example, when lending libraries cannot supply an original document, but instead supply a photocopy. In such cases, the ILL Office charges the full amount of the supplier’s invoice, including currency exchange. These charges usually apply to photocopies of entire reports and/or theses, as well as for microfiche and microfilm reproductions. In case of such a charge, the ILL office will contact you before proceeding with a request.

Fees have to be paid (by cash, debit or credit card, cheque or transfer of funds from research and departmental accounts) before receiving the material.

Can I request a thesis or media material?

Full-text theses may be available via ProQuest Dissertations and Theses or Theses Canada.

If the dissertation or thesis you need is not available in full text, you can request it through ILL. Every effort is made to obtain a thesis or dissertation free of charge from another library or educational institution. When that is not possible, we can order a copy of American and some Canadian theses directly from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, however, there is often a charge. We will contact you to confirm the price before proceeding with the order.

Can I request media material?

Some libraries do not lend media material, however, we encourage you to make your request and we will do our best to obtain the item.

Is there anything that cannot be borrowed through ILL?

Material that is part of the Concordia Library collection cannot be borrowed, so we encourage you to check CLUES, Concordia's Library catalogue, before placing your request. If you are requesting something that CLUES says we have in the library but you have confirmed it is not available (it is recommended you seek help at one of our service desks), please make a note of this in your request.

Most requests we receive can be borrowed from other libraries. However, you should be aware that most libraries will not lend:

• Entire volumes or issues of periodicals
• Reference material
• Rare books or original manuscripts
• Newspapers or other bulky materials in their original format

You will be contacted by e-mail if we cannot obtain the material you requested.

How will I know when my request is ready?

When your item is ready for pickup, we will send you an email. The email address we use is the one in your MyCLUES record, so make sure it's up to date.

How can I find out the status of my request?

Your COLOMBO record will indicate the status of each request you've made. See our page on Keeping track of your requests. If you would like more specific information about your request, please contact the Interlibrary Loans department at (514) 848-2424 ex. 7716 or by e-mail at colombo@alcor.concordia.ca. Note that if we can't find a library to supply the item you requested, or if there is any other problem with your request, we will send you an email. The email address we use is the one in your MyCLUES record, so make sure it's up to date.

I need this book for longer than the loan period, what can I do?

The lending library establishes the conditions under which borrowed material may be loaned. Concordia Interlibrary Loans staff agreed to borrow the item under those conditions and users are expected to adhere to the conditions of the loan, whether they are faculty or students. Sometimes this may mean that your item must be used within the library, or cannot be renewed.

When you pick up your book or media item, it will come with a yellow slip which has a due date at the top. It will also indicate whether or not you can renew the item. If it says "No renewals" then you can't renew (no exceptions), and if you need the book for a longer period, you will have to re-order it using COLOMBO. If it does not say "No renewals" then you can contact the Webster ILL Office at least three days before the item is due to ask them to renew it for you. Please note that only one renewal is allowed per item.

Your item must be returned or renewed by the due date given, if not, your Interlibrary Loan privileges may be suspended.

Where do I pick up and drop off my ILL materials?

ILL material should be picked up and returned at the Circulation Desk in either Webster or Vanier Library. The Circulation Desk is open most evenings and weekends - service hours can be found here.

ILL material should be returned during service hours - please do not return ILL material to the book drop.

My pickup location is Vanier Library. Why do I have to wait 24 hours to get my item?

All Interlibrary Loans material is received at the downtown ILL office, and processed there. Items that are for pickup at the Vanier Library are sent via Inter-Campus mail, thus the delay of 24 hours. If you get a notice on Friday saying your item is ready for pickup at Vanier Library in 24 hours, wait until at least Monday before picking it up at Vanier; you may want to call the Vanier Library Circulation Desk at (514) 848-2424 ex. 7770 to be sure your item has arrived.

I requested Vanier as a pickup location but when I submitted my request COLOMBO said the pickup location was Webster. What can I do?

When you finish making a request in COLOMBO, on the confirmation screen under "Request Details" it will show your pickup location as Interlibrary Loans LB-201 - the system will do this even if you have selected Vanier Library as your pickup location. This is a system setting that cannot be changed.

When you receive your e-mail notice telling you your item is ready to be picked up, it will have the correct pickup location (either Webster or Vanier Library).

Can I cancel my request?

Users cannot cancel requests in COLOMBO, only Interlibrary Loans staff can do this. If you wish to cancel your request, take note of the "Request Number" and contact the Interlibrary Loans office at (514) 848-2424 ex. 7716 or by e-mail at colombo@alcor.concordia.ca

I have more questions about ILL - who can I contact?

If you have any questions, you can contact the Interlibrary Loans office at (514) 848-2424 ex. 7716 or by email at colombo@alcor.concordia.ca. The Interlibrary Loans service hours are available here.