Library Overview

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a free service (available to CSM students, staff, faculty, and community members). Fill out ILL book or article forms online, allowing for 2-4 weeks to process and fill your requests. Use ILL when: 

• CSM doesn't have a book you need for your research 
• CSM Libraries can't supply an article you need and you have already checked for the journal/issue/date in E-Journal Portal. 

Please check the library catalog and databases to see if we have the book or article before submitting a request. You can also Ask a Librarian for help with this.

For additional information, comments or questions about this service, please contact the ILL Assistant at 301-934-2251, ext. 7107, or e-mail ILL@csmd.edu.

Is there a cost?:

ILL is a FREE service that is available to CSM students, staff, and faculty as well as to community members.

How long will it take to get my requested books/articles?

Please allow 2-4 weeks for processing and delivery of all requests.(Note: article requests tend to arrive more quickly than books).

How will I know when to pick up my books/articles?

We will notify you when the materials have arrived, OR if the materials are unavailable.

How long can I keep ILL materials?

ILL items are usually need to be returned to the CSM Library one month after they are received, but it may be longer or shorter depending on the lending library's policies.

Is there anything I CAN'T request?

Requests are not guaranteed to be filled. Most textbooks, reference books, movies, and archival materials cannot be requested from other libraries. Requests may be denied for several reasons--the item may not be available, it could be part of an archive, or it may be against the lending library's policy to loan the type of item requested. You will be notified if your request is unfillable. Please check with the ILL Assistant if you have any questions regarding material availability.

When filling out the request form, where can I find information about the book/article?

For books, you can often find most information in WorldCat, which searches library catalogs around the world. Google Books, Amazon, and bookstore websites are also useful places to search.

For articles, citations usually include all or most of the required information the library needs to find the article. You can also find information in a database record (such as ProQuest, EBSCO, or Gale) for the article, on the journal/publisher's website, or by searching in Google Scholar.