LibGuides: Inter Library Loan (ILL): About Inter Library Loan

What is Inter Library Loan?

Inter Library Loan (ILL) is premised on the notion that no library can be self-sufficient. It is the process by which a library borrows materials from or supplies material to another library. ILL ensures that scholars and researchers have the opportunity to study, teach, and conduct research in a resource-rich environment, enabling discovery, analysis, and re- flection leading to the creation of new knowledge.

ILL is designed to give users access to books, journal articles, newspaper articles, theses, dissertations, and any other library information sources which are otherwise not accessible through the BUAN library.

Why use ILL?

It is an effective tool for meeting user needs where requested items are not available in the library.
It fills the information gaps in any given library.
A good way of sharing resources with other libraries.
It saves costs because libraries do not have to acquire each and every material needed by a patron. Which might be a once off request.
It is a way of creating revenue for lending libraries as they charge borrowers a certain fee.

Who is eligible?

ILL service is accessible to:

Bonafide BUAN students
BUAN academic staff
BUAN support staff

Loan period of ILL materials

Only physical books have a loaning period which is normally stamped on the lending slip attached to the loaned book. N.B. The loan period is determined by the lending library. The book has to be returned to the library circulation desk 3 days before the due date so as to give allowance for the book to reach its respective library on time.

Photocopies and electronic documents become the property of patrons and need not be returned.

Which materials can be loaned through ILL?

PRINT RESOURCES

PRINT BOOKS: Due to COVID-19 restrictions; we only borrow books from local libraries. When requesting a book; one is expected to fill out a form indicating all bibliographic details of the book, this can be done through sending an email to: client.service@buan.ac.bw or by coming to the library to fill out the ILL request form (Available below for download). Once the book has been sourced the user will be notified by email to come and collect the book from the library.

ELECTRONIC RESOURCES

BUAN library uses the Article exchange platform run by Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) which is a document-sharing site and provides a single, secure location where lending libraries worldwide can place requested documents and library users can retrieve journal articles or book chapters obtained for them via ILL.

BOOK CHAPTERS & JOURNAL ARTICLES: Only book chapters and journal articles can be requested and retrieved in electronic form. The platform does not give access to whole books and journals.

ILL request form

HAVE A QUESTION WE HAVEN'T COVERED?

Please contact the Client Services Section with any questions or concerns. We are here to help!

Email: client.service@buan.ac.bw