How long can I keep my interlibrary loan?

Due dates vary and are based on the policies of each individual lending institution. Some institutions offer an initial lending period and then at least one renewal, while others offer a longer initial lending period with no renewals. On average, your lending period can range from 4-6 weeks with a 2-4 week renewal to an 8-12 week checkout with no renewals.  More information about the renewal process can be found in the Renewals section of this guide.

Your due date is printed on the slip wrapped around your interlibrary loan. For those who have enabled notifications, you will receive an automated notification text or email letting you know that your item is approaching the due date. You will also receive up to three automated overdue notifications. Failure to return materials in a timely fashion or respond to overdue notices could result in fines, replacement costs, and your ILL account being blocked. If you need more time with a particular item, we can usually request another copy from another library. Please help us keep our lending relationships strong by returning your materials on time! 

You may return your interlibrary loan materials to the front desk of the library anytime the library is open. Please make sure to include the original paperwork as not to delay the return processing. 

Renewals are not guaranteed and are based on the policies of each individual lending institution. Some institutions offer an initial lending period and then at least one renewal, while others offer a longer initial lending period with no renewals. If a lending library does not allow renewals, we will note this on the information slip wrapped around the loan. Your due date will also be noted on the slip. We do try to monitor due dates and will usually attempt to preemptively request one renewal. However, the patron is ultimately responsible for obtaining their own renewals.

To request a renewal, please log in to your Sewanee ILL account and go to the Requests section. Requests that are available to be renewed will have a purple Renew Request button beside the title. Please contact us at sewaneeill@sewanee.edu if you have a problem renewing your request. 

If you receive a "Recall" notification via email or text, this means that the lending library needs that item back ASAP. This overrides the current due date. Please do not ignore this notification! Please return the item right away or contact sewaneeill@sewanee.edu to let us know if there is a problem. Failure to return recalled ILL materials can result in fines and your ILL account being blocked. Normally, we can request another copy of this same item from another library or purchase a copy. Our relationships with our libraries are crucial and failure to return recalled materials can hurt those relationships.