Interlibrary Loan Mission Statement

The Interlibrary Loan department exists to supplement the Miller Library collection by providing materials patrons need from other libraries in a timely manner and to reciprocate by lending material to other libraries.

Authorized Users of Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

Interlibrary Loan is offered to faculty, staff & students of Cornerstone University. Items borrowed through interlibrary loan by patrons who do not regularly come to the Grand Rapids campus will be mailed to them. ILL privileges may be suspended for those who misuse them.

Methods of Interlibrary Loan Offered by Cornerstone University

• Miller Library participates in MeLCat, the state-wide resource sharing program. Patrons can request print books through MeLCat and they will be transported through the RIDES delivery system.
• For items not available through MeLCat (articles, DVDs, or items only available in non-Michigan libraries), traditional interlibrary loan will be used to process and record requests. 

Material That Can Be Borrowed Through Interlibrary Loan

Miller Library participates in free reciprocal interlibrary loan offered at no charge to authorized users. Any request sent to another library is subject to the policies and decisions of the lending library.

Material that may be requested:

• Items not owned by Miller Library
• Items owned by Miller Library, but missing from the collection

Materials that will not be requested include:

• Materials for class reserve or group use
• Textbooks

Most libraries will not ordinarily lend the following types of materials:

• Rare or valuable materials including manuscripts
• Bulky or fragile items that are difficult or expensive to mail
• Material that is in high demand at the lending library
• Material with local circulation restrictions

Responsibilities of the Borrower

• An Interlibrary loan borrowing request must be submitted online through ILLiad or MelCat with reasonable effort made to provide complete bibliographical information.
• Patrons are responsible for the safety of the borrowed material after it has been received.   If material is lost or damaged while it is in the care of the patron, all costs of replacement or repair in accordance with the instructions of the lending library are the responsibility of the patron.
• If a patron needs the material longer than the assigned due date, then a renewal must be requested through either ILLiad or MelCat. Renewal of the item is determined by the owning library.

• Please allow a minimum of one week for ILL materials to arrive. Most materials arrive within one to two weeks.
• The interlibrary loan office exists primarily to meet the educational needs of the Cornerstone community. If your request is for entertainment purposes, please use the MelCat system instead of ILLiad.
• We cannot process requests for textbooks needed for classes.
• Only registered students, faculty, or staff of Cornerstone University are authorized to use interlibrary loan services.
• Miller Library participates in free reciprocal interlibrary loan. This service is free to you as long as the other library does not charge. If a charge is listed by the other library (often the case with dissertations), you will be notified and will have the option to pay this charge and to receive the material or to cancel your request.