Who can borrow through Interlibrary Loan?
How do I request materials through Interlibrary Loan?
How long will it take for my material to arrive?
What material can and cannot be ordered?
How will I know when my requested material has arrived?
Where do I pick up my requested material?
How long can I keep my requested material?
Interlibrary Loan is available to Mt. A students, faculty, staff and registered off-campus borrowers.
Check our holdings in the Library Catalogue and Journal Finder to make sure that the Mount Allison Libraries do not hold the item or that it is not currently available.
The amount of time it takes for an item to arrive depends on a number of factors. These include: accuracy of the bibliographic information provided in the request, the location and response time of the lending library and the method of delivery.
Average times can be as follows:
Journal Article - 2 to 5 days. In some cases, articles may take longer.
Books and Theses from a Canadian library - 3 days to 4 weeks, depending on location.
Books and Theses from a U.S. library - Up to 8 weeks
You will receive an email that will :
If we are unable to locate the requested material, you will be notified by email. Please do not hesitate to visit the library's Research Help Desk and librarians will be able to suggest alternative materials or perform expanded searches for materials not located in the initial search.
All Interlibrary Loan (ILL) materials can be picked up from the Access Services desk in the RP Bell Library.
Returnables (books, videos) have a 3-week loan period unless otherwise indicated by the lending library.
All Interlibrary Loan (ILL) materials can be returned to the Access Services desk in the RP Bell Library.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
The Mount Allison Libraries are a partner in an interlibrary loan group called CAUL-DDG. We use an automated system called Relais to manage the delivery of materials from one library to another. This system allows us to quickly order books, articles and other media from libraries in the Atlantic region, across Canada, and around the world. In turn, we also lend our circulating materials to patrons of libraries outside the Novanet system.
Items are requested using the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) request form and normally are for items not currently available at Mount Allison Libraries or at other Novanet Libraries. These requests are tracked by ILL staff through the ILL system. When returnable items (e.g., books) arrive, you will be notified by email.
PLEASE NOTE: Interlibrary Loans do not get signed out to your Novanet account, and cannot be renewed through the Novanet system. Requests for renewals can be made by emailing nbsam@mta.ca or by speaking with ILL staff at the Access Services desk in the RP Bell Library. All ILL items must be returned to a Mount Allison Library.
To login and directly place an Interlibrary Loan request, use the link below (please provide as much information as possible):
MTA Libraries' interlibrary loan services allows you to borrow books and articles not available in our library.
You do not need to find out which library has the item you are requesting -- we'll do it for you.
Once you have determined the item you want is not in our library, simply fill out our interlibrary loan request form (link in gold box above).
Step 1: If you don't already have a four-digit PIN for your library account, ask for one at the Access Services Desk or contact us by phone or e-mail.
Step 2: Log into the Web form (above) using your Student or Employee ID number (including the initial zeros) and your 4-digit Library PIN. Patrons with older library cards may also use their 12-digit barcode as their ID number.
If you don’t know your Student/Employee ID number, simply present your ID card at the Access Services Desk and we will be happy to look it up for you. ID numbers may also be obtained by logging into Connect@MTA.ca.
Step 3: Submit your request by completing as much of the form as you can.
The Default Delivery Method for digital documents is by e-mail. Please ensure that your Mount Allison (mta.ca) e-mail address appears in the appropriate box. If you prefer to pick up your request, please change Delivery Method to pickup.
Here are a few reasons why you may have been denied access to the ILL form:
For more information or to check the status of your account, please contact Access Services at circ@mta.ca | 506-364-2568 or the Interlibrary Loans Coordinator at nbsam@mta.ca | 506-364-2212.
A CAUL card enables you to borrow books from other university libraries within Atlantic Canada and nationwide at libraries participating in the Canadian University Reciprocal Borrowing Agreement (CURBA). To obtain a CAUL card, please visit or e-mail the Access Services desk.