UHLS Primary Contact: Anne Myers
(518) 437-9880 x243 or [email protected]

UHLS ILL Website:
https://uhls.org/ill.asp (uhls.org→Services→Interlibrary Loan)

Requests:
Books, Articles, and AV materials

Option 1: Libraries in the Capital District: MVLS, SALS, and other CDLC members (The catalog is LiNX, linked from cdlc.org)

To request items directly from other libraries in the Capital District:

  1. Go to the LiNX log in page. Log in using your library’s username and password, or click on “Create new account” tab to create an account.
  2. Once you are logged in, you can start searching for items. Enter the title or keyword in the “Search the Catalog” box, or click on “Advanced Search” to add more information (e.g. author, subject, etc.).
  3. When you find the item you’re looking for on the search results page, click on the title and then click on the blue “Staff Request” button.
  4. On the subsequent “ILL Request” page, fill in the request details and click “Submit” when finished. You should receive an email confirmation of your request.
  5. If UHLS handles/processes your library’s ILLs, the requested item will be sent to the UHLS office. It will be assigned a barcode and checked out to the UHLS Hold Shelf Sierra account, and then sent via courier to your library, where your patron can pick up the item and have the item checked out to their Sierra account.

Option 2: Libraries outside the Capital District (OCLC)

To request items from libraries outside our local area (shipping to via UHLS courier; shipping back via USPS, etc. at the member library’s expense):

  1. Review the UHLS ILL guidelines in the Intranet (See Appendix A) Username: intranet | Password: 28essex
  2. On the UHLS Interlibrary Loan page (uhls.org→Services→Interlibrary Loan), click on the OCLC Requests link, and select “Request a loan” (for books or AV materials) or “Request a copy” (for articles) at the bottom of the page.
  3. Complete the form with as much information as you can and submit.
  4. You will receive an automated response with a copy of your request.
  5. You will receive an email from UHLS saying your request has been submitted to the owning library.
  6. If there are no libraries that are able to fulfill the request, UHLS will contact you letting you know that the request could not be filled.
  7. Renewals are allowed for most books; please email [email protected] to ask for a renewal.

Returns
All loans obtained through OCLC will arrive with a slip of paper from UHLS and, if UHLS handles ILL processing for you, a barcode on orange cardstock. The slip of paper will indicate how to return the material to the owning library.

  • Blue slip – return the material to UHLS through delivery
  • Gold slip – ship the material back to the owning library itself (corresponds with loan info—see Libraries outside the Capital District via OCLC below)

SALS & MVLS returns:

  • Place book in black courier bag or envelope to the attention of UHLS – ILL. Include routing slip with the book indicating the library’s delivery code: SCP, GLE, CHP, JOH etc. (See Appendices B & C for delivery codes)

Capital Region BOCES, WSWHE BOCES, or Questar III returns:

  • Put the book in a black courier bag or envelope addressed to UHLS – ILL. Include a routing slip with the name of the school.

Empire Library Delivery Institutions returns:
Put the book in a black courier bag or envelope addressed to UHLS – ILL. Include a routing slip with the name of the Institution or the three-letter symbol from the ELD roster.

Libraries outside the Capital District via OCLC returns:

  • Member libraries are responsible for shipping returns back to the owning libraries. Mail the item to the return address included with the loan information (see attached paperwork). Please email [email protected] if you are unsure about the return address.

Appendix A: UHLS Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Guidelines

UHLS Manager: Judith Wines

Questions about OCLC annual fees (if applicable): [email protected]

UHLS Coordinators: Anne Myers and Amy Jeansonne

Questions about VUE operations and ILL requests: [email protected]

Introduction

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service provided to patrons and staff of the Upper Hudson Library System (UHLS). ILL supplements the UHLS library catalog by providing books, AV materials, and periodical articles not available locally in UHLS. UHLS coordinates both borrowing (for patrons and staff of member libraries) and lending (to libraries outside of UHLS).

Interlibrary Loan: Borrowing

ILL borrowing service is used to obtain materials that UHLS member libraries do not own.

  • Place requests via the UHLS website (uhls.org→Services→Interlibrary Loan, click on the OCLC Requests link, and at the bottom of the page select “Request a loan” for books or AV materials, or “Request a copy” for articles).
  • Borrowing is limited to UHLS patrons and staff.
  • Limit: 5 items at a time.
  • Copyright laws and lending institution policies and procedures take precedence over UHLS’s guidelines.
  • ILL is not a rush delivery service, and requests may take up to 2-4 weeks.
  • College and university students seeking to obtain books and articles required or recommended for their coursework and research should use the ILL services provided by their schools.
  • UHLS reserves the right to manage the number of requests in light of workflow constraints.
  • UHLS has the discretion to determine if any materials are for use only in the library.
  • The lending period is determined by the lending library, not UHLS. Patrons will have to follow the loan period of the lending library, which may be different from the member library’s loan period.

UHLS will borrow/acquire:

  • Books
  • Microfilm
  • Microfiche
  • Photocopies of journal articles less than 100 pages
  • Mass market paperbacks
  • Audiovisual materials such as audiobooks, DVDs, and music CDs

UHLS will NOT borrow/acquire:

  • Reference or other non-circulating books
  • Books less than six months old
  • eBooks

Interlibrary Loan Fees

UHLS makes every effort to obtain ILL materials free of charge. If a lending library charges for materials, UHLS will not process the request without consent from the member library whose patron has made the request.

If the lending library imposes a fee to borrow materials, UHLS will inform both the patron and the member library. If the patron agrees to the fee, the patron will submit a check payable to “Upper Hudson Library System” upon checkout of the materials at their home library.

Lost/Damaged/Overdue Items

  • It is the responsibility of the member library to pay all fines or replacement costs for materials lost, damaged, or overdue.
  • It is the responsibility of the library to return items borrowed via CDLC (Courier) or OCLC (USPS, etc). It is the responsibility of the library to pay for shipping to return books borrowed through OCLC.

Interlibrary Loan: Lending

This service offers materials from UHLS member libraries to libraries outside of UHLS.

Lending requests are accepted through OCLC’s WorldShare interface. Most materials will be loaned for a period of 6 weeks from the time the materials are mailed until the materials are returned. All materials can be renewed unless there is a request on them.

Materials UHLS will NOT lend:

  • Reference or other non-circulating books
  • Books less than one year old
  • eBooks

Lost/Damaged/Overdue/Missing Items

  • UHLS will recall materials that are 30 days overdue (in OCLC)
  • If there is no response within 14 days of the recall, the materials will be considered lost and UHLS will generate an invoice (in OCLC)
  • UHLS will reimburse the member library for the cost of the item

APPENDIX B

Delivery Codes: MVLS

AMS

Amsterdam Free Library

BOR

SCPL Phyllis Bornt Branch

CAN

Canajoharie Library & Art Gallery

COB

The Community Library (Cobleskill-Richmondville)

DUA

SCPL Duane Branch

FON

Frothingham Free Library (Fonda)

FTH

Fort Hunter Free Library

FTP

Fort Plain Free Library

GLV

Gloversville Public Library

GNV

SCPL Glenville Branch

HAM

SCPL Hamilton Hill Branch

JOH

Johnstown Public Library

MID

Middleburgh Library

MTP

SCPL Mont Pleasant Branch

NIS

SCPL Niskayuna Branch

NOR

Northville Public Library

QUA

SCPL Quaker Street Duanesburg Branch

ROT

SCPL Rotterdam Branch

SCO

SCPL Scotia Branch

SCP

Schenectady County Public Library

SHO

Schoharie Free Library

SHS

Sharon Springs Free Library

STJ

Margaret Reaney Memorial Library (St. Johnsville)

WOO

SCPL Woodlawn Branch

APPENDIX C

Delivery Codes: SALS

ARG

Argyle Free Library

BAL

Ballston Spa Public Library

BOL

Bolton Free Library

BRL

Brant Lake-Horicon Free Public Library

BUR

Burnt Hills-Town of Ballston Community Library

CAM

Cambridge Public Library

CHT

Town of Chester Public Library

COR

Corinth Public Library

CPH

Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library

EAS

Easton Library

FTE

Fort Edward Free Library

GAL

Galway Public Library

GLE

Glens Falls – Crandall Public Library

GRA

Granville-Pember Public Library and Museum

GRN

Greenwich Free Library

HUD

Hudson Falls Free Library

ILT

Town of Inlet Public Library

IND

Town of Indian Lake Public Library

JBG

Town of Johnsburg Library

LGL

Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Long Lake Library

LKG

Caldwell – Lake George Library

LKP

Town of Lake Pleasant Public Library

LUZ

Hadley-Luzerne Public Library

MEC

Mechanicville District Public Library

RAQ

Raquette Lake Free Library

RDL

Round Lake Library

SAR

Saratoga Springs Public Library

SLM

Salem-Bancroft Public Library

STI

Stillwater Free Library

STO

Stony Creek Free Library

SVL

Schuylerville Public Library

WAR

Warrensburg-Richards Library

WAT

Waterford Public Library

WHI

Whitehall Free Library