Requesting Materials from other MnPALS libraries through Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

Looking for resources not found in the MnPALS libraries? Search for resources not found in MnPALS by searching other library catalogs such as MnLink, WorldCat, Google Books, or the Arrowhead public libraries.

To request interlibrary loan (ILL) materials not found in MnPALS or MnLink or our full-text databases, fill out the following online forms:

To complete the form:

  1. At User ID/Barcode, type your 14 digit barcode
  2. At Password, type up to 8 letters of your last name
  3. Type all available information about your requested item
  4. Near the end of the form, at
    • Pickup/Delivery Location, select Mesabi Range College Library
    • Not Needed After, click the small calendar and select a date. A generous guideline is to select a date one month from the day you are making your request
    • If requesting a
      • book - select Printed (loan). Click GO. Your ILL is submitted. You will receive an email notice when our item arrives at the Mesabi Range College Library. Books take 7 or more days to arrive.
      • Magazine, journal or newspaper article - at Electronic Copy (MEDD), select Yes. Read and click the Copyright Warning box. Click GO. Electronic ILL articles are sent to Mesabi Range webmail accounts. If an ILL article is not available electronically or if there is no email address in your Library account information, then a photocopy of the article will be sent to the Mesabi Range College Library.

ILL Borrowing Policy

Libraries participate in Interlibrary Loan voluntarily. Each library determines which materials it will and will not lend, and how long it will allow the loan. Some materials are not available through ILL and cannot be requested. These restricted materials include:

  • Reference books
  • Materials available at the Mesabi Range College Library
  • Full-text articles available through the library databases (EBSCO, InfoTrac, etc.)

Borrower's Responsibilities: The person whose barcode number appears on the ILL request is responsible for lost, damaged, or overdue materials. Lending libraries, not Mesabi Range College Library, determine the amount of time you can borrow materials and the replacement costs and late fees. You are responsible for the prompt return of ILL materials. Overdue items will result in a block to submit future requests and/or a hold on your college transcripts.

Patrons are restricted to 50 ILL requests per semester.


How Will I Know When My Books And Articles Are Here?

When a book or dvd/video arrives, you are notified by mail or email. Items are kept at the Circulation Desk in the Library. You must come to the library to pick up your requested materials.

How Long Do ILL Materials Take To Arrive?

Articles: Articles available from the University of Minnesota via MnLink are sent electronically and generally available within 1-2 days. Others (not owned by U of M or not available electronically) will take longer. Journal articles requested from the EBSCO database are sent to via your email with an electronic link where you can retrieve them.

Books: Turnaround time varies greatly depending on the type of material, the location of the lender, etc. To ensure that you will get your materialfor your coursework, plan ahead to allow time for requests to arrive. Generally, items requested are delivered to the library in 3 - 5 days.

New requests are processed within 24 hours Monday - Friday with the exception of unusual or hard-to-find material. All requests are treated as priority. Materials are always ordered from local MnPALS libraries if possible. Changing the "not needed after" date does not speed up processing of requests.   It tells us how long we should keep looking for items not readily available.

Is There a Charge for ILL Services?

No, ILL services are free. You are not charged for processing, shipping or photocopies. However, patrons who order ILL materials and fail to pick them up within 2 weeks will be charged a service fee of $5.00 for each item. To avoid charges for replacement cost, late fees, or service fees, please be responsible in your retrieval and return of ILL materials.

Questions?  Send an email to Laurel Chilcote at l.chilcote@mr.mnscu.edu.

request info

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