CSN InterLibrary Loan Borrowing Policy
When library materials are not available in the CSN Libraries, library users may request those items through InterLibrary Loan. An InterLibrary Loan is a transaction in which library material, or a copy of the library material, is made available by one library to another upon request.
CSN InterLibrary Loan abides by the American Library Association's National Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States and the specific policies of lending libraries. In addition, CSN InterLibrary Loan complies with the Copyright Act of 1976 (Title 17 of the United States Code) and guidelines developed by the National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works, known as the CONTU guidelines, as described in the Library of Congress' Copyright Publication number 21.
Eligible borrowers
College of Southern Nevada faculty, staff, and students are eligible for the service. There is no charge for this service.
Items that can be requested
Any item that is not owned by CSN Libraries or is not a course textbook may be requested through InterLibrary Loan. Materials that display in the Library catalog as being “missing” or “lost” may also be requested.
All materials are loaned in accordance with the rules and procedures of the lending library. Lending libraries may choose not to lend certain items. The following items are usually not available for loan: high-use materials, newly published items, rare or fragile items, media, computer software, reference books, entire issues or volumes of periodicals, multiple volume sets and other non-circulating items.
Note: Current textbooks cannot be requested through Interlibrary Loan.
How to place a request
CSN faculty, staff, and students must log in to Tipasa to request materials through InterLibrary Loan.
You may have 30 active requests at any one time.
Please contact InterLibrary Loan staff if you have any trouble accessing the system or submitting your request.
Pick-up & return options
Materials may be picked up at any of the CSN Libraries. Borrowers will indicate their pick-up location in their request. InterLibrary Loan items may be returned to any of the CSN Libraries. Online-only students may request that materials be delivered to their home address. See "Online'only patron services" section below for more details.
Articles and other electronic items are available via email through a borrower’s Tipasa account. Photocopies and scans usually become the borrower’s property to keep.
Request timeline
Books and other materials requested from in-state libraries usually arrive within one to two weeks. Books and other materials requested from out-of-state libraries usually arrive within one to four weeks. Articles and other scanned materials usually arrive same day or within two weeks.
Borrowers are notified via e-mail when materials arrive.
Checkout Period for borrowed materials
Loan periods for most materials are determined by the lending library but are usually 3 to 5 weeks. Due dates will be marked on items.
Photocopies and scans usually become the borrower’s property to keep.
Some items may have additional conditions for their use (such as “library use only”) and these criteria must be observed.
Renewals are sometimes available and may be requested through the borrower’s Tipasa account. Renewal requests should be placed before the item’s due date. Renewals are granted at the discretion of the lending library.
Overdue materials or replacement costs
If materials are not returned when they are due, the lending library may charge an overdue fine or replacement cost based on their loan policy. Individual borrowers are responsible for paying any fees.
Lost or Damaged Materials
Individual borrowers are liable for the replacement or repair costs of materials checked out through InterLibrary Loan for lost or damaged items. Fees for a lost or damaged loan are set by the lending library.
Copyright
Most articles and some book chapters will be provided electronically through the patron's Tipasa account. At times this service might not be available due to copyright limitations. If you have questions about this limitation, please contact the InterLibrary Loan department.
Online-only student services
Students who take classes exclusively online, and faculty which teach from remote locations exclusively may utilize the InterLibrary Loan service for home delivery of both InterLibrary Loan items and items needed from the CSN Libraries physical collections. To receive this service, online-only patrons must select Home as the delivery location for their request in Tipasa. A current mailing address and current email address is required.
Online-only patrons may request up to 10 CSN Libraries materials per week, and requests will be processed within 2 working days. Requested materials will be checked out on the patron's CSN library card and mailed through FedEx delivery services. Items must be returned by the due date to the CSN InterLibrary Loan Department in the pre-paid return packaging provided. Should the return packaging become lost or damaged, the patron is responsible for the cost of shipping to return the borrowed item.
Please note: Students requesting home delivery services must have a current CSN enrollment status that is 100% online. Enrollment in a course that requires physical attendance at any CSN location disqualifies the patron from home delivery services.