Interlibrary Loan: Interlibrary Loan

If we don't have a book you need, we'll try to get it for you from another library.

To have materials delivered to an OCC campus library from another participating library you must be a currently enrolled student, faculty, or staff member with an activated Raider One Card.

See below to request books by interlibrary loan, or try MeLCat to search for and request books from Michigan libraries and have them sent directly to your library.

Overview Of The Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Process:

• Search library catalogs in the following order:
  • OCC's library catalog
  • MeLCat
  • Another library's catalog
• If the book or other item is not in your OCC library and you wish to initiate ILL, save or print the catalog record so that you have identifying information.
• Submit a request for ILL at the circulation desk of the OCC library where you wish the item to be transferred.
• When you receive notification (by phone, mail, or email), pick up the item at the circulation desk of the OCC library you have designated.

Interlibrary Loans expand access to resources beyond those available at OCC libraries. OCC depends on other academic and public libraries for loans of materials. The conditions of ILL service are set by the National Interlibrary Loan Code of the American Library Association and by the regulations of individual lending libraries. There may be a limit to the number of items that can be requested. Note: Patrons may have a maximum of 5 active requests from OCLC at any one time.  OCLC materials cannot be renewed.

What else do I need to know?

• Requests from another OCC library may take three days.
• Requests from a non-OCC library may take up to two weeks.
• Average loan period for books is three weeks.
• Renewal is at the discretion of the lending library and is not guaranteed.
• Materials should be returned to the circulation desk or the outside drop box of the OCC library where they were picked up.
• Audio-visual materials must always be returned inside the library to the circulation desk.

OCC Interlibrary Loan for Articles (document delivery) is a service that provides all students, staff and faculty a means to order and receive full text articles which are not available from our research databases or our print collection.  Note: There may be copyright restrictions that limit our ability to obtain the article.

First, check the OCC Journals List to see if the item is available at one of the five campus libraries.

Please contact your campus library reference desk to request an article through interlibrary loan or for any additional research assistance.

You can go directly to one of over 35 academic libraries in the area and borrow the item. Before you go, read about the following and check with any OCC Library if you have questions:

• MeLCat Visiting Patron
• OCC is part of the MeLCat Visiting Patron Service which allows you to check out available materials in person at other participating libraries. To borrow materials as an OCC Visiting Patron at another library, be sure to bring your activated Raider One Card or OCC library card and a picture ID. See all of the participating libraries.
• Infopass  
  With an Infopass issued by an OCC Library, you can go directly to one of over 35 academic libraries in the area and borrow the item. Before you go, be sure to read about Infopass policies and procedures.  Please check with any OCC Library if you have questions.