Interlibrary loan (ILL) is a cooperative effort between libraries to provide better services for their patrons. The purpose of ILL is to allow you to obtain books, journal articles and other materials that are not available in Brown Library. We will request the item you need from another library that owns it. Although the request process is electronic, delivery is not.
Please make your request well in advance of when the item is needed.
Please be sure we do not have an item before submitting an ILL request. Check the catalog for books and the databases for journal articles.
Please read the policies before making a request.
For assistance, call 540-857-6332 or 540-857-6941.
ILL services are available to currently enrolled VWCC students and currently employed faculty and staff.
Faculty and staff requests are honored for materials used for work-related inquiry or to support the mission of the college. Student requests are honored for materials needed to fulfill the reading and research requirements of the College's course offerings.
Before making an ILL request, please use the links below to verify that Brown Library does not own the book or periodical you need. You may also want to check the availability of the books you need at local libraries or through a website that provides free electronic texts. At times this may be a quicker option than interlibrary loan.
To place an ILL request, complete the online Book Request form or Article Request form. Please provide as much information about the requested material as possible.
If your request cannot be filled, you will be notified as soon as possible via email or phone.
We do not charge for processing ILL requests; however, some lending libraries do have fees associated with supplying requested materials. If the requested material is only available from a lending library that charges a fee, we will contact you to determine if you are willing to pay the fee to receive the material.
You can have no more than five (5) active ILL requests at one time.
Copies of articles are yours to keep. Loan periods for other materials vary with and are determined by the lending library. Most academic libraries in Virginia lend materials for 56 days, often with no renewals available. Public libraries and out-of-state libraries typically have loan periods of 30 days.
Due dates will be printed on the cover of the material borrowed. Any borrowed material must be returned to Brown Library by 4:00 p.m. on the indicated due date. Fines may be assessed for late returns. Renewals should be requested prior to the due date.
It usually takes 2-7 business days for articles and 5-10 business days for books or other resources to arrive. Please keep these time frames in mind when making your ILL request.
You will be notified via email or phone that the material is available at the Circulation Desk on the top floor of Brown Library. Materials not picked up within 10 days of notification will be returned to the lending library.
If you are a distance learning student, who lives outside of the Roanoke Valley and does not have on-campus classes, you may request that the material be mailed to your home. You will be responsible for returning the borrowed material to Brown Library by the due date.
You will be charged the replacement cost or repair cost as assessed by the lending library. Additionally, students who do not return ILL materials will have an obligation placed on their student record until the material is returned or the replacement cost paid.
Hours:
M-Th: 8AM - 8PM
Fri: 8AM - 5PM
Sat: 9AM - 1PM
Sun: Closed
Address:
3095 Colonial Ave SW
Roanoke, VA 24015
P.O. Box 40012
Roanoke, VA 24022
Info: 540-857-7303
Reference: 540-857-7438
Circulation: 540-857-6941
Fax: 857-6058
