Library Services FAQ

Interlibrary Loan is a privilege extended to the PSU borrowing community. It is designed to open up access to material that is not owned locally, and by nature, we do not ask to borrow material from outside sources if it is owned in the community.

In these cases you should place a hold for the material at the Circulation desk. This includes material that is currently checked out. Faculty and graduate students have semester checkout, however the due date is shortened if a hold has been placed. Please see a representative at the Circulation desk for more information.

How long will it take?

Unfortunately, we cannot tell you ahead of time when your material will be available. Items arrive at different times from different libraries, and in many cases more than one library must be tried before the request is filled.

Libraries are chosen, and your request is sent out typically within one business day. It could take a bit longer during peak times of the semester. Once your request has been sent, it usually takes one or two days for photocopied articles to start arriving. Many are delivered online, and they are forwarded directly into your ILLiad account.

Books take at least one week before they start to come in. These arrive in the mail or other delivery system.

What does it cost?

The majority of our material is obtained at no cost to you. We have a subsidized charge of $10.00 for items obtained from libraries that charge us for their service, and you have the option to approve those charges in advance.

If your request states "Free Only", we'll only try free libraries, and return the request to you for approval if we are limited to libraries that charge for their Interlibrary Loan services.

How long can I have it?

That is strictly up to the owning library. The average loan period is three weeks, and some libraries will renew one time. Renewals may be requested from within your account starting five days before your due date. You may want to find another source if you need a book for a semester long project.

ILLiad sends out an e-mail reminder on or before your due date, then two overdue notices. Your ILLiad account is automatically blocked on the third notice, and you are unable to request new items until the block is released.

We attach a paper band listing the due date to the front of all books. Books returned after the due date are subject to an overdue fine: The first and second days after the due date are $.50 each. The third and following days are $1.00 per day.

We do charge fines even when the Library is closed, and on holidays. Please return borrowed items directly to the Interlibrary Loan desk. If the Library is closed, you may place them in the outside book return.

How do I know when it's here?

When items arrive, ILLiad automatically sends an e-mail to the contact address you list in your account. Check your spam filters, we can't get around those. Many people set up an ILLiad subdirectory, and have the e-mails filtered into that, so new messages are easy to spot.

E-mails come from "ill@library.pittstate.edu", "ill_borrowing@library.pittstate.edu". You may also read copies of your e-mail notifications. They are duplicated in your ILLiad account. Take the sidebar link after logging in.

What are my responsibilities?

• Pick up what you request, or contact us if you no longer need it.
• Don't highlight, underline, or turn down pages. You may be charged for a replacement, as designated by the owning library.
• Bring materials back, or request renewals if they are allowed, on or before the due date. There is a paper band on the front of each item, please leave it there, as it identifies the material as an Interlibrary Loan, and not Axe material. We want to be able to properly credit you for the return of all material.
• Be specific in what you request. The Reference department is great at helping narrow down your sources.

Material borrowed on Interlibrary Loan is not the property of the Axe Library or PSU and is not subject to any guidelines or conditions we establish on our own material.

Each lending library sets the conditions concerning the loan of its property. You must abide by those conditions, but options may be available. Books may be requested from a second library if necessary, and if requested early enough, a second copy might arrive before the first loan must be returned.

Lenders have the right to recall their material at any time if requested by their own patrons.

What is not available on ILL / restricted?

Textbooks: Textbooks and other material currently sold for courses offered by PSU or other institutions are not obtained on Interlibrary Loan. Those campus bookstores can supply the material needed

Material owned locally: Books owned by Axe or other Pittsburg libraries should be requested through the Axe Circulation desk. Items that are checked out will be recalled for you. Material at the Pittsburg Public Library may be checked out directly. PSU students are not charged a fee to obtain a Public Library checkout card.

Old, Rare, Reference, and Brand New: We can try, but many libraries will not loan these items. Copies of specific pages may be obtained if the condition of the material allows.

Audio CDs: You may have two active audio requests at one time.

DVDs: You may have one active video request at one time.

Exceptions to these restrictions can be made by conferring with interlibrary loan and demonstrating a research or other academic need.

Why was my request canceled?

Requests are canceled for a number of reasons. Many are requested, but unavailable, some are only held at libraries that do not loan, others are canceled because of Copyright issues. When requests are canceled, the status is shown in your account, and an e-mail is automatically sent stating the reason.

If there is a condition that you can correct, you may do so, then re-submit the item, using the original record in your ILLiad account.

• Community members are permitted to use Axe Library, but must have a library card to check out materials, and/or a Banana Bucks card ($1) to use the computers.
• A picture ID with a current address is required to obtain a library card.
• The check out period is 3 weeks for books and other materials. Late materials will incur fines and possible collection efforts.
• Community patrons can use interlibrary loan, but they have to go to the Gorillas Geeks to have an account set up. Community patron access to ILLiad information can be found on the ILLiad FAQ webpage.
• Databases can only be accessed in the library.
• Community patrons must abide by all PSU policies regarding computer use.
• Community members may view the Axe Wireless policy below.

Loan Policy

• Five weeks use, no renewal
  • Newspapers on microfilm: maximum of 2 reels - one week use
  • Journals & reference: will loan w/department approval - one week use
  • Media: one week use
• No lending fee - may charge for special shipping or other needs
• International libraries: loan selectively - borrower pays all shipping - OCLC/IMF preferred.

Non-circulating items:

• Reference items, including Government Documents reference
• Special Collections (includes paperback science fiction)
• Haldeman-Julius publications (will photocopy if condition allows, see photocopy policies)
• Materials not owned by the Axe or KTC Libraries
• Microfiche - EXCEPT:
  • LAC - Library of American Civilization (92x ultrafiche)
  • LEL - Library of English Literature (92x ultrafiche)

Photocopy Policy

• Kansas Regents: free
• Other KS, BCR, AM/BCR and LVIS: 1-50 pp free (51+pp = $5.10+)
• Other non-Kansas: $.10 p ($5.00 min.)

We generally reciprocate free services when possible

Odyssey

• We do not charge extra to send via Odyssey (206.107.43.64/ILL)
• We use OCLC's "Article Exchange" for non-Odyssey libraries
• We no longer use Ariel
• We hold copies for one week, please contact us as soon as possible if you do not receive all pages, or if they were unreadable.

Other

Theses: available for loan if second copy owned

Special Collections are non-circulating, will photocopy if condition and circumstance allows.

OCLC: KFP
FEIN: 48-6119268

Member of:
OCLC
Lyrasis / BCR
AM/BCR
LVIS
KICnet

Access to Library Services Databases should be effortless. In most cases, when coming from an off-site computer or location, you should be prompted once for user authentication through “GUS” (login and password), and then pass-through to the database you want to use. You should not be prompted for your login or password numerous times even if you change databases, unless you accidentally close your browser window.

If your GUS “authentication” does not seem to work, here’s a few things you can do:

• Is your caps lock key on? Your GUS password is case sensitive.
• Use your 7-digit GUS ID (a zero followed by six digits), not your email address as your Login.
• Use the password/PIN unique to your GUS ID, not the password for your email or other accounts.
• Does your password/PIN include a blank space? Please change your password/PIN by following the “reset” link on the GUS Login Page (hyperlink under “Login to MyGUS")
  • The GUS password/PIN will be emailed to the email address specified in your GUS account.
• If additional problems occur logging in to GUS, please contact the Gorilla Geeks.

If you can log in to GUS successfully but still have problems accessing the databases, here’s a few more things to try:

• Know what browser you are using and what release version you are on.
• Set your browser options/settings to accept “cookies”, which are required.
• Contact Reference Librarians via chat or phone for further troubleshooting assistance.
• Are you accessing the database through a link on the library website? Some resources have a special url that permits access off-campus and via wifi. If you do not access those resources from a link on the library’s website, you will not be able access them.
• Are you accessing the database from a location with a firewall or pop up blocking software?

Pittsburg State University Library Services uses WiFi standards IEEE 802.11b and 802.11g. These standards provide up to 54 megabits/second connection speed. Library Services does not provide wireless equipment for checkout, so you will need to use your own laptop, tablet or smart phone with built-in WiFi.

Printers are NOT available to wireless users in Library Services. You may download documents to a USB drive and print them at the Library print stations located in the Axe/Technology Library, or other campus labs.

No special passwords are need at this time to access the public wireless network. Your PSU login and GUS pin are required for access to Library Services databases and other patron resources.

Library Services is not responsible for any changes you make to your computer's settings. For additional help, contact the Gorilla Geeks.

WiFi users assume all risks and responsibilities to provide anti-virus protection and appropriate security settings on their wireless device.

WiFi users should be certain that their wireless devices are secure at all times. Wireless devices are your personal electronic fingerprint, and should never be left unattended in the Library, even for brief periods of time. Theft of such devices should be reported to Campus Police immediately (245-4624).

Misuse of Internet access will result in loss of library access and privileges. It is not acceptable to use library Internet services to:

• degrade or disrupt equipment or system performance
• vandalize the data of any other user
• gain unauthorized access to resources or entities
• invade the privacy of individuals
• violate federal, state or local laws or regulations, including those regarding accessing, viewing, printing, and distributing obscenity, child pornography, and materials harmful to minors
• engage in any activity that is deliberately offensive or creates an intimidating or hostile environment