FAQ - Distance Library Services

Who is eligible for Distance Library Services?

Distance library services are offered to students who:

      ...take most of their classes online or off-campus
     ...and live more than 35 miles from campus
     ...and do not come to campus on a regular basis to be distant students.

- Online access to the Foley Library Catalog of books, eBooks and other materials. Books from the Foley Library collection may be requested online using the Make a Request feature in the catalog. They will be checked out and mailed to you on the next business day.
- Online access to PRIMO which searches the library catalog and many (but not all!) of our online resources all at once.
- Online access to article Indexes and Databases including: Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, ERIC, JSTOR, PsycINFO and SocINDEX.
- Online access to full-text articles in thousands of online journals, accessible through the databases or through Periodicals at Foley. Articles not available online through one of the databases may be requested through interlibrary loan.
- Interlibrary Loan service ILLiad. If we don't have it here we may be able to get it from another library. Books will be mailed to you if you are within the US or Canada and live 35+ miles from campus. Articles are delivered electronically.
- Online reference assistance. Click on the Contact Us link on the library homepage.
- Online tutorials on using the library and searching article databases.
- Toll-free assistance at 800-498-5941. The reference staff will be happy to assist you with any questions during the library's open business hours.
- Library staff are happy to help you with your research, but will not do it all for you.
- Immediate delivery of articles requested through ILLiad is not supported. See the "How long will it take. . ." section below.
- Interlibrary loan may not be used as a substitute for purchasing textbooks. ILLiad requests for textbooks are automatically canceled.
- Most listed services are free. Interlibrary loans are usually free. However, some libraries charge us to use their materials. Foley Library will pay up to $15 per item in lending charges. If a lending library charges more than that, you will have the option of paying the difference or canceling the request.
- Distance learners are responsible for postage to return books.
- All students are subject to overdue fines and replacement costs for any lost items.
- The library adheres to the U.S. Copyright Law and the accompanying fair use guidelines. Copyright fees for articles obtained through interlibrary loan can be expensive. Foley Library will pay up to $45 in copyright fees per article, but if the copyright fee exceeds $45 you will have the option of paying the difference or canceling the request.
- Request books from the Foley Library collection by using the Make a Request feature in PRIMO or the online Catalog.
- Article databases link to Periodicals@Foley to check for online full-text in our databases. If we don't have it, use the handy link to ILLiad to place a request.
- Login to your ILLiad account to fill our a request form for articles that are not available online or to request books that are NOT owned by Foley Library. Always check Periodicals at Foley before submitting any article request. The journal you need may be available online.
- We can usually locate, scan and post articles from Foley Library print journals within 2 business days.
- ILLiad requests are processed on a first-come, first-served basis. At peak times of the semester processing may be slowed by a higher than normal request level. At those times, we can only guarantee processing five requests per person per day. Order only what you need and try to limit ILLiad request to 15 per week. If there's a reason you need to submit more than that, contact the Interlibrary Loan Office ill@gonzaga.edu.
- Articles requested through Interlibrary Loan (ILLiad) are supplied by other libraries. Typically, they are posted to your ILLiad account within 1-3 days.Books and other materials requested through ILL usually arrive at Foley Library within 5-10 days. Once we receive the material, we mail it to you unless you specify a different pickup or delivery option. For example, some students prefer to pick up their books when they come to campus.
- Attention Canadian students! Mail delivery to Canada is slow! Allow at least 4 weeks for mail from Spokane to arrive.
- Articles will be delivered electronically through your ILLiad account. You will receive an e-mail notification whenever a new article is posted to your account.Books will be mailed to the address specified on your ILLiad account, so please keep your address up to date! You will receive an e-mail when the book is put in the mail.
- Some Canadian students make arrangements for books to be delivered by their Gonzaga-based professors. This option may be available to you depending on your location and your professor. You make the arrangements and then let us know when and with whom to send any books that have come in for you. Use the "Notes" field on the request form to supply that information and/or email us at ill@gonzaga.edu.
- If you will be visiting Spokane, we can hold materials for your arrival. Just let us know when you will be on campus by adding a note on your request form or by sending an e-mail to ill@gonzaga.edu
- Articles posted to your ILLiad account are removed from the ILLiad system after 30 days, so save them to your computer as soon as they come in.
- Books from Foley Library's General Collection check out to graduate students for 8 weeks. As long as no one else needs it, a book from Foley Library may be renewed up to 8 times! To renew a GU book, click on the My Account option in the Library Catalog, log in with your ID number and last name and check the box to renew your Foley library books.
- Books obtained through Interlibrary Loan (ILL)are subject to the policies of the lending library, but generally are on loan to us for 2-4 weeks. You may request one renewal for an "ILL" book, but any extension of the due date is also at the discretion of the library that owns the item. PLEASE NOTE: Request renewals of ILL books by logging into your ILLiad account or by e-mailing the ILL Office ill@gonzaga.edu
PLEASE HELP: Due to the increasing cost of mailing books, we're asking students who live just outside the 35 mile radius (some areas of Coeur d'Alene, Dalton Gardens and Hayden in Idaho for example) to consider coming to campus to pick up and return books. We also reserve the right to "batch" books for mailing if it seems appropriate.

Please contact the Distance Services Librarian if you have any questions about your eligibility.

What services are available?

The same services offered to our on-campus students, plus document delivery services and mailing books to your home.

What services are NOT available?

Are these services free?

How do I request a book or an article?

What is ILLiad?

ILLiad is the system you will use to request and track items requested through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Distance students may also use ILLiad to request copies of articles from the Foley Library print collection. For more information go to ILLiad FAQ

Do I need my Gonzaga ID card to use this service?

Your Gonzaga ID number is required to request books from our library, log into PRIMO and to access your Foley Library account to renew books online. You will also be asked to provide your ID number on the ILLiad registration form.

How long will it take to receive requested items?

How will I receive items requested?

How long may I keep articles and books that are sent to me?

Who can I contact for assistance?

Theresa Kappus, Distance Library Services Librarian

Toll-free: 1-800-498-5941 x3820
E-mail: kappus@gonzaga.edu

Anji Mertens, Interlibrary Loan Specialist

Toll-free: 1-800-498-5941 x6534
E-mail: ill@gonzaga.edu

If you have computer hardware and software questions contact the Help Desk at 800-498-5941 x5550 or helpdesk@gonzaga.edu