NB: The interlibrary loan is governed by the university’s interlibrary loan policy.
What is interlibrary loan (ILL) and who can use ILL?
Interlibrary loan obtains books, articles, and other materials that are not available in the IRC/Library from other libraries. ILL services are available to students, faculty, and staff of Constructor University Bremen.
What can be ordered via ILL?
We can try to order almost everything using ILL that is not owned by the IRC/Library. See the service description for a list of items that can and cannot be ordered.
How do I order an item via ILL?
Find your item in our library catalog and place a request via the linking provided there. Click here for a short step-by-step guide.
Can you send articles requested via ILL to me electronically?
No, unfortunately German copyright regulations prohibit electronic delivery of articles to our patrons.
Can ILL items be renewed?
Whether or not an ILL item is renewable is indicated on the yellow barcode slip that comes with every item borrowed via ILL. Even when an item is renewable, a renewal should be requested only when absolutely necessary and may be denied by the lending library. The renewal request should be sent via e-mail to irc-ill@constructor.university three to five working days before the item is due.
Why was my ILL request canceled or denied?
There are several possibilities why an ILL request was canceled or denied:
- The IRC already has the item in its collection;
- The item could not be obtained from another library (i.e. no library has the item, the item is currently checked out or not available for loan); or
- The bibliographic information you entered was incorrect or incomplete and we received no response to our inquiries for further information from you.
Can I order items from other libraries myself?
It is possible to self-order materials through the German Union Catalog (GVK) for faculty, staff, and PhD students. This option appears when placing an ILL order. To be able to use this possibility, patrons need to request a personal account and password by e-mail from irc-ill@constructor.university. Before using the self-ordering option, patrons must check our catalog to make sure we do not have access to this item in the IRC (see also fees & fines). Once the item has arrived, a notification will be sent via e-mail. Please note that self-ordering in the union catalog means that:
- The ILL department does not track the request;
- Managing possible rejects is the responsibility of the patron;
- No privileges (such as faster delivery or choice of the lending library) are granted when patrons have a personal account in the union catalog; and
- Access to e-books and e-journals licensed by other libraries represented in the common union catalog is not possible.