Distance students and distance faculty can get physical books mailed to them. This includes books that we own as well as books from other libraries. Please see the "Get Print Materials" box below on how to do this through Interlibrary Loan.
In OneSearch, you will sometimes see a "Request a physical copy" option for books that we do not own. This may be followed by "Delivery estimated in X business days" or "From another library, Terms to be supplied." In both cases, the "Request It" option will NOT work for distance students/faculty. If you try using this option, your request will be canceled.
You can, however, request a digital chapter of a book. Click on "Request It" and then fill out the form. The digital chapter will be emailed to you in about 24 hours.
In some cases you may not see the option to request a digital chapter as shown above. Other times, you might want to request a chapter from a book that doesn't show up at all in OneSearch. In these situations, you can still request a digital book chapter through Interlibrary Loan. Simply follow the steps listed on this page but select "Book Chapter" in your Interlibrary Loan account instead of "Article."
Distance students and distance faculty can use Interlibrary Loan to get physical books, electronic articles, and microfiche sent to them from the King Library collection and libraries around the world. Here's some information on Interlibrary Loan:
First Time Users
First time users need to set up an account with Interlibrary Loan. You can access your Interlibrary Loan account by clicking on this link. You can also click on "Accounts" in the upper right corner of the library's homepage.
On the next page, click on "Interlibrary Loan."
Please first set up your account by following the steps below:
1. Log in using your SJSUOne ID and password.
2. Complete your Interlibrary Loan user profile. IMPORTANT: If you are in an SJSU online program, fill in the following fields this way:
Request an Item through Interlibrary Loan
Distance students may request physical books through Interlibrary Loan and have them delivered to their home, free of charge. You pay the expense of mailing them back to the Library.* Using the U.S. Postal Service's Media Mail rate is usually the most affordable option for doing this.
To request a physical book, click on "New Requests" in your Interlibrary Loan account page. Then select "Book."
On the next page, enter in the information about the book and click "Submit Request." You will receive an email when the book gets shipped out to you.
Return an Item to Interlibrary Loan
Items can be returned to Interlibrary Loan using the postal service's Media Mail rate. Mail to:
Attn: Interlibrary Loan, King Library, San Jose State University, One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192-0028
View Your Account/Check Status of Requested Items
If you have an issue with your Interlibrary Loan request, please contact Danny Soares at Danny.Soares@sjsu.edu. Identify yourself as a distance student in your email.
Interlibrary Loan Borrowing Guidelines
Request Limits: There are no request limits. However, Interlibrary Loan staff reserves the right to limit how many requests are processed per day per user during busy periods.
Cost: Most requests are free, although you will be responsible for the cost of returning the item to the library. Some lending libraries do charge fees to lend their items. If borrowing from such a library is the only option available, we will contact you in advance to confirm whether or not you are willing to pay the fee.
How long it takes: In most cases, material is received in 7 to 10 days. Some requests can take longer, and others are here in 2 or 3 days. Delivery time depends on many factors, but the main variables are where the material is located and how quickly that library or supplier responds to requests. Interlibrary Loan staff assumes that you need the material as soon as possible and makes every effort to get the material to you in the shortest time possible. There is no guarantee that the requested material will be located, and we cannot accept requests with a deadline.
Loan Period: The loan period is set by the lending library, averaging around 3 weeks. There is no grace period on due dates. You must also abide by any additional lending restrictions placed on the use of their material (such as "In-library use only"). Photocopies of articles are yours to keep.
Renewals: Renewals can sometimes be arranged, and may be requested online through Interlibrary Loan.
Late Fees: $1 per day/per item. You will also be charged for any lost or damaged materials. Libraries may refuse to lend to us in the future if their materials are late or damaged.
*If you would like to avoid this small charge, see if your local public library offers an Interlibrary Loan service. You may be able to request and return a book for no cost.
