Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service for borrowing materials not owned by Crossett Library or Jennings Library.

In order to better serve the Bennington College community, Crossett Library Interlibrary Loan has transitioned to a cloud-based Interlibrary Loan platform that replaces ILLiad. Learn more about creating an account on this platform and the borrowing policies below.

Interlibrary Loan FAQ

What is Interlibrary Loan (ILL)?

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service for borrowing materials not owned by Crossett Library or Jennings Library.

How much does ILL cost, and who can use it?

The service is free to all current Bennington College students, faculty, and staff. All other patrons should contact their local public libraries, which usually provide ILL services for free or a small fee.

How do I make an ILL request?

Login to the Interlibrary Loan system to make your requests.

What kinds of material can I request?

Books, films, music cds, journal articles, book chapters, microfilm, and other materials.
Alternatively, you may submit a purchase request for new items or any material that you’d like to see added to the Crossett collection by emailing library@bennington.edu or depositing your submission in the Library’s Suggestion Box. All suggestions will be considered.

Are there any limitations to ILL?

Materials not available for borrowing may include:

  • rare or fragile items, most reference-type books, genealogical materials, ebooks, computer files, and similar items;
  • items owned by Crossett Library that are currently on reserve;
  • required class reading listed on the Bennington College bookstore list; and
  • items owned by Crossett Library that are currently checked out.

Please contact the ILL office with questions or extenuating circumstances.
Items obtained through ILL cannot be placed on reserve. Faculty should send a new purchase request, with applicable course listing information, to kathyw@bennington.edu.

How many items may I request?

There is no maximum limit; however we ask that you limit your requests to a reasonable amount for your research.

When will my ILL request arrive?

Material is ordered within 1-2 business days of your initial request. Articles can take 1–3 days, and loans can take up to 7-10 days. The arrival time depends upon the location and swiftness of the owning library. Please utilize the “Comments” field of your request if material is needed quickly, or you have any other comments that might aid in the search for the request.

Why do some items arrive later than others?

Some items take longer due to the location of the owning library or because the material is difficult to locate and borrow, such as: newer items, entire periodical issues, certain reference books, textbooks, and maps. We make every effort to obtain your request, though the final decision lies with the owning library.

How will I know that my ILL request is in? Where do I pick it up?

All notifications are sent via email; please register your Bennington College email when you create your account. ILL items are kept behind the Circulation Desk at Crossett Library, and the person at the desk can help you. Articles and book chapters are usually sent electronically to your ILL account, where you can view and download the documents. Please save these files elsewhere (on a flash drive, personal desktop, etc.) when you first open them.

What is the loan period for my ILL item?

The owning library selects the due date, usually 3–4 weeks, but the exact date will be on the paper band on your item. Recalled loans must be returned as soon as possible, in which case you may opt to reorder the item through ILL and we will request it from a different library.

How do I renew my ILL item?

Login to the Interlibrary Loan system. You will see a listing of all current Interlibrary Loan items that you have checked out. If the item can be renewed, you will see a "Renew" button. Clicking this button initiates a renewal request; it is up to the lending library if they will grant a renewal, and for how long. We will email you the new extended due date.

Who do I contact with additional questions about ILL?

Please contact the ILL office at Crossett Library.
Kathy Williams, Reserves and ILL Coordinator
Email: illbnt@bennington.edu
Telephone: 440-4605
Term Office Hours: 8:30am-4:30pm, M–F

Interlibrary Loan Account Setup and Login

Interlibrary loan (ILL) is the service that gives you access to the resources of other libraries. You can use ILL to borrow books, media, and to obtain PDFs of articles and book chapters. Crossett Library is moving to a new system to manage interlibrary loan. There is a new user interface for creating and managing requests. You will notice a few differences from our previous ILL system (ILLiad). The new service lists all of your requests on a single page, displays links to articles, and details the status of your requests and item due dates. You will still receive e-mail notifications about the status of your requests.

Creating your Account:

  • Navigate to https://2977.account.worldcat.org/profile.
  • Click the grey box that says “Don’t have an Account? Create Account.”
  • Please use your Bennington College email when registering. Your password must be at least 6 characters long and include a number.
  • Click “Create” when finished.
  • You will now be able to log in to the new ILL service.

If you ever forget your password, do not create a new account. Instead:

We hope that this ILL service enhances your library experience and streamlines how you manage your Interlibrary Loan requests.

If you have any questions, please contact Kathy Williams at kathyw@bennington.edu or stop in at Crossett Library.

ILL Lending Policy For Borrowing Libraries

Interlibrary loan is a library-to-library transaction. We do not accept requests or renewal requests from patrons. We loan free and reciprocate with all.

OCLC Symbol: BNT

General email: illbnt@bennington.edu

Address and Office Information:
ILL-Crossett Library
Bennington College
One College Drive
Bennington, VT 05201

Term Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30am-4:30pm
ILL Coordinator: Kathy Williams
Telephone: 802-440-4605

Affiliations:
NO$$, SUNY/OCLC, LVIS.

Material that circulates, on a case-by-case basis, includes:
Books, films, and cds. Some journal issues. Copies of articles and book chapters need not be returned.

Material that does not circulate includes (but is not limited to):
Senior theses, items in our textbook collection, oversized books, special collections and rare books, and archival material.

Mailing service:
We use USPS but ship all AV boxed via UPS. We request that our AV is returned boxed via traceable courier too.

Fees:
We do not charge. We encourage reciprocal agreements.

Lost items:
We will send your library an invoice with the replacement cost of the item at the time of the new purchase, as well as a processing fee.