Holy family university: Interlibrary Loan

E-ZBorrow and Interlibrary Loan are free Library services.

However, privileges will be revoked while books are overdue. Replacement fees for lost or damaged books are still in effect.

EZBorrow or Interlibrary Lending (ILL) Overdue Policy (Blocks and fines will be removed once materials are returned):

• After 2 weeks, patrons are blocked from requesting any further interlibrary materials, and the overdue item(s) is moved to Lost status
• After 30 days, patrons are blocked from checking out any Library materials and their university account will be placed on hold.
• Lost Item fine:  Cost varies depending on the item and the lending library's policy. Fine costs will be sent to the patron's email.
• Items that have been deemed damaged are also subject to fines.
  • Items may be considered damaged if returned dirty, waterlogged, with writing, highlighting, or underlining, or containing excessive “sticky” notes and tabs.

ILL Overdue FAQs

• How do I know when my item is overdue?

Patrons will be notified via email before their items are due and once they are overdue.  

• What if I lost or never returned my Library material(s)?

All patrons are responsible for replacement fees for lost or nonreturned items. Charges will be based on the cost of the lost item(s) plus a $10.00 processing fee.

• What does it mean if I receive a Hold/Block on my account?

If a patron either has an overdue item more than 2 weeks old or has an outstanding replacement fee for a lost item(s), a hold/block will be placed on the patron's university account. Blocks/Holds on patrons' accounts will result in a block on future class registrations and transcript requests as well as the use of Library services until the issue is resolved.

• Who can I contact about lost or overdue items?

Contact the Access Services Coordinator for more information on overdue materials.

EZBorrow: The Fastest Way to Borrow Books from Other Libraries

Holy Family University Library has a vast array of resources to assist with your research. Although there are so many great titles, the one you are looking for may not be within our collection. With our Interlibrary Loan service, you have access to resources from libraries beyond our campus.

Now, to make Interlibrary Loan even better, we have added a new service called EZBorrow. With EZBorrow, obtaining books from other libraries will take half the time. EZBorrow is a FAST interlibrary lending solution that enables students, faculty, and staff affiliated with participating institutions to explore, request, and obtain physical library resources (e.g. books, media, etc.), from a vast network of colleges and universities.

EZBorrow is available to Holy Family University students, faculty, and staff, through our membership with PALCI. It allows you to borrow books from over 60 academic libraries in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and West Virginia. You can request books directly through the EZBorrow interface and receive them within 5 – 7 business days; no need to reach out to Interlibrary Loan to make your request!

EZBorrow Frequently Asked Questions

What is EZBorrow?

EZBorrow is a service allowing you to search and borrow books directly from 60+ academic libraries in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey simultaneously. This is all possible because we are members of PALCI (Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium, Inc.). PALCI is a membership organization of private and public academic libraries. The primary mission of the group is to spur the development of library cooperation within Pennsylvania and surrounding areas. All member libraries are committed to providing exceptional service through a shared set of EZBorrow Policies. Academic libraries of various sizes rely on EZBorrow to offer their users user-friendly access to the distinctive collections of PALCI members.

Who can use EZBorrow?

Holy Family University's current students, faculty, and staff can use EZBorrow.

I am having login trouble – Help!

If you are experiencing login trouble, please make sure you have entered the correct login information (your HFU Email and password).

If problems persist, please contact the HFU ILL department.

What is the borrowing period?

The borrowing period for EZBorrow is 16 weeks or the patron’s expiration date.

Are renewals allowed?

Renewals are not allowed through EZBorrow service.

How long before my resource is available?

EZBorrow items are usually shipped from the lending library within 3-5 business days.

I lost my EZBorrow items – Help!

The PALCI policy for lost EZBorrow items dictates that patrons are responsible for paying for any lost EZBorrow items.

Please contact the ILL department if you lost your EZBorrow item(s).

I couldn’t find what I needed on EZBorrow – Help!

If you searched for materials in EZBorrow but were unable to make a request (the item was not available, there were no lending libraries, or the year/edition you need is not available), you may want to try requesting the item via another Interlibrary Loan service. 

Please complete the following form if EZBorrow does not have the item you are requesting.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service through which materials not owned by Holy Family University Library may be requested and obtained from other libraries. The library's interlibrary loan service is hosted through the OCLC WorldShare & WorldCat platform

Holy Family University (HFU) students, faculty, and staff are eligible to use this service.  

Alumni and guest patrons are not eligible to use this service here at HFU.  We encourage you contact the ILL service at your home institution or local public library.

For questions about Interlibrary Loan, please visit the front desk of the main floor of the Library.

Telephone: 267-341-3315 

Email: interlibraryloan@holyfamily.edu

What kind of materials can ILL provide?

• BOOKS – Borrowed items are usually lent for 2 to 6 weeks, depending on the policy of the lending library.  Materials are sometimes designated for use in the library only.
• ARTICLES – Copies of articles that are not available from the HFU library online or print collections are provided through ILL.
• DISSERTATIONS / THESES – We can attempt to request these materials, however, they tend to have limited availability and many libraries do not lend them. Be sure to check the ProQuest database for any full-text access.
• DVDs / CDs / VIDEOS (media) – Again, we will request these materials, however since some library policies still do not allow the lending of media, it may take longer to receive.

What material should NOT be requested on ILL?

• Materials in our Library collection:  We cannot accept requests for materials that are owned by the HFU library.  This is in compliance with the National Interlibrary Loan Code and includes books that are on reserve, charged out to other users, or in non-circulating collections.  However, books that are lost may be requested on ILL.
• eBooks:  EBooks not in our library collection cannot be requested through ILL since licensing for eBooks are specific to the purchasing library.

How long does it take to receive my materials?

ILL book/media loans usually take 2-3 weeks to arrive via postal service mail. 

Article copies usually arrive within 1-3 business days via email. 

Receipt times can vary, so ILL requests should be placed well in advance of the due date of a major paper/assignment.

What is the fee for this service?

This is a free service, however, overdue/lost ILL books will incur a processing and replacement fee created by the lending library.

Please note: HF Library can not control the amount the lending library demands and patrons are responsible to pay the fine in full. Patron accounts with overdue or lost ILL items were received a hold on their university's account until the item is returned or the fine is completely paid.

How will I know when the material I have requested is received?

You will be notified by your Holy Family email when your ILL material is received.  Book/media loans are to be picked up in the library at the front desk.  You may also check on the status of a pending ILL request by contacting the library or emailing interlibraryloan@holyfamily.edu.

Please note that you are responsible for verifying the citation of each item requested by using a research database, a standard bibliography, a catalog, or an index.  You may also include a copy of your citation with your ILL request.