Frequently Asked Questions:

Who is qualified to request materials?
How do I place requests to borrow materials?
What will it cost?
How long will it take to get the materials requested?
Notification and material pick-up.
How much information do I need about an item to order it?
How many requests can I turn in at any given time?
How do I know if my request is still on order?
Will I be contacted if my request isn't filled?
How long can I keep items from another library?
Can my items be renewed?
What if Interlibrary Loan isn't fast enough for me?

Current CSM students, faculty, and staff, and current CSM Alumni Association members who are residents of Colorado and holders of a CSM Blaster Card or Library Card. If you don't qualify, you may obtain interlibrary loan services from your local public or corporate library. The Library Reference section also has a list of commercial document suppliers. Many journal citation databases have a document delivery feature, but patrons need to make their own arrangements for payment and fax delivery.

We request that patrons check our CATALYST catalog first to see if the Library owns a particular item. If you are having trouble using our catalog or deciphering your citation, please ask for assistance at the Reference desk. Requests for items are accepted via Internet, walk-in, phone, fax, email, or regular mail. Forms available:

• Web forms - Books & Dissertations | Articles & Conference Papers.
• CATALYST online forms - Enter Catalyst, click on Request button and enter your CWID number and last name. Choose the type of request (book or article).
• Paper order forms - Available at Reference and Circulation desks and at the Information Delivery Services office.
• E-Mail - You can send an e-mail request to: libbor@mines.edu. Make sure you include the complete citation and your personal information (name, contact phone number, student ID, etc.).
• Database-specific forms - Materials may be ordered through numerous electronic journal databases (such as WorldCat). Once in a database, please follow on-screen instructions. Further assistance is available at Library Reference.

We try to get the material at no charge. If that's not possible, you will be notified of the cost. A reciprocal agreement with other Alliance (Colorado) libraries can provide photocopies at no charge for most items. Materials obtained form other Colorado libraries are usually at no charge. Materials obtained out-of-state often have a cost of $15.00 or more per item. If you order an item "Rush," the lending library may charge a fee, which will be passed on to you. Alumni users are charged $10.00 per item in addition to any costs charged to us by other libraries.

Paying for Interlibrary Loan - Materials must be paid for before they can be picked up. We accept cash and checks. Interlibrary loans may be charged to CSM departments; however, we must have a signature of a designated fund manager on the order form before the request can be processed.

Please note on the request form the latest delivery date that is acceptable to you. We try to fill the order BEFORE the deadline. Delivery time varies vastly depending on the source. In general, in-state sources take 3 to 10 business days and out-of-state sources take 10-20 business days. Please mention any concerns about delivery dates when you turn in your request.

Rush orders: For same-day or RUSH processing of your order, please contact the IDS-Borrowing office directly. There may be a "rush fee" from the lending library.

Materials are picked up at the Library Circulation desk or sent via campus mail. Requestors are notified by email (or phone if they do not have an email address).

The more complete the information is, the greater the likelihood we can get exactly what you need and the faster it will arrive. However, we will do what we can within reason with the information you have.

Dependent on the total number of requests we receive daily:
Undergraduate students -- 5 requests processed per day.
Graduate students and faculty -- No limit on the number of requests per day.
Remember -- If you borrow many books at once you may not be able to use them all before they are due back.

A status check can be done by contacting the IDS office. Because of the interlibrary loan time frame, please make a status check after 15 working days. Generally, if you haven't received your material or a "not filled" explanation, your request is still on order.

Yes. You will be contacted by email with an explanation of why it wasn't filled.

This depends on the LENDING library, not us. The time period can vary considerably and loaned books may have short check-out periods.

This depends on the LENDING library, not us. Many libraries don't allow renewals for interlibrary loaned books. Contact the IDS office at least 48 hours before the due date to find out about renewals.

If possible, use the Prospector catalog to identify and request books. For specific articles, always check availability in Article Finder first.  Next, using the Journal Articles & Conference Papers form often results in very fast turnaround.  Commercial document suppliers can provide copies quickly for a fee. For example, UnCover will fax article copies to you, usually within 48 hours. Library Reference has a list of other commercial document suppliers.