Brock University Library will resume its Interlibrary Loan (ILL)/RACER service for physical books starting Monday, March 8th. Brock is joining a growing number of Ontario universities restarting this shared, coordinated service. This expands on ILL service for electronic materials, which has continued throughout the pandemic.
We’re pleased to finally be able to provide this critical research support service, but the realities of COVID mean that users may see delays or cancelled requests. As a result, print Interlibrary Loans will be most useful for those engaged in long-term research, rather than those with an immediate need for materials.
What can you expect?
- Print requests may be unfilled or cancelled due to library location closures and restrictions on loaning physical copies.
- Turnaround times will be longer due to delays with couriers and Canada Post, materials quarantine requirements, and limited staff on-site across university partners to manage mail routes and lending.
Beyond ILL, we continue to support access to collections and resources through a variety of means including expanded access to digital collections (including HathiTrust) and scanning of our local print collections.
For the latest on how health and government guidelines affect Brock University Library services and access, visit our COVID-19 updates page.