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Interlibrary Loan Policy

Interlibrary loan is a service of the McKee Library for the students, faculty, and staff of Southern Adventist University. It affords access to research materials that are not owned locally or accessible through the Library’s online collection. Before requesting an interlibrary loan, please search the online catalog to see if McKee Library already has a copy of what you are looking for in their collection.

Online Catalog

Who May Borrow?

  • Southern undergraduate students
  • Southern graduate students
  • Southern faculty and staff
  • Southern distance education students
NOTE: Interlibrary loan is not available to non-Southern students, alumni, community card holders, or docent card holders.

How Do I Borrow Materials?

If you are a student, faculty member, or staff member you do not need to create an interlibrary loan account. Your account is already created and available by clicking below. Once inside your account, please make sure your profile is correct and that you have selected at least one option—email and/or text—so that we can send you notifications when your request is ready to access or pick up.  After you update your profile, you will see options to create requests for books, articles, or other materials.

Access Account

Journal articles, books, and audio/visual material related to class assignments, faculty research, or staff continuing education and professional growth. 

  • Required course textbooks (some are on hold behind the circulation desk)
  • Materials that already reside in McKee Library's collections
  • Recreational reading, personal materials, and materials for relatives or friends
  • Whole periodical issues or volumes
  • Rare or valuable materials
  • Bulky or fragile materials

  • Books average ten days
  • Journal articles average two days

McKee Library adheres to the copyright law of the United States (Title 17 U.S. Code), which governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Any person using the library's services is liable for any infringement.

Southern email accounts, and cell phone SMS (if chosen as one of your communication preferences within your interlibrary account), will be used for interlibrary loan notifications pertaining to your loan request(s). In cases where items are overdue, the borrower may also receive a phone call.

Most lending libraries will allow patrons to borrow a book for three to four weeks, with a possibility to renew for an additional two to four weeks. Those wishing to renew can submit a request through their interlibrary loan account.

To express our appreciation to the lending libraries for this privilege, we MUST return books promptly. Failure to return materials on time jeopardizes McKee Library's borrowing privileges with other libraries.

There are no interlibrary loan charges, but the patron is responsible for all costs associated with lost or damaged materials. Charges will vary depending on the type of material lost.

More Information

For more information about interlibrary loan, please contact Donald Martin.

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