Q. Are there any legal issues in using Interlibrary Loan?

When you submit a request for an ILL item, you accept responsibility for complying with Copyright Law. Some of the legal permissions governing ILL include:

Books: First Sale Doctrine (Section 109 of the Copyright code) grants the library permission to borrow and lend "returnables."

Articles/Book Chapters: Under certain conditions specified in Copyright Law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproductions (Section 108 of the Copyright code). One of those specified conditions (“Fair Use”) is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement.

Materials acquired via ILL services are intended for research and personal use and are therefore ineligible for placement in Canvas for electronic access or in Course Reserves collections. For more information, please visit the following guide: Course Reserves -- Copyright Resources.