Borrowing Libraries

Contact Us

Office Hours - Monday through Friday, 6:30am - 5:00pm Pacific Time.

ILL Staff - Jesse Thomas, Charles Asher, Alena Washburn 

General Information

  • System Symbols -  OCLC:  XFF    NUC: WaBeW
  • Group Affiliations & Reciprocals  - LVIS (Libraries Very Interested in Sharing).   NW Group Access.   Washington State Cooperative Library Project (CLP).   Reciprocal agreements selectively entered into.  Contact ILL Staff at 360-650-3076.

How to Borrow

  • We prefer that libraries making requests to borrow from our collections use the OCLC ILL subsystem. 
  • If your institution does not use OCLC for its online requesting we will create a personalized ILLiad account for your library which can be used to request materials.
  • To set up a Borrowing Library account, please contact us by phone or email. You can learn more about ILLiad from the OCLC website.

Fees & Payment: U.S. Dollars

  • OCLC IFM payment system is the preferred payment method.
  • For non-IFM libraries, invoices will be sent via email within 30 days of request.
  • Check, credit card, or IFLA vouchers are accepted.
  • A standard lost materials fee of $90.00 is assessed for any lost or damaged items.
  • Reimbursement for paid items that have been recovered is available up to 6 months after payment is received.
  Fees Paid Through OCLC's IFM Fees Paid by Invoice IFLA Vouchers
Loans: $5.00 $7.50 1 IFLA Voucher
Photocopies: $10.00 $15.00 1.5 IFLA Vouchers

Other Details

  • Loan Period - Six weeks for books, two weeks for DVDs
  • Shipping - We typically ship items via Library Rate or First Class U.S. Mail depending on the destination. Overseas packages are shipped via airmail. FedEx or other express courier services are available when the Borrowing Library bills to their own account. The Western Libraries is also a participant in the Orbis Library Courier Program.
  • Turnaround Time - Requests that we are able to fill are typically shipped within 2 working days.
  • Non-circulating collections and materials - Audio/visual materials (VHS, CD), archival/special collections, reference, course reserves, and most newspapers on microfilm and microfiche. Requests for periodicals will be considered for a 1-week loan on a case-by-case basis.
  • WWU Thesis - Will loan when circulating copy is available.  Photocopying by user is allowed unless otherwise noted.