Borrowing from Other Libraries

Do you need a book or article that is not available at the George Mason University Law Library? Are you a member of the faculty, student body or staff of the Scalia Law School, George Mason University? If so, then this page has the resources that you need. Before requesting anything that is not owned by the law library, please review the following options.

Questions? If you encounter any problems or have questions about which service to use, stop by the Reference Office or call 703-993-8076.

There are two options for obtaining books and articles that are not available at the George Mason University Law Library.  Please check for books and articles from each source in order:

  1. InterCampus and InterLibrary Lending Services for materials available at other George Mason libraries or non-consortium libraries
  2. Consortium Loan Service/WRLC for materials owned by the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC)

InterCampus and InterLibrary Lending Services (ICL & ILL)

Use this service to obtain books and articles from other George Mason University libraries (Fenwick, Johnson Center, Prince William; books available at Mason Square may be obtained directly) and for obtaining books and articles not available from any George Mason or consortium libraries.

To make a request:

  1. Go to https://gmu.illiad.oclc.org/illiad/VGL/logon.html
  2. Log in using your Mason login name (bsmith@gmu.edu would enter bsmith as a username) and your Mason email password.
  3. Create an ILLiad account.
  4. Select the type of request (article, book, or book chapter) you would like to make from the options on the left and fill out the form.
  5. Once received, article and book chapter requests will be delivered electronically to your ILLiad account. Faculty book requests will be placed in the appropriate mailbox. Student and staff book requests will be held at the Law Library Circulation Desk for pick-up. All patrons will be notified by e-mail when books arrive and when articles are ready for download.

Turnaround time for ICL requests is usually 3-5 days. Turnaround for ILL requests is usually 5-7 days. There are no guarantees, however, so it is recommended that requests be made as far in advance as possible. 

If you encounter any problems with the ICL or ILL request process or have questions or comments, please contact the Law Library Circulation Desk at 703-993-8120.

Consortium Loan Service (CLS) / WRLC

Use this method for obtaining books from other academic libraries in the Washington, D.C. area  and from the WRLC Storage Facility. Please note, books will be delivered to the Mason Square Library which is located on the second floor of Van Metre Hall (formerly Founders). This service is provided by the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC). Turnaround time is usually 2-3 days.

What can be requested from CLS / WRLC?

Items not available at GMU University Libraries, including ones that are checked out, overdue, lost, missing or not owned. Participating libraries are American, Catholic, Gallaudet, George Washington, Georgetown, Howard, Marymount, University of the District of Columbia, and the WRLC Storage Facility.  The law libraries at American, George Washington, and Georgetown do not participate, only their main campus libraries do.

What cannot be requested from CLS / WRLC?

  • Items from the Law Libraries at American University, George Washington, and Georgetown University
  • Reserve items
  • Reference items
  • Special collection items
  • Media items (DVDs, CDs, etc.)

How do I request something from CLS / WRLC?

  1. Search for the needed item in the Primo catalog (make sure to select one of the "WRLC Catalogs” as the search option to the right of the search bar)Click on the item you need from the list of results.
  2. Click “Sign In” in the yellow bar. Sign in by clicking the pop-up and entering your netID and password.
  3. Click the “Available in Institution” link below the library you wish to request from.
  4. If the lending library offers scanning services, you will have the option to choose either “Request” or “Chapter / Article Request.” The “Request” option is for the entire source. “Chapter / Article Request” is for a chapter or less of a book or a single article. Choose the desired request option.
  5. Fill out fields in the form that appears. If given the option for delivery after selecting “Request,” choose “George Mason University Libraries” as your “Pickup Institution” and “Mason Square Library” as your “Pickup Location.” NOTE: some institutions do not deliver and will only allow pickup from their institution.   
  6. Click “Send Request” at the bottom of the form.  
  7. To check on the status of your request, you can click your name in the upper right of the catalog, while logged in, and scroll to “My Requests.”   

If you have any difficulty with the process, please contact the Reference Office at lawcirc@gmu.edu.