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Borrowing from Other Libraries

Do you need a book or article that is not available at the George Mason University Law Library, including ones that are checked out, overdue, lost, missing or not owned? 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 three 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 Service for materials available at other George Mason libraries
  2. InterLibrary Lending (ILL) Service for materials available at other non-consortium libraries
  3. Consortium Loan Service/WRLC for materials owned by the Washington Research Library Consortium (WRLC), including American University, George Washington University, and Georgetown University, but not their Law Schools.

1. InterCampus Service

Use this service for obtaining books from other George Mason University libraries, like Fenwick Library (Main Campus), Mercer Library (Sci-Tech Campus), and the WRLC Storage Facility. Please note that books will be delivered to the Mason Square Library which is located on the second floor of Van Metre Hall. Turnaround time is usually 1-2 days.

What can be requested from ICL?

Print resources, including ones that are checked out, overdue, lost, missing or not owned.

What cannot be requested from ICL?

  • Reserve items
  • Reference items
  • Special collection items

How do I request something from ICL?

  1. Search for the needed item in the Primo catalog (make sure to select "Mason Catalog” 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 “Request” link below the “Get it” header.
  4. Fill out fields in the form that appears. When given the option for delivery after selecting “Request,” use “Mason Square Library” as your “Pickup Location.”
  5. Click “Send Request” at the bottom of the form.
  6. 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 Law Library Circulation Desk at lawcirc@gmu.edu.

2. InterLibrary Lending (ILL) Service

Use this method for obtaining books from other academic and public libraries. Please note, books will be delivered to the Law Library and will be available for pick up at the Circulation Desk. Turnaround time is usually 1-2 days for digital articles and 3-7 days for physical materials. Complete eBooks cannot be borrowed, but chapters from eBooks can.

What can be requested via ILL?

Items not available at George Mason University Libraries or the WRLC participating libraries, including ones that are checked out, overdue, lost, missing or not owned.

What cannot be requested via ILL?

Complete eBooks cannot be requested from ILL service. Also, requesting casebooks is strongly discouraged as many lenders automatically decline such requests. The 120-day lending period means the item will often be due back right before finals.

How do I request something via ILL?

  1. Search for the item needed in the Primo catalog (make sure to select "Mason Catalog + Articles and More” 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. A requested title that will need to be processed through the ILL service will state “Local copy unavailable. Get it for me from other libraries.”
  4. Scroll down to "Get it from other locations.”
  5. 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 and will be a shipped physical copy. “Chapter/Article Request” is for a chapter or less of a book or a single article that will be sent digitally. Choose the desired request option.
  6. Fill out the fields in the form that appears. If given the option for delivery after selecting “Request,” choose “Law Library” as your “Pickup Location.” If choosing a digital chapter scan, please fill out the form and check the Copyright acknowledgement.
  7. Click “Send Request” at the bottom of the form.
  8. 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.”

What if I want to request a book not in the catalog or is eBook only and I want a print edition?

  1. At the top of the catalog search page is a tab for “ILL Request.”
  2. Sign in by clicking the pop-up and entering your netID and password.
  3. Select the Request Type as “Book” for a physical item or “Article” for a digital download.
  4. Fill out the fields in the form that appears and check the Copyright acknowledgement. If you do not have all of the information, include the red starred items and the ISBN number to expedite the request. If given the option for delivery after selecting “Request,” choose “Law Library” as your “Pickup Location.”
  5. Click “Send Request” at the bottom of the form.
  6. 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 Law Library Circulation Desk at lawcirc@gmu.edu.

3. Consortium Loan Service (CLS)/WRLC

Use this method for obtaining books from other academic libraries in the Washington, D.C. area. Please note that books will be delivered to the Mason Square Library which is located on the second floor of Van Metre Hall. 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 George Mason 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, and University of the District of Columbia. The law libraries at the above schools do not participate; only their main campus libraries do.

What cannot be requested from CLS/WRLC?

  • Items from the Law Libraries at member schools
  • Reserve items
  • Reference items
  • Special collection items
  • Media items (DVDs, CDs, etc.)
  • Requesting casebooks is strongly discouraged as many lenders automatically decline such requests. The 120-day lending period means the item will often be due back right before finals.

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 Law Library Circulation Desk at lawcirc@gmu.edu.

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