Borrow from Other Libraries
The Document Delivery & Interlibrary Loan department obtains books, copies of articles and book chapters, and other materials that are unavailable at Saint Mary's University. The service is offered to current students, faculty, staff, and affiliates. Our department facilitates the borrowing and lending of materials between Novanet libraries (Novanet Express), libraries across Canada, and internationally.
How to place a request
- Go to the library’s catalogue and click ‘Sign In’. Login as ‘SMU Students & Staff’ (if you are an off-campus borrower or other affiliate, select ‘Other Users’).
- Search for the item; go to the Availability & Request section.
- If the item is not available locally at Saint Mary’s, select the Request from other libraries option.
- Fill in the Resource Sharing Request form and click ‘Send Request’.
To request items that aren’t available within Novanet, you can place a request through the Document Delivery / Interlibrary Loan online form by using the links below (please provide as much information as possible). Please note, this service is for SMU students, faculty, and staff only:
How long will it take for the material to arrive?
Books coming from other Novanet libraries usually arrive within 3 to 5 business days. You are notified by email when your item arrives.
Books coming from outside the Novanet system are shipped from greater distances through the mail, please allow 1 to 3 weeks for delivery. Materials ordered from outside Canada may take longer.
Copies of articles and book chapters often arrive within just a few days and are delivered electronically to your email. Although we will try to meet your deadlines, we cannot guarantee delivery.
How much does it cost?
There is no charge for this service. In rare cases, there may be a charge for interlibrary loan items, but we will obtain your approval first.
Where do I pick up my items?
You will be contacted by email once your requested item arrives. Physical items can be picked up at the Circulation Desk on the main floor of the library (unless you have specified another pickup location). Please note, materials coming from libraries outside the Novanet system (interlibrary loan items) can only be picked up from Saint Mary’s.
Copies are normally delivered electronically to your email. Each email includes a link to sign into your document delivery account to access the PDF of the article or book chapter. The link can be opened 3 times and is available for 14 days after delivery.
How long can I borrow my materials?
Books borrowed from other Novanet libraries have a loan period of 3 weeks and in most cases, you have the option to renew.
The loan period for interlibrary loan books is determined by the lending library, generally the loan period is between 3 - 6 weeks. Renewals may be possible from certain libraries.
How do I renew my items?
To renew books borrowed from other Novanet libraries, login to your Library account. Items you have borrowed from other Novanet libraries will be listed under the institution’s name located on the left side of the screen.
To renew interlibrary loan items (items obtained from outside the Novanet system), login to your Document Delivery account. Select the item by clicking on the request number within 'Open Requests', then select the 'Message' link to request a renewal or send an email to ill@smu.ca.
Questions? Contact Us!
Email: ill@smu.ca
Phone: 902-420-5542 or 902-491-6318 (Interlibrary Loan)
902-491-6309 (Novanet Express)
Visit the Document Delivery office on the main floor of the library or contact the library’s Research Help after normal office hours.
Libraries Borrowing from Saint Mary's University
Saint Mary's University is a member of the CAAL/CBPA (Council of Atlantic Academic Libraries / Conseil des bibliothèques postsecondaires de l'Atlantique) consortium. Libraries wanting to borrow materials from our library must submit requests through the CAAL/CBPA Document Delivery request form.
If your library has not requested materials from the CAAL/CBPA consortium before, please contact ill@smu.ca to request a username and password for your library. For our lending and charging policies, see our listing in the Library and Archives Canada directory.