Library Services for Students

Click here to go to the Interlibrary Loan & Print2PDF request form.

ILL and Print2PDF requests are processed 9:30a.m. – 3:30p.m. Monday through Friday, in most cases. Requests received after 3:30 p.m. may be processed the next business day.

Library staff endeavor to fill all ILL and Print2PDF requests as quickly as possible. Our usual turnaround times are listed below. Please note that processing time for ILL requests is dependent on the lending institution and is notcontrolled by the Boxer Library.

• ILL article requests are fulfilled within 1.5 business days on average.
  • We cannot predict in advance how long it will take to fill a request. Processing time is dependent on many factors, including the availability of the title and the workload of the lending institution.
  • Requests will be delivered via email as a pdf.
  • Due to copyright and licensing restrictions we can deliver to university email addresses only.

• ILL book requests are fulfilled within 1 week on average.
  • Times may be longer or shorter depending on the availability of the title.
  • You will receive an email notifying you when the item is available for pick-up.

• Most Print2PDF requests are processed within 1 business day.
  • Requests will be delivered via email as a pdf.
  • Due to copyright and licensing restrictions we can deliver to university email addresses only.

It is the responsibility of the requester to verify citation information for all requests prior to submission. Unverified requests may take longer to process and may be returned for further clarification.

• For journal article requests, the inclusion of PubMed ID numbers (PMID), while not required, is strongly encouraged whenever possible.

• Requests for items currently held by the Boxer Library in electronic format will be cancelled and the requester will be informed of their options for obtaining the item.
• Due to ILL copyright guidelines and licensing restrictions, it is usually not possible to borrow an eBook, access to a database, or a complete volume or issue of a journal.

• Due to copyright and licensing restrictions, it is usually not possible to fullfill ILL or Print2PDF requests that are in excess of 50 pages. Please limit requests to single articles, chapters, or sections. 
• The Boxer Library reserves the right to refuse a request if, in its judgment, fulfillment of that request would violate publisher licensing agreements or copyright law.

Requests in excess of 5 per day will be processed at the discretion of library staff, with the understanding that processing and completion time will increase accordingly. It is strongly recommended that all patrons limit ILL and Print2PDF requests to no more than 5 per person, per day. 

• Library staff reserve the right to refuse any request in excess of 5 per person, per day. 

There is currently no fee for the use of interlibrary loan and Print2PDF services for members of the RFUMS community. The Boxer Library reserves the right to institute fees for services at any time.

In addition to applicable U.S. Copyright laws, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science complies fully with the "Rule of 5" Guidelines set forth by the National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works (CONTU) for the borrowing and lending of library materials.

• It is a violation of CONTU guidelines to borrow more than 5 articles from the same journal in the same calendar year.

• • Borrowing more than 5 articles from the same journal in the same calendar year could be construed as an attempt to use interlibrary loan as a substitution for a journal subscription, a violation of CONTU guidelines.  

• • Exceptions are allowable under certain circumstances. For example, it is acceptable in some cases to exceed the guidelines if the material in question is needed for a single project that is not anticipated to be repeated, or if the needed material is not reasonably available for purchase.

• The above guidelines apply only to materials that are less than 5 years old. Materials older than 5 years may be borrowed without restriction.

Please see our guide on Copyright and Fair Use for more information on how copyright law impacts education.