Library Services FAQ: Interlibrary Loan FAQs

It's helpful to distinguish printed books from ebooks.  Printed books are owned whereas ebooks are licensed.  Owned items can be lent and borrowed using First Sale Doctrine / Copyright; but, licensed items cannot ... unless the lending library has a licensing agreement with the publisher.

Our Virginia consortium (VIVA) offers some ebook borrowing specific to the following 8 academic publishers. Loans are delivered in the form of a viewable (not downloadable) PDF : 

1. Oxford University Press
2. Taylor & Francis / Routledge
3. Wiley
4. Brill
5. APA PsycBooks (thru EBSCO)
6. U. of Michigan Press ebook collection
7. Springer (2021-present)
8. African Books Collective

If your requested ebook is not available from these eight publishers, the ILL librarian will automatically find you a printed version.  Off-campus students - we will mail the books out to you. Please supply your mailing address in the notes field of the order form.

A Good Tip - Public Libraries offer licensed online apps Hoopla and Libby for popular ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and more.  To log into these programs, you'll use your public library's membership card/account # (you can use your hometown public library or sign up with North River, Massanutten Public LIbrary - see link below!)