Interlibrary loan, or ILL, is a cooperative service among libraries which allows Mars Hill College students, faculty and staff to acquire materials not available in Renfro Library.

MHC students, faculty and staff who do not have any overdue library materials or owe any ILL overdue fines may request materials via ILL. Local patrons and visitors will be referred to local public libraries for ILL services.

1. Determine that the materials you need are not available in our collection.
2. Fill out a form requesting the materials you need.
3. Return the completed form to the Circulation desk.
4. Pick-up the material at the Circulation desk after receiving notice, most often via email, that it has arrived.
5. Return ILL books to the Renfro Library Circulation desk by the due date indicated. Due dates are set by the lender, not Renfro Library. Articles do not need to be returned.

Any materials received from libraries within the Mountain College Library Network (MCLN) are free to the patron.
Charges to the patron for materials received from outside the MCLN system are at least $1.00/book and $3.00/article. If the material is rare, or available only through a few libraries, expect as much as a $20.00 charge from the lender. Every attempt is made to acquire the materials for as little as possible.
Note: Sometimes the lending library charges for materials without notifying our office. This charge, if incurred, is passed on to you.

ILL requests are usually processed on the day they are received and the materials arrive anywhere from a few days to 2 weeks later, depending on availability and the mail system.

Renewal requests must be submitted at least 5 days before the indicated due date through Penelope Lindsay, ILL Supervisor by email plindsay@mhc.edu, by phone at ext. 1454 or in person at the Renfro Library Circulation desk. When requesting a renewal, please include your name, the ILL# on the front of the book, and your email address.

Whether or not an ILL book may be renewed is determined by the lender. Renewal requests submitted after the due date will not be processed. Patrons who fail to return or renew their interlibrary loan items on or before the due date will have their borrowing privileges blocked until the material is returned. The block covers all materials loaned through Renfro Library.

Please contact Penelope Lindsay at plindsay@mhc.edu, ext. 1454, or stop by the Circulation desk at Renfro Library.

MHC students, faculty and staff in good standing are eligible for Cooperative Borrower cards to borrow books from other MCLN libraries and UNC-Asheville. Please ask for these cards at the Reference desk. Residents of Buncombe County may get public library cards for the Asheville-Buncombe Library System at any of the branches. The catalogs for these libraries are available on Renfro Library's webpage.