What are Summit and ILL? How do I use them?

Using Summit and Interlibrary Loan

If we don’t have what you need at Penrose, you can borrow most materials from Summit or Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Keep in mind that borrowing from other libraries takes time, and will require that you plan ahead.

Requesting from Summit

You can request Summit items directly from within Sherlock using the Summit request link.

• Summit materials take between 5 and 7 days to arrive.
• Most Summit materials circulate for 6 weeks with no renewals.
• Summit DVDs and Videos circulate for 6 days with no renewals.
• Patrons with fines in excess of $20 cannot borrow from Summit.
• Summit is available only for current students, faculty, and staff.
• Items available at Penrose cannot be borrowed from Summit.
• When your item has arrived, it will be held for 5 days before being sent back to the lending library.
• Overdue Summit items will be charged $0.50 per day for the first 10 days, and $1 per day for the next 15 days. The maximum fine is $30 per item.
• If a book is lost or not returned, you will be charged a fee of $90 (or more, if the replacement cost is higher than average).

Requesting from Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

If the item you want isn’t available from a Summit library, you’ll need to request it from Interlibrary Loan. You can request items from ILL through the Sherlock, or by searching WorldCat; just look for the button that says “Request from Interlibrary Loan”.

Journal articles are not available through Summit, and must be obtained from ILL. You can request journal articles not available at Penrose directly from the database you’re searching, by clicking the “ILLiad Interlibrary Loan link” for articles.

Log in with your Whitman username and email password.The item information will be filled out in the ILL form for you. Just verify the information is correct and submit your request.

Materials such as books and DVDs can be loaned in their original format. Articles in journals or on microfilm will be photocopied or sent electronically.

The time it takes to receive ILL materials can vary widely, so be sure to plan ahead if you think you’ll need to borrow from ILL. Some articles may arrive in just a few days, but other materials may take up to six weeks.

Access Services handles all requests for Whitman faculty, staff and students at no charge. Any requests can be made online and picked up at the Whitman Circulation desk.

ILL items circulate to all patrons for 6 weeks with no renewals. Occasionally, restrictions on photocopying or use outside of Penrose may exist.Older and archival materials, reference materials, original newspapers and journals, and theses and dissertations are frequently unavailable. Some materials may also be unavailable due to copyright restrictions.