The primary mission of the Goddard Library – the main Gordon-Conwell library – is to serve and support the training of theological students from an evangelical perspective. While our primary service community is the students and faculty at the South Hamilton campus; Goddard Library also serves distance students through the SemLink and Doctor of Ministry programs, and branch campuses in Boston, Charlotte, and Jacksonville. The library serves those involved in vocational ministry in the New England area, and the general public as well. At this time, all GCTS InterLibrary Loan requests are managed by the Goddard Library.
In addition to the resources available at the Hamilton Campus of GCTS, students can access other theological libraries that are a part of the Boston Theological Institute (BTI). For details on how to do this please visit the BTI libraries page.
Can I have an InterLibrary Loan item mailed to my home?
- Unfortunately the only items that can be mailed to non-GCTS library addresses are items owned at the Goddard library. To be eligible for a mail request, you must be a current student, staff, or faculty at the Hamilton campus and must not live within 75 miles of the address. Click here to see if you are an eligible distance for a mail request.
Who can use ILL?
- ILL services are available to all currently enrolled students, faculty, and staff at Gordon-Conwell's four campuses. However, you must be willing to pick up and return any ILL items to the Circulation desk at the Goddard Library.
How many items can a patron request through ILL?
- Currently, all four campuses allow eligible patrons to request 6 items from other libraries. If you are actively pursuing your thesis or dissertation, please contact ill@gordonconwell.edu to request an increase in your ILL limit.
What types of items can be requested through ILL?
- The purpose of ILL is to provide materials not available in GCTS libraries. At this time, no item that is owned by a patron's campus library can be requested through ILL. This includes items only available in Reference, Reserves, or the Center for the Study of Global Christianity (CSGC).
- Requests that are placed for items owned at Goddard will be turned into hold requests and you will receive an automated email when the book is ready for you to pick it up.
How long does it take to get an ILL item?
- ILL requests usually take 1-2 weeks to arrive (remember, if your request is turned into a hold it could take up to 28 days). However, because GCTS does not control all of the factors in ILL delivery, it is possible for books to take more than 2 weeks or as little as 2 days. This is why requesting resources should be done as soon as possible in your research preparations.
Can I have an item sent with expedited shipping through ILL or from another campus
- Regardless of your status at any campus, there are NO options for speeding up the method of shipping with ILLs, even if you are willing to pay for the difference.
Is there a cost associated with ILL?
- If you are eligible to use ILL (active student, staff, or faculty at any campus) then you can use this service free of charge. If you are not eligible, then you are not able to use this service even if you are willing to pay for it.
Can ILL requests be monitored by patrons?
- ILL requests that are approved will be visible on patrons' accounts (if a request is not valid, you will be notified by a librarian through email). After an ILL request is made, the system will generate a "hold request" for the item in a patron's library account. This "hold request" will have a status of "not ready" until the item is received by the patron's campus library from the lending library. Patrons will be notified by email when an ILL item is available for pick-up at their campus libraries' circulation desk.
Do I need my library card to pick up an ILL item?
- Yes! You wil NOT be able to take your book with you unless you have your physical library card (for students this will be your student ID card, for staff or faculty this may be your driver's license or guest card). Please note: having a picture of your card on your phone, a paper copy of your card, or knowing your ID number does not qualify.
Can items be renewed?
- This is all dependent on the library that has loaned the book to us for you. Please email ill@gordonconwell.edu in order to request renewals. Typically, if the ILL librarian knows that the item is not eligible to be renewed before you pick it up, they will indicate this on the book strap.
Elizabeth Coffey
Phone: (978) 646-4008
Email: ill@gordonconwell.edu
Goddard Library
130 Essex St.
South Hamilton, MA.
01982