General Information
Reference: https://gil.usg.edu/gil_express/information/general-information
Key Definitions
USG: University System of Georgia
Home Library: The library with which the patron is affiliated. "Home Library" refers to the institution rather than a specific library. For example, University of North Georgia (UNG) patrons are affiliated with the UNG Libraries as a whole, not an individual library on a particular campus.
Holding Library: The specific library to which borrowed material belongs. This library is referred to as the Owning Library.
Pickup Library: The library where patrons request GIL Express books be sent for pickup/checkout.
Visited Library: Any USG library other than the patron's Home Library. This could be for pickup/checkout, returns, walk-up, or in-library use.
GIL-Find Catalog: A single, unified database containing the holdings of all University System of Georgia Libraries. It has real time links to availability, holdings and item information. Items that do not circulate through GIL Express are included. These items may be available for in-library use at the Visited Library.
GIL Express: A resource sharing service offered at all libraries within the University System of Georgia (USG). This service provides access to all eligible circulating material at USG libraries. GIL Express is available to all eligible patrons through remote requesting in the GIL-Find catalog as well as an on-site (walk-up) service.
Eligibility: All currently enrolled students and currently employed faculty and staff in good standing at their Home Library are eligible to use GIL Express. Retired faculty and staff should check with their Home Library to determine if they are eligible to use this service.
Scope: Printed books (monographs) with the standard loan period at the Holding Library are available to be borrowed through GIL Express.
Exceptions include, but are not limited to:
Reserve materials
Reference materials or other materials that do not circulate without special permission
Materials housed in any special Collection
Bound Materials
Journal Articles
Material that the Holding Library designates as not eligible for GIL Express, such as musical scores, popular/leisure fiction, and/or audiovisual materials.
Borrowing materials not available through GIL Express: Items not circulated through GIL Express (i.e., journal articles) may be available through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Please contact the Home Library’s ILL Department to determine eligibility.
Circulation Rules
Loan Period: GIL Express has a 28-day loan period for all patrons. Two automatic renewals are given unless a hold has been placed on the book.
Recall Fines: If a USG library chooses to charge recall fines for GIL Express materials, the fines will be $2.50 a day for each recalled item. Recall fines apply to all patrons.
Statewide vs. Local Policies: All USG Libraries have agreed upon most of the policies that govern GIL Express. However, some policies, such as the number of items that may be borrowed from a specific institution, are set locally. This means that the Holding Library (the library that owns the material) and the Home Library (patron’s library) have control of certain policies. These local policies are available from each library, usually on the library's web page.
Using GIL Express
Remote Requesting: To place a remote request, go to the Home Library’s GIL-Find catalog. Type in search terms and select “University System of Georgia.”
To make a request, you must sign into your library account. You can do this from the GIL Find home page, before you search for a book.
Or, you can do it after you find the book you want to request:
If the book being searched for is not available at the Home Library, check the “More USG Libraries/GIL Express Request” field for other USG libraries where the book might be available.
When you are ready to make a GIL Express request, select an institution where the book is available by clicking the green "Available" link (see above). The book details will display, then select "Request".
The owning library is displayed as the Pickup Institution by default. Change the Pickup Institution field and the Pickup Library field to the institution and library where you want the book delivered. Then, click "Request" to submit.
On-Site Requesting: Eligible patrons can go to any USG library and borrow books. When checking out the item(s), patrons are required to provide proper ID to determine their eligibility to use GIL Express.
Required Identification: An institution-issued picture ID that is current and valid is preferred. A current and valid government-issued picture ID, such as a driver's license or a Georgia ID card, a US passport or a US military ID is also acceptable. If unable to verify eligibility, the Holding Library’s staff may call the Home Library to verify the patron’s eligibility.
Viewing GIL Express Requests/Loans: You can see material requested or check out both from the Home Library and GIL Express in "My Account" through the GIL-Find catalog. Go to the GIL-Find catalog and click on "Guest" on the top right of the screen. Sign in using the appropriate method for the home institution.
After signing in, click on the “My Library Account” tab. This takes you to the overview page to view requests and loans from the Home Library and other account information. To check loans and requests from other libraries, click on the down arrow (see below). The USG libraries will be listed in alphabetical order. To see books requested and checked out through GIL Express, select the USG library the books were requested and/or borrowed from.
GIL Express Policies
Reference: https://gil.usg.edu/gil_express/information/gil-express-policies
Patron Policies
https://gil.usg.edu/gil_express/information/gil-express-policies#Patrons
Eligibility
Currently enrolled students and currently employed faculty and staff in good standing at their University System of Georgia (USG) college or university Home Library are eligible to use GIL Express. Beyond these indiviuals, it is a local decision to include other groups with official relationships with the Home Library. Retired faculty and staff should check with their Home Library to determine if they are eligible to use this service.
A picture ID card is required to use GIL Express at a Visited Library. While the preferred form of identification is a current, valid picture ID card that is issued by your Home institution, you may also use a government issued current, valid picture ID such as a driver's license or a Georgia ID card, a US passport or a US military ID.
Blocks and Fines
The maximum number of overdue items is 1. Accounts will be blocked after a book is 7 days overdue. The block is removed within 24 hours after an overdue GIL Express item is removed from the patron's account.
Overdue fines are not charged for GIL Express items.
If a Holding Library charges recall fines for GIL Express items, the fine will be $2.50 per day per item.
Patrons are charged for the price of lost or damaged items. The price is set by the Holding Library
If a patron changes schools, the obligation that caused the block at the first Home Library will remain on the patron's record.
Limits
The maximum number of requests and number of items a patron can borrow is set by the Holding Library.
Managing My Library Account
Patrons can sign into their My Library Account from their Home Library GIL-Find Catalog. The Home Library is the default view. Each Holding Library must be selected to see loans with due dates, requests, fines + fees, and blocks + messages.
Item Policies
Eligibility
Books from the general circulating collection that circulate under normal loan rules of each Holding Library are available for GIL Express. Additional material may be designated for GIL Express by individual institutions.
An eligible item can be requested regardless of whether the patron's Home Library owns the item.
Exemptions for GIL Express are Course Reserves, Reference, Special Collections, special permission items, materials with shortened loan periods and certain lab collections.
Each Holding Library may also choose to identify specific item types, such as popular fiction, as not eligible for GIL Express.
Institutions can distinguish between remote GIL Express and walk-up GIL Express checkouts when deciding how materials circulate. An institution may deny GIL Express remote and/or walk-up requests for items on a case-by-case basis.
Circulation Rules
Items can be shipped to any Pickup Library and GIL Express users can checkout eligible items from any Visited Library.
The loan period is 28 days with 2 automatic renewals for a maximum of 84 days.
A renewal is allowed as long as the patron remains eligible and the item is not recalled. Self-renewals are allowed.
GIL Express items can be returned to any USG Library.
Notices, Billing, Damaged / Missing Items, Reimbursement
Effective 7/1/2022, the Regents Academic Committee on Libraries eliminated the charge of the $35 lost item processing fee for any lost items billed after 7/1/2022.
Notices
Overdue notices are sent from the Holding Library
Billing
When an overdue item is declared lost, a lost fee is charged to the patron’s account.
If a patron loses a GIL Express item, the patron must contact the Holding Library directly to pay for the book.
The lost fee is removed from the patron’s account when the lost item is received and scanned at the Holding Library.
Accepting a replacement copy for a lost book is at the discretion of the Holding Library.
If the Home Library pays for a book lost by their patron, that patron owes their Home Library for the book
Damaged / Missing Items
If it can be determined that a GIL Express patron was the source of damage to a GIL Express item, the Holding Library makes the decision as to the type and extent of the damage and charges the patron for repair or replacement of the item.
Reimbursement
Refunds for lost books that have been paid for by the patron are made directly to the patron following the Holding Library’s refund policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can use the GIL Express Service?
All currently enrolled students and currently employed faculty and staff of the University System of Georgia in good standing at their College or University Home Library are eligible to use GIL Express. Retired faculty and staff should check with their Home Library to determine if they are eligible to use this service.
Can everything in the GIL-Find Catalog be borrowed through GIL Express?
No. Only books from the general collections of the libraries at each of the 26 University System of Georgia member institutions are available through GIL Express.
Borrowing Privileges
What are the borrowing privileges for GIL Express?
Everyone has a 28-day loan period with 2 renewals (if no one else has requested the book). If you need the book for longer than this you will need to return the book and request it again. There are currently no overdue fines but some libraries charge overdue recall fines..
What happens if I have an overdue book?
Once a GIL Express book becomes overdue, your borrowing privileges are blocked by your own Home Library. You will not be able to check out GIL Express books until the overdue book has been returned. See your Home Library for complete information on GIL Express borrowing procedures.
How many books can I borrow through GIL Express?
The total number of books that may be borrowed through GIL Express is 100.
Does that mean that I can borrow 100 books from each library?
No. The total number of books that you can have charged to your library account from all USG libraries through GIL Express is 100. Each library can set its own limit for the number of books that you can borrow from that library through GIL Express. This limit is typically based on the size of the collection and the needs of the library's primary patrons.
I'm a student at the University of North Georgia and am also employed at Georgia Gwinnett College. Where is my Home Library? What borrowing privileges do I have?
Technically, either library can be your Home Library. However, for ease in tracking your GIL Express material and your obligations, you are strongly encouraged to select one library as your Home Library and stay with that library. If you move back and forth you will lose the ability to see a consolidated list of everything that you have checked out, as well as other obligations, through GIL Express. You should also remember that GIL Express has standardized policies. For materials that are not checked out through GIL Express, individual library policies (including borrowing privileges) may differ.
Renewals
How many times can I renew a GIL Express book?
Gil Express books are renewed automatically. You will receive an email notice shortly before the final due date.
Returning Materials
Where can I return GIL Express Books
You can return GIL Express books to any USG library. Wherever you return the books, the library staff at that library will discharge the books and return them to their respective owning libraries.
Recalls
What is a Recall?
If a book is checked out, you can place a recall on it through your Home Library’s GIL-Find catalog. This will shorten the due date and, when it is returned, the book will be held for you. Each library can decide if it wants to charge recall fines. However, if recall fines are charged to GIL Express patrons, the fine is $2.50 a day for every day the book is late. Individual libraries have different policies about recalling materials. Please contact the Circulation/Access Services Department of the library that owns the book for more information.
Addresses and Email Notification
Am I still responsible for returning my books on time, even if I don't get any notices?
Yes, it is the responsibility of the patron to return books when they are due. All of the books you have checked out and the books that you've requested, as well as fines/fees and blocks, can be viewed online by logging into your "My Account" record through your Home Library’s GIL-Find catalog. This allows you to monitor all of your obligations to all USG Libraries at any time.
Overdues, Lost Books and Fines/Fees
Will I be charged overdue fines for returning a GIL Express book late?
Currently fines are not charged for overdue GIL Express books. If your GIL Express book is overdue, your account will be blocked at your Home library. This will keep you from requesting books and will prevent books on your account from automatically renewing. The block will remain until the overdue book is returned.
My library uses a set price for a book if one is lost. Does every library use that method?
The library owning the borrowed item will send a courtesy notice to the address shown on your account to remind you the book is due. If the item remains overdue, the lending library will send you a courtesy bill; your home library may notify you as well. Non-receipt of a notice or bill does not relieve you of any outstanding obligations.
Can I buy a replacement copy instead of paying for a book that I lost?
Some libraries in the University System of Georgia may accept a replacement copy in lieu of payment for a lost book. This is at the discretion of the library that owns the book and you would have to make arrangements directly with that library. It is at the discretion of the library to charge the processing fee when accepting the replacement copy of the lost book.
What is a processing fee?
The processing fee for one lost GIL Express book is $35.00. This fee is set by a statewide policy and is based on the average cost to an individual library to process a replacement copy of a book that is already in its collection. The processing fee is non-refundable.
Note: Effective 7/1/2022, the Regents Academic Committee on Libraries eliminated the charge of the $35 lost item processing fee for any lost items billed after 7/1/2022.