Services
How to Use Interlibrary Loan
Submit a request
All current students, faculty and staff automatically have an Interlibrary Loan account. Go to your account and select the appropriate Request Form. We will notify you by email once your request is filled.
- Document: A photocopy, such as a journal, newspaper, or magazine article, map, or conference paper
- Loan: A loan of a physical item, such as a book, entire conference proceeding, map, CD, DVD, VHS, or microform
- Book Chapter: A copy of a chapter from a book or anthology.
- Thesis: A loan of a thesis or dissertation.
If you are requesting an item that we have but cannot be found on the shelves, indicate this in the Notes field.
Check the status of a request
Go to your account and select the link to View > Outstanding Requests.
To view more detailed information, click on the transaction number next to your request.
Cancel a request
Go to your account and select the link to View > Outstanding Requests.
Click on the transaction number next to the request you'd like to cancel. Click on Cancel Request.
If your request does not appear under Outstanding Requests, or if the Cancel Request button is not available, please contact us as your request is already in process.
Canceled requests
Typically, an ILL request is canceled for one of the following reasons:
- The item is owned by the UA Library
- The item cannot be found as cited
- The item is non-circulating or currently in use
- We cannot locate a library which owns the item
- The item is too new and has not been cataloged by a library, or has not yet been published
If the reason for cancellation can be corrected, please follow the instructions provided in the cancellation message. For all other inquiries regarding cancelled requests, please contact us.
Access your interlibrary loan
Loans: Notification will be sent to your official university email account when your item arrives. You can then pick it up at the Express Document Center located on the first floor of the Main Library. To check you information, go to your account and click on Tools > View/Change User Information.
Articles: All article requests are delivered to your e-mail. The e-mail will link to a copy of the article in PDF format.
To view your articles requested, go to your account and select the link to View > Electronically Received Articles.
To view of download the article, click on the transaction number next to it. These articles will remain available for 30 days.
Please Note: If for some reason we cannot obtain an electronic version of your request(s), we will print and mail you the article(s) to the address indicated on your original request.
Renew your interlibrary loan
On the front cover strap of your ILL item you will see either Renewals OK or No Renewals.
If renewals are OK:
- Go to your account.
- Click on the link to View > Checked Out Items
- Click on the Transaction Number for the item you want renewed
- Click on Renew Request
- Await an e-mail notification with your new due date
If you do not see a Renew Request option, either renewals are not allowed, or you are not yet within the 11 day renewal period. Renewals can be requested no earlier than 11 days before the due date and no later than 4 days past the due date.
You will be notified via email if the renewal was approved or denied.
Most lending libraries have a default renewal time period that they grant ranging from 3 days to 3 weeks. The lending library is solely responsible for renewals, and may decide to not renew the material at all, even if renewal requests are allowed.
Until you receive an e-mail reply, you are responsible for returning the item by the due date listed on the cover sheet. Overdue material is subject to late fees regardless of whether a renewal request is in process. If the due date arrives and you have not received a response to your request, contact us.
Return your interlibrary loan
Return items to the Express Document Center. A receipt can be date-stamped as proof of an item's return.
You are responsible for returning material by the due date listed on the cover sheet regardless of whether or not you have received a courtesy reminder or overdue notification email. Overdue material is subject to fees. See our fee structure page for details.
If we are closed, you can place items in the book drop, but won't be able to receive a receipt as proof of return.
Problems signing in?
| If | Then |
|---|---|
|
You are new to the university You have never used a library service before, but are a current UA student, staff, or faculty member Your NetID is incorrect or inactive |
The system will not recognize you when you try to sign in. Call us at 621-6438 or contact us by email and we will add you to our system. |
| You have an extremely overdue item(s) |
You need to return any overdue items and reduce your account balance to no more than $5. Late items accrue fees of $1/day. Items 14 or more days late accrue a $140 replacement fee. Once returned, the fee will be reduced to $15 for processing. |
| Your library fees exceed the maximum $5 | You will need to pay the fee, negotiate the fee, or fill out an appeal form. Once the fine is cleared, you will regain access to interlibrary loan. |
Problems printing?
Download your article and then Save to Disk. This works best if you have a slow internet connection. The articles are in a large PDF format, so download the file completely, save to an area on your computer's hard drive, and view offline.
Be sure you have the latest Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer and we recommend that you have the latest version.
If none of these recommendations help, contact us.
Proxy Card Users
Interlibrary Loan is now authenticating users by NetID only.
Because Proxy users do not have a NetID for their Proxy card, you will need to contact us for submitting requests and renewals.
Please contact us with the following information, and we will submit the request for you under your ILL Proxy Card account.
- Proxy card number
- Proxy card holder’s name
- The faculty member’s name
- The citation of the item you are requesting (author, title, publisher, date)
Last modified: April 9, 2013