How Do I request books or articles from other libraries?
How to find items not available at UIUC
If you have searched our online catalog and the materials you want are not available here (they're either checked out, lost, or we just don’t own them), chances are good that we can get them for you from another library in Illinois or, if necessary, outside the state. This service is free to UIUC patrons.
Getting a magazine, journal, or newspaper article
Most libraries do not lend us their periodicals (magazines, journals, and newspapers). Instead, they usually scan the articles we want and send us digital files in PDF format. To submit a request:
1. Start at the library's home page and click Interlibrary Loan.
2. On the interlibrary loan page, click login to my account, enter your netID and password
3. Follow the instructions to request an article. If you have never entered the system before, you will be asked to enter and confirm some basic information about yourself before you make your request.
4. The interlibrary loan office will get the item from the closest possible source, and you will receive an e-mail with a link to the article when it is available. Some articles come within days, though others can take 2-3 weeks or longer.
Getting a book or other item
The first place to look for items not available at UIUC is I-Share, the catalog of the I-Share Libraries, a statewide group of more than 65 academic libraries.
1. Enter I-Share. The I-Share catalog is also available through the "I-Share Libraries" link at the top of every page in the UIUC online catalog.
2. Search I-Share just as you would search the UIUC catalog. There is help available on the search screens if you need it.
3. If you find the item you want in I-Share, part of the detailed record for that item is a list of the libraries that hold that item.
3. If the item you want is "available" or "on shelf" at another I-Share library, you can request it online. Books requested through I-Share often come within 1 to 2 weeks.
If the item you want is not available through I-Share, you can request it from other libraries in the country by interlibrary loan.
1. Start at the library's home page and click Interlibrary Loan.
2. On the interlibrary loan page, click login to my account
3. Enter your netID and password, and follow the instructions to place an order for a book (if you have never entered the system before, you will be asked to enter and confirm some basic information about yourself before you make your request).
4. The interlibrary loan office will get the book from the closest possible source, and you will receive an e-mail when it is available at UIUC. Some books come within a week, though others take 2-3 weeks or longer.
If you cannot figure out how to get the materials you need, please ask for help.
