Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

Q: How much does ILL cost?

                A: ILL is usually free, however some libraries do charge a fee to access some materials. You will always be contacted by staff if there is a fee attached.

Q: What types of materials are available through ILL?

                A: Generally, any item not held by Tarleton Libraries may be requested, but most requested materials are usually books or scholarly articles.

                However, the following types of materials generally cannot be filled:

1. E-Books
2. New books published less than a year ago
3. DVDs or CDs

Q: How long will it take to receive my ILL request?

                A: Depends on the material format

• Digital items, such as journal articles, typically arrive within 3 days, but can take up to 2 weeks for rare sources.
• Physical items, such as books, usually arrive in 5 to 10 days, but can take up to 3 weeks depending on how far the item has to travel.

Q: I need this item FAST. Is there any way we can “rush” delivery?

                A: Unfortunately, no. Always plan on an item taking 2 weeks to get here to give yourself plenty of time.

Q: Can I renew my ILL item?

                A: Yes, however, requests can take time and are not guaranteed as it must be approved by the library that owns the item. It is recommended that you make any renewal requests at least 4 days before the item is due via your ILL account or contacting the ILL department. Please do not try and renew your item at the Circulation Desk as they can not contact the lending library.

Q: I haven't received any information about my request... What is going on?

                A: The emails from ILL come from an external source and may sometimes got to your spam or quarantine folders. You can always log on to your ILL account to check the progress of your request.