Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) supports the instructional, research, and scholarly activities of currently employed or enrolled West Lafayette faculty, staff, and students by obtaining research material (books, articles, book chapters, DVDs, microfilm, sheet music, etc.) not owned by the Purdue University Libraries. Visitor cards do not include access to our Interlibrary Loan services. Emeritus faculty and Official Retirees also have access to our Interlibrary Loan services. If you are unsure of your status, please contact Purdue HR.

Interlibrary Loan uses the ILLiad system for requesting materials. Materials requested through UBorrow will also be delivered through Interlibrary Loan and uses ILLiad for managing your requests. If you need help using the ILLiad system, please contact our office at (765) 494-2800 or email us at ill@purdue.edu.

What is UBorrow?

UBorrow is a special search interface to use for print books not found from the Purdue University Libraries. These print materials come from Big Ten libraries faster, for longer check out periods, and no recalls (unless the book is needed for course reserve by the lending library)!

Starting Spring 2020: you no longer need to search UBorrow. Simply place an ILL request (use the login link above) and we will search UBorrow for you.

Requests

Place your requests using the secure ILLiad System. Active Purdue Career ID is required for login. If a Purdue Libraries book that you need is currently checked out, you may place an interlibrary loan request for it and we will borrow it from another library.

Delivery Methods

You will be notified when the material you requested is ready for pick-up or download. The chart below outlines how your request will be processed:

Mail to Home Option

For faculty/staff, graduate students, and distance learning undergraduates (enrolled in official DL programs), you can request that we mail your ILL materials to your home. Simply choose the "Mail to Home" option in the book/media request form and we'll mail your ILL material to you (if the book isn't Library Use Only). Please make sure your ILL account information has been updated with your home address before you submit your request. Since we have to wait for the books to be shipped to us first, please expect additional delays for mailing. Shipping available to the US and Canada only. You will be responsible for return postage.

More Information about our ILL Services

Turnaround Time

Turnaround Time depends on many variables. Here is current turnaround time information for items requested through interlibrary loan. Please note that some requests may take longer than these averages and some only take hours. (Delivery of locally-owned items differ. See the Document Delivery section for service and eligibility details.)

Quantity of Requests

A user may submit as many requests as necessary. However, large numbers of requests from a single user may not all be processed at the same time.

Due Dates for Physical Material Loans

To avoid replacement fees, please return loans by the date indicated on the blue paper wrapped around your item. Materials can be returned at any campus  library location or via campus mail to ILL // STEW.

Renewals for Physical Material Loans

• Renewals are often possible. Please place your renewal request online at least 3 days before an item is due. Online renewals cannot be placed on or after the due date. If the item is overdue, you will need to contact the ILL office at 494-2800 or ill@purdue.edu.
• To request a renewal online, login to your Interlibrary Loan account. Click the “Checked Out Items” link in the menu on the left side of the page. Click the Transaction Number in front of the item you would like to renew. If the item is renewable, a red “Renewal Request” link will appear above the item information. Click the link to submit your renewal.
• ILL staff will confirm the new due date by email usually a few days later when we have heard back from the lending library.

Penalties

ILL staff notify users of overdue material. Failure to return ILL material on time, or to respond to a recall notice in a timely manner, may result in the loss of ILL and/or library privileges, and may also incur charges to cover the cost of the material plus overdue and/or processing fees.

Copyright Compliance

The Interlibrary Loan office complies with the U.S. copyright law and reserves the right to refuse a copying request if, in the staff's judgment, fulfillment of the request would involve violation of the copyright law.

Cost

The Libraries absorb the costs of most ILL transactions. In those rare cases when there would be a cost passed on to the requester, we will ask for your authorization in advance.

Document Delivery

The Libraries are pleased to offer comprehensive document delivery services for currently employed West Lafayette faculty, staff, visiting scholars, and currently enrolled students. Document Delivery services include scanning from Purdue-owned print materials and processing Purdue-owned print book requests via ILLiad through your My Account page. Document Delivery turnaround times may vary from the average during holidays and breaks. For scans of journal articles/book chapters, simply log into your account (login link at the top of this page) and choose the "PDF Article/Chapter Request" form, fill out the form with your citation, and click Submit.

Returning ILL Materials

In addition to returns being accepted at any campus library and via campus mail (to: ILL // STEW), ILL materials may also be returned to the following mailing address:
 

Purdue Libraries/ILL

504 Mitch Daniels Blvd

West Lafayette IN 47907

If you need a pre-paid UPS label for returning your ILL materials, please contact us at 765-494-2800 or ill@purdue.edu.

You may also return your ILL materials to a NEW outdoor book return located between Academy Park and the Stewart Center docks. This book return will only be emptied Monday through Friday in the mornings, so there may be delays in returns processing.