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Policies & Procedures

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Policies & Procedures for Interlibrary Borrowing Services

Non-Emory users interested in requesting Emory materials, please see our Lending page for information about interlibrary lending services.

Who is eligible to use interlibrary loan services?

Interlibrary loan is provided to facilitate the university-related research of Emory students, faculty, and staff.

This service is not available to spouses or children of the above groups, to alumni, or to guest researchers.  Non-Emory users are encouraged to contact their primary academic, public, or corporate library regarding interlibrary loan service.

Is there a charge for interlibrary loan services?

In most cases, no.  We absorb most fees charged by other libraries for supplying materials via interlibrary loan.

There are a few exceptions to the general rule:

  • Dissertations purchased from ProQuest (currently $30.00; prepayment is required ASAP after request submission in order for the request to be processed)
  • Extensive copying or reproduction requiring special processing by the supplying library (e.g., microform or photographic reproductions)
  • Copies with copyright fees in excess of $20

We will advise you in advance of any charges and/or prepayment requirements.

Users of ILL services also are responsible for prompt payment of any overdue fines and/or replacement costs arising from their requests (please see the RETURNS/RECALLS section for further information).

Payment for ILL activity must be submitted to the Interlibrary Loan Office and not the Circulation Desk.

How do I submit a request?

First, be sure to check discoverE and/or EUCLID to make sure Emory does not own the item.  If you need help determining this, please contact a reference librarian.

Submit requests electronically via the ILLiad interlibrary loan system.

  1. Access ILLiad here.  You can also find links to ILLiad in discoverE and EUCLID.
  2. When prompted, enter your Emory Network ID (NetID) and Password.
  3. First-time ILLiad users will be prompted to complete a registration form.
  4. From the ILLiad Main Menu on the left, select the type of request you wish to submit.
  5. For required fields please include:
    1. Complete and accurate information about the item requested; do not use abbreviations.
    2. Source of your citation.  I.e., where information about an item may be verified.
    3. Date after which you cannot use or no longer need the requested material.

    Tip: You must submit a separate request for each item.

Why was my request cancelled? 

Though we will attempt to fill almost any request submitted, the following types of material often are difficult to obtain through interlibrary loan:

  • Recently published items
  • Textbooks, study guides and workbooks (note that we do not request textbooks for class use)
  • Entire volumes or issues of periodicals, especially if less than 3 years old
  • Reference works
  • Rare books and original manuscripts
  • Newspapers and other bulky materials in their original format
  • Audiovisual materials and computer software
  • Works of genealogy or heraldry
  • Dissertations and theses from outside North America

You should not expect to obtain items listed in Emory libraries' catalogs unless they have been declared missing or lost by the appropriate circulation department.

Items that are charged out to another borrower should be recalled for your use unless the need is urgent.

How long will it take for me to get my materials?

Turn-around time varies considerably.

Most requests can be filled in seven to ten days. Materials from local libraries can arrive in as few as three to five days, electronic articles in as few as one to three days.

Remember that some requests may take longer depending on the nature and availability of the requested item.

Need your materials today?  See information about the interlibrary use program that allows you to borrow directly from local college/university libraries.

I really need my materials ASAP.  Can you rush my request?

Rush processing can be provided on a limited basis in cases of urgent need. If you require ILL materials in less than one week, please do the following:

  • Change the date in the Item Not Needed After field on the ILLiad request form.
  • Enter RUSH in the Notes field of the request form. 
  • Discuss your need with ILL staff prior to or immediately after submitting your request(s).

How do I access it electronic documents provided via ILL?

Most ILL articles are delivered electronically in PDF format. You will be notified via e-mail when requested documents are available for viewing. Instructions on how to access the article are included in the email notice.

To view an electronic document, logon to ILLiad, click on Electronic Documents in the View/Edit section of the ILLiad Main Menu and click on the View link for the desired document.

Electronic documents will be available via ILLiad for 30 days or until you delete them, whichever occurs first.

How will I know when my ILL material has arrived?

You will be notified by e-mail when requested material is available for your use.

Where do I go to pick up my material?

For most users, the pickup location for borrowed items and paper copies from ILL is the Library Service Desk on level 2 of Woodruff Library.* Since the Library Service Desk maintains several types of items for pickup, please be sure to specify "interlibrary loan" when asking for these materials.

Health Sciences users will pick up items at the Information Desk, located near the entrance of the Health Sciences Center Library.  Please specify "interlibrary loan" when picking up these materials. 

*ILL material for faculty and graduate students of the Chemistry, Environmental Studies, Mathematics & Computer Science, and Physics departments is delivered to the Chemistry Library for pickup.

How long can I keep items borrowed through ILL? If I need to keep the items longer, can I renew them?


Loan Periods:
The lending library determines the loan period and renewal policy for its materials. In most cases borrowers, including faculty, can expect to keep interlibrary loan items for up to four weeks.

Exception: materials from the Center for Research Libraries (CRL) are loaned for six months, subject to recall.

Renewal Requests:
Please make every effort to complete your work with ILL material within the original loan period. If a renewal request is necessary, a three-week renewal may be requested via ILLiad (not EUCILD).

Please note that renewal requests must be placed three days before the original due date. ILL must contact the lending library for permission to renew and will inform you whether or not your renewal request has been granted. Please also note that, with the exception of CRL material, we usually can obtain only one renewal per item.

Exception to renewals: If the lending library has indicated NO RENEWAL on the item label, you will not be able to renew the item.

To place a renewal request in ILLiad, click on Checked-Out Items in the View/Edit section of the ILLiad Main Menu, then select the number of the item you wish to renew, and click on Request Renewal.

Are there ever restrictions on what I can do with items borrowed through ILL?

The lending library establishes the conditions under which borrowed material may be used. Items may be restricted for use within the library only; photocopying may be prohibited; etc.

A borrower's failure to comply with the conditions of a loan could jeopardize his/her interlibrary loan privileges and/or those of the Emory Libraries with lending institutions.

Where do I return items I borrowed through ILL?

Return all ILL materials directly to the Interlibrary Loan Office or to the Library Service Desk on level 2 by the due date.

  • A fine of 50¢ per day will be charged for ILL materials that are returned more than one day past the due date.

Please note that ILL materials are subject to recall by the lending library at any time.

  • Failure to return a recalled item by the date indicated will result in a fine of $2.00 per day.

ILL fines should be directly to the Interlibrary Loan Office with cash or a check payable to Emory University. Payment can also be mailed to the following address:

Interlibrary Loan
Woodruff Library
Emory University
Atlanta, GA 30322-2870

  • Continued failure to return ILL materials or to pay fines in a timely manner will result in suspension of a borrower's interlibrary loan privileges. Access to ILLiad will be blocked for requesters with any ILL items more than 14 days overdue or with $20 or more in unpaid ILL fines.

Is there someone I can contact directly if I have specific questions about the items I've borrowed through ILL?

Marie Hansen
Coordinates borrowing services
404-727-0910

Sarah Ward
Searches and sends requests to other libraries
404-727-6087

Anne Nicolson
Receives items sent by other libraries; sends overdue, recall and fine messages
404-727-8137

Margaret Ellingson
Manages borrowing and lending services and ILLiad servers
404-727-6893

The policies and procedures followed in providing ILL services are based on the Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States and International Lending and Document Delivery: Principles and Guidelines for Procedure.

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