Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

What is Interlibrary Loan?

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is the process libraries use to share access to physical and digital materials with other libraries. Since Alverno College Library participates in resource sharing and ILL with libraries across the country and even around the world, we are able to obtain copies of most materials (with rare exceptions) at no cost to our library or to our patrons. Always attempt to request resources through our library before paying for access. For more information about searching for full text and placing requests, please see our Finding & Requesting Resources guide.

When we receive a request for an item that is not in our collections, we first check our nearby partner institutions through the SWITCH consortium and the UW system. When one of these partners is able to fill a request, our patrons will generally receive the item within just a few business days. When these partners cannot fill a request and we must expand our search to our broader national and international network, we are generally still able to obtain digital items within a week and physical items within a few weeks, depending on lending institution processing times.

ILL requests are typically for physical items (books, DVDs, etc.) or for PDF copies of articles or book chapters. Due to copyright restrictions, we are unable to receive PDF copies of entire books or journals. We are also unable to obtain materials for community card holders through Interlibrary Loan. If you are a student who has or needs accessibility accommodations that include ebook access, please reach out to the Student Accessibility Coordinator for assistance.

Please note that we are not able to request textbooks assigned in courses or most dissertations through ILL. These requests will be denied automatically.

How do I make a request?

Most items can be requested directly from the item's record in TOPCAT. Some databases will include links to TOPCAT records for items that can be requested, but these records can also be accessed through a TOPCAT search using the "SWITCH & Beyond" search scope. The requesting process for both digital and physical items can be found via the buttons at the top of this page.

If the item cannot be found in TOPCAT, please contact library@alverno.edu. We are no longer using an ILL Wufoo form.

How long does it take to get something through Interlibrary Loan?

PDFs of articles and book chapters are typically received within a few business days.
Physical items are typically received within a week from nearby institutions and within two weeks from institutions out of state, though this is highly dependent on response times from lending institutions and the speed of shipping via USPS Library Mail.
We are unable to guarantee receipt of physical or digital materials by any particular date regardless of the lending institution.

How are ILL items received and returned?

PDFs of articles and book chapters are sent to My Library Account. Patrons receive an email when their download is available.
Physical items will be held at the Library Help Desk for 10 days. Patrons receive emails from SWITCH Libraries when their items are first received as well as multiple reminder emails over the 10 days that their items are on the hold shelf. If you cannot pick up your item within 10 days, please reach out to the librarians at library@alverno.edu.
Physical items belonging to other institutions should be returned to the library's book drops.

Interlibrary Loan Policies

Items borrowed through ILL are subject to the circulation policies of the lending institution, including loan periods.
Although Alverno College Library does not charge overdue fines on most items, ILL items are subject to the fines and fees in place at the lending institution, including lost/damaged item fees. It is the patron’s responsibility to return ILL items on time. Any fines and fees accrued will be charged to the patron’s account and are non-negotiable.
Excessive ILL charges will result in a hold being placed on an Alverno student's account that will prevent them from registering for classes, requesting transcripts, and graduating. If an ILL item is lost, damaged, or unable to be returned on time, please contact library@alverno.edu to avoid any misunderstandings.
Renewals on ILL items are at the discretion of the lending institution and are not set by Alverno College Library. Patrons must request renewals before the due date to allow the lending institution time to grant or reject the renewal request.