Interlibrary Loan is a service through which library materials not owned by Penn or Penn Libraries materials currently unavailable may be requested and obtained from other libraries, for use by Penn students, faculty, and staff.
Interlibrary Loan books, videos and CD's are checked out on your Penn library account with a loan period of 12 weeks, no renewals.
Who can use Interlibrary Loan?
All currently affiliated University of Pennsylvania students, faculty, and staff are eligible to use the service. ILL staff can be reached by email or phone (interlib@pobox.upenn.edu or 215-898-7558).
Courtesy borrowers and Penn alumni are not eligible to use interlibrary loan services at Penn. Courtesy borrowers should contact the service at their home institution or at their local public library. More information on courtesy and alumni borrowing can be found here: https://guides.library.upenn.edu/circulation/vpcourtesyborrowing
What kinds of materials can Interlibrary Loan provide?
Through Interlibrary Loan you may request materials not owned by the Penn Libraries as well as Penn Libraries materials currently in use or otherwise unavailable to borrow. This includes materials that are checked out, non-circulating, on Reserve or missing. Formats that can be requested include physical books and journals (e-books are subject to individual publisher licenses and may not available), electronic articles or book chapters, DVD's, Music CD's and microfilm or microfiche.
You will be notified by e-mail as soon as the material is received. Articles and book chapters will posted to your Find Shelf and available for download. Physical items such as books or CD's will be available at the Circulation Desk of the library specified in the request. Some material is restricted by the lender for use only within Penn Libraries.
How do I submit an Interlibrary Loan request?
Use the Request an item form to get started. DVD's, music CD's, microfilm and microfiche will need to be requested using the 'Book or other item' button under the What's the item you are requesting? heading.
If you need an article or a book chapter, use the'Article or chapter' button.
If you prefer to do your own searching for a book, start with either BorrowDirect or EZBorrow for faster service.
When submitting any Interlibrary Loan request form, please provide as much information about the item as you can. If you need to double-check citation information for a book, it's often helpful to check Amazon or WorldCat.
Once the request has been submitted, you will receive a Request Confirmation email.
How do I check the status of an Interlibrary Loan request?
Check the Find Shelf page. Requests In Process are not yet available and are still making their way through our interlibrary loan systems.
Can I borrow dissertations and theses through Interlibrary Loan?
It is usually possible to borrow dissertations and theses from other institutions; other libraries may lend dissertations and master's theses in print. The Interlibrary Loan staff can provide information on the probability of obtaining an item.
Many dissertations are now available in full text through Proquest's electronic resource Dissertations & Theses which can be searched through the Franklin catalog. Many full text dissertations from the United Kingdom are available via EThOS. Additional foreign dissertations may be available online via the Center for Research Libraries.
Can I request videos through Interlibrary Loan?
Streaming videos are not eligible for ILL, however, you can request a DVD/BluRay/VHS through Interlibrary Loan using the Request an item form and selecting 'Book or other item'. Please fill out the form with as much information about the movie as you know (eg, Title, Director, Publisher, Year).
How many requests may I submit?
A maximum of 5 requests will be processed per person per day, depending on staffing and overall request volume.
How quickly do requests arrive?
Turnaround time for journal articles requested through Interlibrary Loan is typically 2-5 business days, and for books 7-14 days depending upon the lender's location and the complexity of the request.
Can I renew my Interlibrary Loan requests?
No. Interlibrary Loan books are checked out on your Penn library account with a loan period of 12 weeks, no renewals.
I can't find an answer to my Interlibrary Loan question. What should I do?
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