Library Workshop – Interlibrary Loan & Alternatives

Contact Information: | 888-628-1569

summary | This workshop will introduce students to the Interlibrary Loan service and identify when it is appropriate to place Interlibrary Loan requests.It will also provide students with techniques to become more effective at locating research material outside of the NCU Library.

learning objectives|Upon completion of this workshop students will know how to:

  • Determine when it is appropriate to request items via interlibrary loan
  • Create an interlibrary loan user account and submit interlibrary loan requests
  • Locate items outside of the NCU Library using WorldCat.org
  • Locate items outside of the NCU Library using state electronic libraries
  • Locate items outside of the NCU Library using scholarly search engines or collections
  1. ILL|NCU students and faculty may request materials not owned by the Library via anInterlibrary Loan Account. The ILL process generally takes 2-10 days.ILL materials may include: articles, book chapters, and theses/dissertations.Course readings, such as textbooks and journal articles are not available for Interlibrary Loan.To create an ILL Account, click the link for “First Time User Registration.” There is no charge for any articles obtained through Interlibrary Loan.
  1. when to ILL? | Material may be eligible for ILL if it is not accessible from the NCU Library via Article Linker, Find a Resource, or the Databases (including ProQuest Dissertations & Theses). Try using these resources to discover the availability of articles before submitting interlibrary loan requests.Also, if the material is freely available online, it will not be necessary to request an ILL.
  1. article linker |If an article is not available in full text withinthe database you are searching, click the Article Linker button to see if it is available in another Library database. Two outcomes are possible here: (1) you will be taken directly to the full text article; (2) you will be taken to a screen that says “It may not be available in NCU Library. Please use the options below to get it.” In this case, proceed to “Find a Resource.”
  1. find a resource |The easiest way to locate a particular journal within the Library is to use Find a Resource, located directly to the right of Roadrunner Search on the Library’s home page. If your publication is available, the results screen will tell you which years you have access to and in which databases. If there are zero results, the Library does not subscribe to that publication. You may submit an ILL request.
  1. submitting a request |While searching the Library databases and accessing Article Linker, youmay come to a screen telling you that no holding were found for your article. Under “Additional options for finding full-text,” select the link for Interlibrary Loan. You will then be prompted to login to your account. Once logged in, a prepopulated ILL request form containing your article abstract details will pop up. Note that you are required to complete the Course field before submitting the request. Once the form is complete, click “Submit Request” at the bottom of the screen.
  2. dissertations |Before submitting an ILL request for a dissertation, search for the full-text in the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses database. Note that most libraries will not loan Ph.D. dissertations.
  1. electronically received articles | To retrieve articles, click the link for “Electronically Received Articles” under the View menu. Articles posted to this page will remain accessible for 30 days from the date of posting.Therefore, you will need to download a copy in order to save the articles indefinitely.You will also need Acrobat Reader to open the article PDF file(s). Download a free copy of Acrobat Reader at
  1. alternatives | There are several ways to locate items outside of the Library:
  1. WorldCat.org– This online catalog allows you to search the collections of libraries in your community, and thousands more around the world. Worldcat.org is primarily used for locating books, music CDs and videos—all of the physical items you're used to getting from libraries. Worldcat.org does not provide full text articles. After finding an item record in Worldcat.org, enter your city/state or zip code under the "Find a copy in the library" section and click "Find libraries." This will provide you with a list of libraries that own the item in order of the shortest distance from the location you entered.
  2. State Electronic Libraries –Many states provide residents with access to research databases. To see if your state offers such a service, click here.
  1. Open Access Collections–The Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) provides access to over 9,000 full text scientific and scholarly journals. See the Open Access Resources page for additional options article repositories.Since many classic texts are now within the public domain, there are several open access e-book collections including: the Directory of Open Access Books, HathiTrust, National Academies Press, Project Gutenberg, World Public Library, and others.
  1. additional resources| Please visit the below links for additional information.
  • InterlibraryLoanGuide
  • Library Alternatives

quiz|Answer the questions below to reinforce what you have learned in today’s workshop.

  1. How long does it typically take for Interlibrary Loan articles to be delivered?
  2. Is it possible to obtain your course textbook through Interlibrary Loan?
  3. What material is eligible for Interlibrary Loan?
  4. What does the “Article Linker” do?
  5. What tool should I use to quickly locate a particular journal?
  6. For how long are your electronically delivered ILL articles accessible?
  7. What website would I use to locate materials in local libraries?
  8. Does your state provide an electronic library with research databases?
  9. Name an example of an open access e-book collection.

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