Interlibrary Loan Borrowing Services

The Interlibrary Loan Department provides access to research material not available in the University Libraries. The parameters of the service are governed by the current copyright law and guidelines, the National Interlibrary Loan Code, the lending library's policies, and University Libraries policies and procedures.

We obtain materials not owned by the libraries on the University of Alabama campus. Check the Libraries' catalog first to see if what you need is available in one of the libraries on campus. Requests for materials that are available in the University of Alabama libraries cannot be processed. If you need help using our catalogs, inquire at the reference desk at any library.

Please do not request textbooks through interlibrary loan as an alternative to purchasing. ILL offices are prohibited from this practice.

ILL materials are not provided for the purpose of class reserve.

Interlibrary loan service is available for:

faculty
students
staff

retired faculty

Material borrowed via ILL is the responsibility of the borrower from the time it is picked up from the ILL Department until it is returned and signed in to ILL.
Renewals are not automatic and, like the loan period, are at the discretion of the lending library. If an extended loan period is needed, the borrower must contact the ILL Department before the due date to request a renewal.
If the material is overdue, damaged, lost, or missing, the charges are the responsibility of the borrower and are determined by the lending library.

ILL service is free except for rush and expedited delivery charges. Rush orders are processed at the discretion of the Supervisor, Interlibrary Loan.

Using the electronic interlibrary loan request form, provide a full and accurate bibliographic citation, including author, title, place and date of publication, and series.

To verify a book title, use in the Libraries' catalog, Books in Print, or other sources.

To verify a serial title or journal citation, use an appropriate bibliographic database.

To verify dissertations and theses, consult Dissertations Abstracts or Comprehensive Dissertations Index.

Reference staff will assist you in using these tools and can suggest other relevant sources as well.

Refer to Frequently Asked Questions to find out more about interlibrary loan borrowing services and procedures.

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