Interlibrary Loan

What is ILL?

ILL stands for Interlibrary Loan. ILL service at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) provides students, faculty, and staff with access to research and instruction materials that are not available in the Kraemer Family Library or through Prospector.

You can request items using Worldcat (FirstSearch) and you can even request items and journal articles you find in the library's databases, Google, or on the web. Just use ILLiad to make the request (see How Do I Make ILL Requests?)

Who is eligible for ILL Services?

University of Colorado Colorado Springs and all University of Colorado:

• Current students, faculty, and staff of UCCS or another University of Colorado Campus (Students must be currently enrolled and have a valid University ID)
• Listening in students

University of Colorado Colorado Springs:

• Retired faculty and staff

Other:

• Patrons of institutions that have an agreement for Interlibrary Loan services with the Kraemer Family Library

Who is not eligible for ILL Services?

• General public and other college and university patrons
• UCCS alumni

Individuals not eligible for ILL services at UCCS should contact their local public library or school for Interlibrary Loan services.

What materials are available for request?

Any materials normally found in a library can usually be requested using ILL. ILL obtains materials from institutions across the world. Each institution determines the types of material they are willing to lend. In general, the following types of material can be requested:

• Books
• Articles
• Theses
• Government documents
• Audio CDs
• Videos

Please search the Kraemer Library Catalog and Prospector catalog before submitting requests for ILL service. If the ILL Department locates a requested article in the Kraemer Family Library holdings, an email will be sent with the method for retrieving the article. If a book is available in the Kraemer Library or via Prospector, the ILL Department will place a hold on the item and an email will be sent indicating as such.

What materials might not be available through ILL?

• Entire volumes or issues of articles and journals
• Rare items
• Electronic Books

The ILL Department will always make the attempt to get any request but the items above are often not loaned by lending libraries.

How much does ILL cost?

ILL services are provided at no charge, except in cases where copyright fees exceed $30.00. In these cases you will be notified beforehand and given the option of proceeding with the charges. Information regarding fines and fees for lost or overdue items is provided below.

How Do I Make ILL Requests?

The Library uses ILLiad, an automated interlibrary loan software, to manage ILL services. You must create an ILLiad account before you can begin submitting requests. After you have created an account, login to ILLiad to begin submitting requests.

Please contact the Interlibrary Loan Department at (719) 255-3285 or the Reference Desk at (719) 255-3295 for assistance.

How long will it take to get my materials?

Articles usually arrive more quickly than books as they are delivered electronically to an ILLiad account. Processing and delivery times vary depending upon the day of the request and the speed at which a lending institution processes and ships the material.

Articles available at Colorado libraries are often delivered in 1-2 days. However, if a request is from an obscure journal or book and not owned by very many libraries, it might take some additional time before an article is delivered.

Please allow a minimum of 7 to 10 business days to receive requested material but especially in the case of book requests.

How will I know when my material arrives?

You will be notified by email when your material arrives. You can also check the status of your requests by logging into your ILLiad account. See List of ILLiad Status Requests for an explanation of the request status.

How long can I keep my material?

• The loan period for books is determined by the lending library.
• The loan period averages about 4 weeks.
• Articles are accessible on your ILLiad account for 30 days from email notification. It is highly recommended to download and save your articles in the event you might need them in the future.

Can I renew my materials?

You can renew materials by viewing checked out items on your ILLiad account. Click the item's Transaction Number and on the next page, click the Renew Request link.

The Interlibrary Loan Department will be notified of your renewal request and will contact the lending library about extending your loan. You will receive an email from the Interlibrary Loan Department when the lending library indicates whether or not your loan can be extended.

Please contact the ILL Department if an option is not available to renew an item. Lending institutions set their own rules for extending the time that a book can be checked out but the ILL Department will always make an attempt to get additional time if so desired by a patron.

Where do I check out and return materials?

ILL materials are checked out, and returned to, the Circulation Desk in the Library. You may also return ILL materials in the book drops outside the Library but it is advisable to return materials inside the Library. Current hours for the Circulation Department can be found here: Library Hours

What happens if I return an ILL late?

The overdue fine is $3.00 for the first day plus $.50 for each additional day that the item is overdue. Fines will be added to your student account as necessary.

What happens if I lose or damage material?

Lost and damaged materials are processed in accordance with normal Circulation policy and procedure. The standard charge for lost library material is $75 or the actual replacement cost of the item, whichever is higher. In addition, there will be a $25 processing fee plus a $20 overdue fine.