The Research Process: Tools and Tips for Success

Interlibrary Loan is a system that allows students to borrow books and articles that Neumann does not own from another library. If you have found a book that is not in Neumann's catalog, then you can request it through Interlibrary Loan and it will be shipped to Neumann for you to pick up.  If you find a record for an article that Neumann does not have in full text, you can request it through Interlibrary Loan and a copy of the article will be sent to your Interlibrary Loan account.

How long will it take to get my ILL item?

While we can never be sure of an exact date since it depends not only only Neumann's staff, but also the institution that owns the item you are requesting, we usually say 7-10 days.  Books usually take longer than articles.

Where do I pick up the ILL item that I requested?

There are two ways that you can receive your ILL item.  All books have to be picked up, in person, at the Library main desk. Once your requested book has arrived, you will receive an email notification letting you can pick-up the book at the main desk in the library. You'll then have two weeks to pick up your book before it is returned to its home library. 

All journal articles, however, will be delivered digitally. You can access your journal article requests by logging into your Discovery account (accessible either via the library home page 'catalog' button, under 'Item Search' or by the 'Click this button to enter TIPASA' button on the library's ILL page). Once you login, using the 'login' button in the top right-hand corner of the page, you can navigate to the 'requests' tab in 'my account'. From here you will see your ILL requests listed and will be able to download your requested journal article. You can download an article 5 times in total. You have one month to download the article before the link expires.

Can I renew my ILL item?

Yes.  Log into your Discovery account and navigate to the 'Requests' tab in the 'my account' section. You will see your ILL requests listed here, click the 'renew' button on the right-hand side of the page to submit a renewal request for that item. You will receive an email letting you know if your renewal request was approved by the lending library.

Helpful reminders that items are soon due and overdue will also be sent to your Neumann email address. Items that are overdue CANNOT be renewed and may result in fines from the lending library; failure to return ILL materials on time may result in suspension of inter-library loan privileges.

What do I do with the ILL item when I am finished?

If it is a journal article, you do not have to return it.  Keep in mind though, that unless you save it somewhere, it will eventually disappear from your account.  However, if the item you requested is a book, you must return it to the circulation desk at the Library on the date indicated on the sleeve on the book.