Library of the Health Sciences - Chicago
Interlibrary Loan

Journals | Books

What is Interlibrary Loan?

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service that allows UIC faculty, staff and students to request materials that are not available at the Library of the Health Sciences - Chicago (LHSC), including journal articles, books, theses, and other research materials.

Who can use Interlibrary Loan?

Interlibrary Loan service is available to current faculty, staff and students of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Members of the UIC Alumni Association may request interlibrary loans only for materials held at a University of Illinois library.

What is the cost?

There is no cost to the user for this service.

How long does it take?

Planning ahead is important when requesting an item from another library. Factors to consider in determining how long it will take for a request to be filled include the completeness of the citation information, availability of the title at the lending institution, and location of the lending library. Article requests are usually received within 7-10 days. Book loan requests may take up 4 weeks or longer to arrive.

More Information?

If you need more information please call (312) 996-8991.

Obtaining Journal Articles from Other Libraries

To request articles

Request forms are available at the Interlibrary Loan Office or the Reference Desk in LHSC. Forms can also be submitted electronically via LIB-MAIL at http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib/libmail/serialill.shtml

A separate request form must be submitted for each item. Please be as thorough as possible.

If you are requesting material identified through MEDLINE (PubMed, or OVID MEDLINE), please include the UI (Unique Identifier) number to expedite your request.

To receive articles

Interlibrary Loan will notify you by email, telephone, or pager that your request has been received, or, if you prefer, we will send it directly to you via email, campus mail, or U.S. mail.

Obtaining Books from Other Libraries

To obtain a book not held at LHSC, a user has two options:

• Initiate their own request
• Request the book from Interlibrary Loan

To obtain books oneself:

Search I-Share, the online catalog of CARLI, the 45-member statewide consortium of Illinois academic libraries. to find the item you need. Once you find the item, check location to see what libraries own the title, and also check the status of the item, to be sure that it is available for use.

• If the library is nearby, you can go to that library and check out the item with your i-card
• Through I-Share you can request that the item be sent to the UIC library of your choice. Select “Options” on the menu bar and follow the instructions.

To obtain Books through interlibrary loan:

Request forms are available at the Interlibrary Loan Office or the Reference Desk at LHSC. Requests can also be submitted electronically via LIB-MAIL at http://www.uic.edu/depts/lib/libmail/bookill.shtml

Once the item has been received:

You will be notified through email, telephone or campus or U.S. mail when the book has been received for your use.

Books borrowed through CARLI can be picked up at the Circulation Desk. Books borrowed through ILL are picked up in the ILL office or at the Circulation Desk after 5:00 p.m. or on weekends if arrangements have been made with ILL staff.

Loan Period:

Loan periods are determined by the lending institution, not by LHSC. Please return books on time, as failure to return interlibrary loan materials jeopardizes our borrowing agreements with other libraries.

Renewals may be granted or denied by the lending library. If you need a renewal, request it at least one week before the book is due. CARLI materials may be renewed using I-Share, in person at the Circulation Desk, or by telephone (312-996-8966).

ILL materials may be renewed in person at the Interlibrary Loan Office, or by telephone (312-996-8991).