Interlibrary Loan: Making an Interlibrary Loan Request

What are the steps an ILL request goes through, from request to delivery?

1. A request is made by the patron and arrives in the inbox of the ILL librarian
2. The ILL librarian searches all databases available to the library, including Google Scholar, to determine if the item is already available.  If the item is found, it is emailed to the patron
3. If the item is not found, the ILL librarian submits a request through OCLC Worldshare, a database of libraries from all around the world
4. When the submitted request is filled, the ILL librarian delivers it to the patron.  In the case of an article delivered in PDF format, it is delivered via email.  In the case of a book or other physical material, the patron will be notified that it is available to be picked up or mailed to them

EBSCOhost and ProQuest databases have built in ILL request features for articles within the database, but not owned by the library.  These are the most commonly used sources for making ILL Requests.

EBSCO

EBSCOhost items not owned by the library will appear with this beneath the article's description:

Clicking on this link will automatically fill out an ILL request form.  Supply your contact information and submit the request.

ProQuest

ProQuest articles not owned by the library will appear with this beneath the article's description

To request the article, click on the Abstract/Details link, or the article's title.  Use the "Request this Item" link to fill out an ILL request form and submit it to the library