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Information about Interlibrary Loan



What is Interlibrary Loan?

  • Interlibrary Loan is a service that provides access to materials not owned by the KU Libraries.  Through cooperative agreements, participating libraries share their collections with students,faculty, and staff from other libraries.

Who can use Interlibrary Loan?

  • Interlibrary Loan is available to KU Lawrence and Edwards campus faculty, staff, students and authorized affiliates.

What can you request on interlibrary loan?

    Anything not available in the KU Libraries EXCEPT:
  • LPs
  • Maps created prior to 1946
You may now submit interlibrary loan requests on WebRetrieve for KU materials checked out from most locations EXCEPT Reserves. Many items can be obtained through interlibrary loan as quickly as you would receive a recalled KU item. However, some titles in high demand may take longer to obtain through interlibrary loan.

How do I place an Interlibrary Loan request?

  • Check if the KU Libraries owns the item that contains your article by checking the KU Library Catalog.
  • Go to WebRetrieve.
  • Login using your KUID (last 8 digits on KU card) and last name (in lowercase).
  • Choose either Request an Article or Request a Loan -> Not Available from KU.
  • Complete the form with your citation information.. Then click on Submit Request.

How will I be notified when my Interlibrary Loan materials are available?

  • An email will be sent informing you that your item is available.

How long will it take to receive my items?

  • Around 60% of articles are received within two days. Around 50% of loans are received within 7 days .
  • Delivery time is dependent on the library sending the material and the availability of the requested material.
  • "Turn-around" time for Interlibrary Loans.

Is there a limit on the number of items I can request?

  • Currently there is no limit on the number of requests that you may submit.

Who can I contact if I have questions?

  • Interlibrary Loan staff can be contacted by phone 785-864-3960 or email ILLBorr@ku.edu.

Where can I find information about other services available?