Interlibrary Loan Guide

This guide provides an overview of interlibrary loan (ILL), or resource sharing, services at the CTX Library.  Interlibrary Loan is a free service for current CTX students, faculty and staff. CTX-affiliated users can request books, articles, or chapters from other libraries. 

Interlibrary loan (ILL), or resource sharing, provides students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to obtain resources unavailable through the Library's collections. ILL allows the library to supplement its collections and enhance research opportunities.

Formally defined, "Interlibrary loan is the process by which a library requests material from, or supplies material to, another library" (Rusa, 2015). "The purpose of interlibrary loan ... is to obtain, upon request of a library user, material not available in the user's local library.  Interlibrary loan is primarily intended to provide a requesting individual with a physical loan of a defined duration or a non-returnable copy or scan from another library" (RUSA, 2015).

Interlibrary loan is a service offered to current students, faculty, and staff. Items eligible for request include articles, books, and audiovisual materials. Textbooks are ineligible for request. Before submitting an ILL request, carefully check existing resources on the library website.

ILL requests are received and processed only during the week (M-F). ILL services are unavailable evenings and weekends, as well as during College holidays and breaks.

Processing and shipping times vary depending upon the type of request and the timeliness of the responses of potential lenders. Please allow 3-5 business days for article requests to be processed and filled. Requests for physical books can take 7-10 days to be processed and filled. It is important to plan ahead to allow plenty of time to receive items requested through ILL.

Same-day requests or next-day requests submitted after the close of business will be cancelled.