Can I use interlibrary loan?
Interlibrary loan is available to all students, faculty, and staff at LCCC. Unfortunately, community card holders do not have ILL privileges at this time.
How long does it take?
Articles requested through interlibrary loan are sent electronically, which usually only takes a couple of business days. Our ILL team members do their best to get requests filled as quickly as possible; however, we can't control how quickly the other libraries work, so we are unable to guarantee delivery by a certain date.
If you need an article immediately, we encourage you to consult with a librarian for help finding other sources for your research.
Is there a cost?
Not usually. In the rare case that an item you request is only available from a library that charges a fee for ILLs, we will contact you and ask if you want to pay. You will never be charged an unexpected fee.
How will I get the article?
You will receive an email at the address you provide. Most of the time, it will give you a link and instructions for how to download the article. In some cases, the article may be sent as an attachment.
Sounds great! What do I do?
There are two methods.
Use a database link:
First, some databases (but not all) have an ILL link built in. If an article isn't full-text in the database, it will automatically give you a link to request it. Here's an example of how it looks in the EBSCO database:
The link is on the left-hand side of the record, circled in green.
Note: Directly above the ILL link is a link that will automatically check if we have this article in a different database. It's a good idea to try that first, because if we do have it somewhere else, you can get it right away, without waiting for another library to send it.
When you click the "request" link, it will open up a form. In EBSCO, the form looks like this:
The form has two sections: one about the article you want, and one about you. The parts about the article are automatically filled in for you, so all you have to do is put in your personal information: your name, L number, email address, and phone number. The phone number will only be used if our ILL team has a question for you.
Click "Submit" (not shown in the image--it's at the bottom of the page) and you're good to go! Be sure to keep an eye on your email, so that you know when the article comes in.
Other databases may have the Request link in a different spot. For example, in ProQuest, it's on the right:
The form may also look a little different. ProQuest puts it in a pop-up window:
Most of our databases use one of these two interfaces, but you may encounter one that's different. If you can't find a link to request an ILL, you can fill out the form manually.
Fill Out an ILL Request Form
The request form is useful when you are using a database that doesn't have the ability to automatically generate ILL requests, or if you found the article somewhere other than a database (for example, in the bibliography of another article).
1. From the library home page, click "Interlibrary Loan" in the pink-and-gray menu to the left. If you're reading this FAQ, you can also go straight to the form.
2. Click "Periodical Request Form." It's circled in green in the image below:
3. Log in with your L number and last name, and then fill out the form:
With this form, logging in with your L number and password automatically connects your request to your library account, so you don't need to give your contact information--just the information about the article. Fill in as much of the information as you can. The journal title and article title are the most important parts. If you have trouble with the form, you can ask a librarian for help.
4. Submit the request, using the button at the bottom of the form (not shown in the image), and keep an eye on your school email account so you'll see when the article comes in!