ILLiad Request FAQ

ILL Borrowing Request FAQ

This page covers the entire ILL Borrowing request process: which request form to use, how to complete the form, how to track your request, when/where/how to access your fulfilled request, when your loaned items are due, how to renew, where/how to return loaned materials, and how to handle request problems and cancellations.

Answers to others questions on how to use ILLiad and the policies governing ILL may be found on the Borrowing, Document Delivery, and Help webpages.

	What can I request? The ILL staff will attempt to borrow almost any material requested by an eligible patron, including articles, books, DVDs, and microfilm. However, there are some restrictions: Required class textbooks are not borrowed. Click here for an explanation of this restriction. Items owned by Joyner Library cannot be borrowed via interlibrary loan unless you are a DE patron who lives outside of Pitt County. Not everything is able to be borrowed. Lending libraries have the final word on what they will photocopy or loan. For a list and explanation of difficult-to-borrow items, click here.

	Can I request materials from Laupus Health Sciences Library? Yes, material from the Laupus Health Sciences Library may now be requested through Joyner ILL Borrowing by all members of the ECU community with Joyner as their primary library. To increase the speed of your request, please note in the request form that the desired item is owned by Laupus, what its collection location is (reference, stacks, etc.), and what its call number is. This information is available in the Laupus catalog. Alternatively, for even faster access to information at Laupus, you may visit Laupus Library and use its materials, make photocopies, and check books out. If you have never registered with Laupus circulation, you will have to do so, but registration is free for all ECU students, faculty, and staff -- just take your PirateID with you.

	Can I make requests for my professor or a friend? Generally, requests should not be made on behalf of another person, for the owner of the account under which a request is made is responsible for any materials borrowed should they be lost, damaged, or returned late. ILLiad accounts are free and easy to establish, so everyone eligible should have one. If a faculty or staff member will have others make requests on her/his behalf, one of two solutions is acceptable. A special secondary account can be created using the faculty or staff member's name but reserved for this use of her/his assistant(s). This way the faculty or staff member can have a private account and a shared research account. Otherwise, faculty and staff members can share their ILLiad username and password with their graduate assistant. If you assist a family member or friend by placing requests, please do so under that person's name. Beyond protecting you from being responsible for items you did not request or use, having an accurate record of interlibrary loans helps the library with its decisions on what collection areas perhaps need more attention or funding. Sometimes it is helpful to break down requests by what department/major requests or by what is being requested by faculty, staff, graduates, and undergraduates. Be assured that when the library analyzes interlibrary loan request data, your name is not revealed outside of the Interlibrary Loan department.

	What do I need to do before submitting a request? You will need to create an ILLiad account before you make your first request. All subsequent requests may be made directly after logging onto the ILLiad system. Before making each request, though, check Joyner's online catalog, its extensive database collections, and the E-Journal Locator/SFX Citation Linker to be sure that what you want to request is not immediately available online or in the library. Requests for material owned by the library will be canceled unless you are a Distance Education (DE) patron.

	What is the "Need By" date in the request form? Given that ILL can sometimes take several weeks or more, we ask that you inform us if you are working under a deadline. If you know that what you are requesting will be of no use to you after a set date (i.e. the date your term paper is due date), please list a date before then in the "Need By" date field on the request form. Please plan ahead and make requests as soon as you know you will need them. If a 'Need By' date has passed and the request has still not been filled, the ILL staff will cancel the request.

	How do I submit a request? Requests are to be made using the ILLiad system. Requests made via phone, e-mail, in person, by fax or mail usually will not be accepted. Login to ILLiad Select the type of request you would like to make. The two basic request types are "Request an Article" and "Request a Book"; other request forms are also available. Choose the one closest to your request. Forms should be completed as fully and accurately as possible. Enter one item per request. If you want two articles from the same journal issue or two chapters from one book, you need to submit a request for each article and each chapter. If there are multiple parts to one item, say a three volume DVD documentary, you may place one request stating that you need the entire set. If you found the item being requested in a database or in OCLC WorldCat, please indicate that in the citation section of the request form. Please list the ISSN or ISBN and/or the OCLC number if you know it. This greatly speeds our processing and ensures that we get exactly the edition you desire. Abbreviations will slow our processing time. If you know the full title, please list it. Do not guess, though, because often there can be multiple journals with similar titles. For assistance in deciphering some abbreviations, you may find OpenlyJake a useful tool (we do!); simply enter the abbreviation and if it is in the database it will display the correct full title and the ISSN. If you are uncertain of your citation, please consult with a reference librarian before placing the request. The vast majority of documents created before the late 1900s are not available electronically. Some materials are only available in print formats, such as books. Others may only be available on microfilm, microcard, microfiche, ultrafiche, or some other format that requires the use of special equipment found in Joyner's Government Documents/Microforms Department; the staff there are glad to help you use this equipment. While we understand that this equipment may be a little cumbersome or time consuming to use, sometimes requested materials are only available in this format, and the ILL staff are unable to photocopy these materials for you due to copyright restrictions placed on library staff and due to staffing levels. If you have any questions about how to submit requests through ILLiad, please contact the ILL staff.

	What should I do if I get an error message while making a request? ILLiad may give you error messages while you are logged in for a variety of reasons. You might have left a required field blank on a request form or have entered the required information in an incorrect format. Look for a 'dancing' red exclamation point to indicate what field needs attention and then read the explanatory text describing what goes in that field and how it should entered. Your ILLiad session may have ended. Sessions only last 30 minutes. Simply try to login to ILLiad again. ILLiad could be experiencing a system outage or error. Please try your action again. If it continues to fail, please contact the ILL staff.

	Why was my request canceled? Most canceled requests have been attempted to be borrowed but were for unavailable from lenders (see this site for possible reasons). Sometimes requests must be canceled because of a local policy, such as a request for a required course textbook. When a request is canceled, you will receive an e-mail to your ECU e-mail account explaining the circumstances of the cancellation. If you have questions, please contact the ILL staff.If your request is canceled and after discussion with the ILL staff it is decided that the request can be attempted again, it can be resurrected by the ILL staff or by you by clicking 'resubmit' under the "view/resubmit canceled requests" menu option.

	What is the status of my request? Where is it? You may track the status of your request by clicking on the "Outstanding Requests" option on the ILLiad Main Menu, then clicking on the link to the request you want to track. Toward the bottom of the request review page there will be a list of tracking information. Explanations for the tracking information status may be found at this web page; borrowing statuses are listed at the top of the page and Document Delivery statuses are listed at the bottom of the page. You may also contact the ILL staff to check on the status of your request. If your request is listed as "checked out to customer" you either already have picked up the item or it is awaiting your picking it up. If the status is "delivered electronically" you should be able to view the PDF file via ILLiad's "view/print electronically received article" feature. Please remember that the interlibrary loan process can take days or weeks to fulfill your request. For an explanation, visit ILL Process / Why does ILL take so long?

	How do I know my request is available for pickup? Where do I pick it up? Notifications are automatically sent to your ECU e-mail account when loaned materials or photocopies arrive. Loaned materials may be picked up at the Circulation Desk whenever the library is open. For photocopies, you will receive an e-mail with a link to a scanned version (PDF file) on our webserver; you can also access the file through ILLiad's "View/Download Electronically Received Articles" by clicking on the article link. Patrons who primarily use the Music Library may ask the ILL staff to have all loaned materials shipped by campus mail to the Music Library for pickup. If you select this option, please be aware that campus mail can take several days to cross campus. Loaned materials for Distance Education patrons will be shipped via FedEx Ground to the address we have on file. If you have not received your loans within three days of getting the e-mail notification, please contact the ILL office. It is your responsibility to check your ECU e-mail account. Materials that are not picked up by the due date may be sent back to the lending library and we will be unlikely to request them again for you.

	When is my ILL due? Due dates for ILL materials vary greatly. Most of due dates give you a couple weeks to a month; others allow only a week or possibly even several months. The date is set by the lending library, not Joyner, and is NOT determined by your patron status. Students, faculty, and staff are NOT granted the check-out periods you may have for Joyner Library materials. If you have lost the loan label that states the due date or have gotten a renewal and did not mark the new due date on the label, you may check your ILLiad account or contact the ILL office to learn the due date. Continued failure to return ILL materials by the due date will result in the suspension of your interlibrary loan privileges.

	Can I renew my ILL loan? Most lending libraries will allow one renewal of borrowed materials; if renewals are not allowed, the label on the item will state "NO RENEWALS." If allowed, renewals must be requested several days before the item is due. Use your ILLiad account to request a renewal, or contact the ILL office. The lending library always has the right to deny a renewal request or to shorten or lengthen a renewal request. You will be notified via e-mail by the ILL staff of the new date, but you may also view it in ILLiad. Continued failure to return ILL materials by the due date or renewed due date will result in the suspension of your interlibrary loan privileges.

	How do I renew my Interlibrary Loan? You may renew materials using ILLiad, or phone or visit the ILL office. Using ILLiad, go to your personal ILLiad Menu and under Review Requests, select View/Renew Checked Out Items. Click on the transaction number of the item you wish to renew. In the upper right hand corner of the Detailed Information page, select Request Renewal. Renewal requests should be made several days before the due date listed on the item and in ILLiad. If you know you will need the item longer than another two weeks, please contact the ILL office to request an extended renewal period. Because ILL is intended to provide material for only a short period of time, some libraries do not allow renewals or extended due dates, but the ILL staff will attempt to gain a longer due date if you absolutely need an extension. If the lending library refuses, you will need to return the item immediately.

	What is a recall? Do I really have to return my loan? Recalls override the due date for an ILL loan, making the item due back immediately. A recall is a demand that loaned material be returned immediately to the lending library so one of its patrons can use it. Because that library has simply loaned it to Joyner and we have not purchased or rented it, we must comply with their demand. If Joyner ILL is notified that the lending library needs its material back, you will receive emails and possibly phone calls from the ILL office informing you that the item must be returned immediately. If you are not finished with it, we will attempt to borrow a copy from another library, but you must immediately return the copy that has been recalled. Failure to return a recalled item within a day of notification will result in the suspension of your interlibrary loan privileges, and may result in a block being placed on your library account and a tag on your registrar account, which prohibits registration for classes and the release of grades and transcripts.

	Where do I return my ILL? Return all ILL loans to the ILL office, Joyner Circulation Desk, or Music Library by the due date. Please do not use the library's book drops, as materials can get damaged in book drops or be misplaced on the way between the book drop and the Interlibrary Loan department.

	What happens if interlibrary loan material is lost or damaged? You, the borrower, are financially responsible for damage to, or loss of, interlibrary loan materials from the time you pick them up, to the time they are returned to the Interlibrary Loan office. You are responsible for damage caused by photocopying, even if no specific photocopy restrictions are noted on the material. Should any damage occur, report it to the Interlibrary Loan office. Do not attempt to make repairs yourself.

	Why don't I see all my older requests when I look at my request history? Your entire request history is split between the various ILLiad categories. Checked Out Items list those loaned materials that you currently have in your possession or that are currently at the library awaiting you to pick them us, or have been mailed/shipped to you. Outstanding Requests are those that you have made but have not been either filled or canceled. Electronically Received Articles list those requests which were provided to you as PDF files. Request History only lists completed requests for materials that were not delivered to you electronically and that have been returned to the lending library. Canceled Requests list those requests you have made that were either canceled by you or the ILL staff.

	Who do I contact if I have problems with or questions about ILLiad? Please contact the Interlibrary Loan office at (252) 328-6068 or e-mail to jis@ecu.edu. You may also visit us in Joyner Library to the left of the Circulation Desk.

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