What is Interlibrary Loan (ILL)?
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service that obtains library materials that are not otherwise available to the Brooklyn College community. Most ILL transactions are done electronically through a secure online ILLiad account.
Who is eligible to make an ILL request?
ILL services are extended to Brooklyn College faculty, staff, undergraduate, and graduate students.
Do I have to pay for an ILL request?
The Library absorbs ILL costs, so ILL is free to patrons. However, the patron is responsible for overdue fees set by the loaning library and lost book fees.
How do I get started?
Log into ILL with your CUNY login. Please note that if you're a first-time user, you must fill out all of the Required User Information fields before being able to submit any ILL requests.
Which books may be requested through ILL?
ILL is for books that are not available in Brooklyn College or that can't be requested via OneSearch, which includes CUNY and SUNY libraries. Please check OneSearch first before placing any ILL requests.
If the book is available locally at Brooklyn College, retrieve it yourself from the stacks or request it for pickup.
To search CUNY books in OneSearch, select BC+CUNY in the search bar. To search SUNY books, select SUNY Libraries in the search bar. To request an item, sign into your CUNY account, and then click the "Request a physical copy from CUNY or SUNY" button in the catalog record.
If it is not available in OneSearch, proceed to Interlibrary loan.
Which articles may be requested through ILL?
ILL will not request an article that Brooklyn College Library has access to electronically. Please check OneSearch, the E-Journals Finder, and the A-Z Databases to see if the article is available in the Brooklyn College Library. If it is not available in Brooklyn College Library, then proceed to Interlibrary Loan.
Are there any exceptions as to what may be requested through ILL?
May I request an electronic copy of print materials owned by the library?
Yes, ILL provides a Scan & Deliver service. You can place a request for an article or book chapter that is in our print and microform collections. If you know the item is in our collection, add a note on the request form. If we're not able to fulfill your request locally, we'll send it out to our partner libraries. Please keep in mind that this service is still subject to copyright restrictions, and we cannot digitize entire books.
How long will it take to get my requested material?
Delivery times vary. Most journal articles arrive electronically and will be delivered to your ILL account, sometimes as quickly as a few hours or overnight, though almost always within a few days. For books and other loans, we depend on the generosity and alacrity of other libraries to fill your requests and on the U.S. Post Office and other delivery services to deliver. Most items should arrive within a week to ten days. If any item is delayed for more than two weeks, please contact ILL.
When and where should I pick up my requested material?
You will be notified by e-mail when the materials arrive. You can manage your notification preferences under Account Info-Update User Information.
Books and other loans are to be picked up from and returned to the Circulation Desk on the first floor of the Library, to the right of the entrance. ILL books may not be returned to any other CUNY library.
Articles are delivered electronically to your ILL account. You'll receive an automated email when the article is received.
How long can I keep requested materials?
Loan periods vary, so check the due date on the book band.
Renewals may be requested online via your ILL account or by contacting Interlibrary Loan at least two days prior to the due date. Renewals are dependent on the lending library. ILL renewals cannot be made via OneSearch or through the Circulation Desk.
Articles remain in your ILL account for 30 days, after which they expire, and can no longer be retrieved. Please save a copy of the article locally.
Can I make an ILL request directly from WorldCat?
Yes! WorldCat is a "world catalog" of more than 10,000 libraries worldwide. It is the same resource that the Interlibrary Loan staff uses. To access it, go to the library home page, click Databases, and scroll down to WorldCat (not Worldcat.org).
If your search produces more than one record for a title, choose the record with the most libraries. WorldCat icons will inform you if the item is available in the Brooklyn College Library (BROOKLYN COL LIBR) or elsewhere in CUNY (CUNY LIBRARIES).
If the book is owned by Brooklyn College or CUNY, click on "Libraries worldwide that own item"; you will be able to link to each CUNY Library to see if it is available.
If it is available at Brooklyn College, simply retrieve it yourself. If it is available in CUNY, use OneSearch to request it.
Otherwise, click on "Request via ILL." This will connect you to the CUNY login page. After logging in, the request form will be populated automatically with your information and the citation. Please check the form to make sure the citation has transferred completely.
Can I make an ILL request directly from the online databases?
Yes! Click on the desired article's 
button to get a "request via ILL" option. Clicking on that option will bring you to the CUNY login page. After logging in, the request form will be populated automatically with your information and citation. Please check the form to make sure the citation has transferred completely.
What happened to my old ILL requests?
ILL requests prior to 2018 were purged in January 2024. ILL requests from 2018 through July 2024 were desynched from user accounts as part of the migration process to CUNY login. If you need access to your account history from 2018-2024, please contact us and we'll send you a spreadsheet of your request history.
