Interlibrary Loan FAQs | UConn Library

Getting Started

Requesting Items

Article Galaxy Scholar FAQs

Tracking Requests

Returning, Renewing, & Cloning Items

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Who can use Interlibrary Services?

UConn faculty, staff, currently enrolled students, and visiting scholars with an active Library account, UConn NetID and UConn email address. No other email addresses are supported.

Create your ILLiad account

The first time you request an item through ILLiad, you will be asked to complete your profile.

Is there a charge to use the service?

Our goal is to support academic research, learning, and professional development, so there is no cost to you. We ask for your discretion when placing requests, because requests do come with a cost to the University.

What else should I know about borrowing?

Please leave bookband on your borrowed item so that we may identify it upon its return. We ask that you return your materials promptly, in the condition in which they were received. Please return or renew items by the due date.

What should I know about fines and fees?

You are responsible for your own materials and for managing your own account. If items are lost or damaged while in your possession, you will be billed through the Bursar’s Office for repair, replacement, or processing fees assessed by the lending library.

You will be sent a courtesy reminder before the item is due. If you do not return or renew your item before the due date you will receive an overdue notice. If you do not return your overdue item, you will receive a Notice of Fines and Fees. You will be charged for replacement (minimum of $95) as well as a nonrefundable $15.00 lost item processing fee. The replacement cost may be waived upon your returning the item; however, once an invoice has been paid to a lending institution, the replacement cost cannot be waived.

How do I request an article or chapter?

Search for and request your item in UConn WorldCat, our catalog, or our subject databases. Choose “Request a PDF.”

Screenshot of Request a PDF button

You may also enter the information manually into the “Article” or “Book Chapter” forms in your My ILLiad account Log in and choose “Place Request” and choose your form. Please provide complete citation information to prevent any delays. You will be notified when your PDF is available, and it will remain accessible for 30 days. Please place requests for chapters individually.

How can I request an e-book?

You can request e-books by following the directions for print books. Note: not every print book has an e-book version, and e-books can be hard to obtain.

How can I borrow a book, DVD, VHS, CD, music score, or other material?

Search for and request your item in UConn WorldCat. WorldCat is a catalog of 1.5 billion items held at more than 15,000 libraries.
Find the item you want and choose "Request Item" under "Request from Libraries Worldwide":

screenshot of Request Item button

Where can I pick up my item?

Items may be picked up at the Storrs campus at either the Babbidge Library, Music & Dramatic Arts Library, or Pharmacy Library, or at any of our regional campus libraries at Avery Point, Hartford, Stamford, or Waterbury.

How can I change my pickup location?

Please contact us at udoc@uconn.edu and we will change your pickup location for you.

How will I know when my requested item is available?

You will receive an email notification to your UConn email address when your item is ready. Please do not contact lending libraries directly.

Can someone pick up my request for me?

Faculty and staff may allow students to check out materials on their behalf through registration as a Proxy Patron.

How long does it take to get something?

Most PDFs arrive in less than one day and most physical items come within 2-7 business days. Items that are difficult to obtain can take longer to arrive. To ensure a quick turnaround, please fill out as much of the citation as possible, including the ISSN/ISBN field. Altering the form’s citation fields to indicate “rush” will slow it down.

What kinds of things may I request?

Requests may be made for many kinds of resources, including print and e-books, articles, chapters, standards, proceedings, scores, DVDs, CDs, and more.

Is there a limit to how many things I can request?

There are no limits to requests; however, we reserve the right to limit how many we process per day. Large numbers of requests may be processed over several days.

Are there materials that aren't available through Interlibrary Services?

Materials that are generally not available through this service include: reference materials, unpublished manuscripts, rare, older, or fragile materials, entire issues or volumes of journals, educational kits, psychological tests, and genealogical materials. Some materials are difficult to obtain but we will do our best to find them.

What are the Interlibrary Loan usage Guidelines?

ILLiad materials are for your personal use only, are not transferable, and may not be used for course reserves or distribution. For copyright and fair use guidelines, please see our Copyright page. Requests for materials for non-academic purposes should be placed with your local public library or a commercial service.

What is Article Galaxy Scholar/Express PDF?

Article Galaxy Scholar, from Reprints Desk, allows UConn faculty and graduate students to request rapid delivery of articles from a small number of selected journals. This service is available 24/7. The UConn Library is piloting this service with select journals starting in December 2021.

How do I access Article Galaxy Scholar?

If you find an article from a journal that we do not subscribe to, in addition to the regular “Request a PDF” link, you will see an “Express PDF” link. This will occur whether you are searching a database and clicking on a “UConn Full Text” link or searching the Library catalog.

When you click on the “Express PDF” link, you will be asked to log in with your NetID if you are off campus. The AGS software will check to ensure the Library does not subscribe and if so, your request will be handled by Article Galaxy Scholar. If not, the AGS software will route your request to ILLiad for regular interlibrary loan processing.

Step by step instructions

Is Article Galaxy Scholar available for all journal articles?

In UConn’s Article Galaxy Scholar pilot, only articles from a small number of selected journals will be eligible for the “Express PDF” service. Journals to which we subscribe will continue to be available through the Library catalog and publisher websites. Article requests from journals that we do not subscribe to outside of the small number selected for this pilot, will be fulfilled through Interlibrary Services and ILLiad as usual.

How are my articles delivered?

Once you’ve clicked on the “Request” button, check your UConn email for a message from Reprints Desk. This email contains a link to download your article.

How long does it take to receive my order?

Most articles will be delivered in an hour or less. Articles originally published in HTML will take longer.

If you do not receive your article in a timely manner, check your spam filter and add “reprintsdesk.com” to your list of permitted senders.

How long do I have access to my journal article once I receive it?

Once you are emailed your article link, you will have 30 days to download the article. Saving the article to your computer or mobile device will ensure future use after the initial 30 days have passed.

Is there a limit on how many articles I can order?

There is no limit to the number of journal articles that faculty and graduate students can request via Article Galaxy Scholar during this pilot.

Who should I contact if I run into a problem, or have questions, about Article Galaxy Scholar?

Questions about Article Galaxy Scholar should be sent to ermsupport@uconn.edu.

Who can use the Article Galaxy Scholar service?

For this pilot, UConn faculty and graduate students are eligible to use the AGS service.

Are adjunct and emeriti faculty eligible for the AGS pilot service?

Yes. All faculty, including adjunct and emeriti faculty, are eligible to use the AGS service.

I am requesting an article, but I am being directed to Interlibrary Loan. Why am I not getting the Article Galaxy Scholar Service?

During this initial pilot, only graduate students and faculty requesting an article from the small number of selected journals are eligible for the express article service. All other users are routed directly to Interlibrary Loan to receive a copy of the journal article.

Do I have to use my UConn email address with AGS?

Yes. You must enter your UConn email address to use the AGS service. If you enter a non-UConn email (for example, @gmail.com or @outlook.com), you will be prompted to enter your @uconn.edu email address instead.

How do I track my requests?

Log into your My ILLiad account Choose “View Requests,” then “All Requests” from the menu. If you have requested an item and it does not appear in your account, contact us with the item information.

How do I see my previous requests?

To help ensure your privacy, the system retains only a limited number of requests. To view your past requests, log into your My ILLiad account. Choose “View Requests,” then “Completed Requests” from the menu.

How do I cancel a request?

Please contact us with the item information including the title and the ILLiad transaction number (TN).

Where do I return my materials?

On the Storrs campus you may return your materials to the Babbidge Library, the Music & Dramatic Arts Library, or the Pharmacy Library. Materials may also be returned to any of the four regional campus libraries: Avery Point, Hartford, Stamford, or Waterbury. Materials cannot be returned to the UConn Health Center Library or Law Library at this time.

Materials can also be mailed to us at the address below. We recommend you use a service that provides tracking, as you are responsible for your item until it is received back at our office.

Interlibrary Services
UConn Library
369 Fairfield Way, U-1005-F
Storrs, CT 06269

How do I renew or clone my materials?

Renewals are at the discretion of the lending library. To request a renewal, log into MyILLiad account and locate the item under ”View Requests.”. Locate the item, choose “Actions,” and then “Renew”. If the institution does not allow for a renewal, or if you have already requested a renewal, you will not be given the option to renew, and it will be grayed out. If you still require the item, choose “Clone Request to initiate a new request for the item. Please note that you still need to return the one you currently have.

screenshot of renew menu choice

What happens if I have overdue, lost, or damaged ILLiad materials?

You are responsible for the ILLiad materials that you receive. If items are lost or damaged while in your possession, you will be billed through the Bursar’s Office for repair, replacement, or processing fees assessed by the lending library. Once an invoice has been paid to the lending library, your fines cannot be waived.