Interlibrary Loans - Tips and Suggestions

Check the library catalog very carefully to be sure that the material needed is not owned by the library or available electronically through any of the library databases. Articles may also be located in the Ingenta database.
Check to see if the item is available through ALLIES (books only). ALLIES provides a much quicker turnaround time compared to ILL.

Try to provide the most complete citation information you can. Spell out all abbreviations, help is available at the Reference desk (4-1737)

If possible, list the source of your citation. For example If the article you are requesting was found in the MLA database, indicate this on the form. If we have problems we can double check the citation.

Give complete and accurate information about yourself. If you are requesting campus delivery, provide us with your address.

Try to include some specialized identifiers for certain items. For journal articles, the ISSN (International Standard Serial Number) can help ILL staff searchers zero in on a title. For dissertations and theses, always give the degree granting institution, the degree, and the year granted.

Allow plenty of time to get all of your ILL materials. Delivery time normally ranges from one to three weeks, depending on many factors. It can take much longer, however. Please plan ahead.

Please call or email the ILL department with any questions about your requests. 844-1735 or illhelp@auburn.edu.

Last Updated: May 11, 2012