Interlibrary Loan - Requesting Content

Let's say you're doing research and need an article or book, but Beatley Library doesn't have it. Don't worry - we can still get it to you using Interlibrary Loan (or ILL for short)!

ILL is a service that shares materials with other libraries, allowing their users to have access to resources their library would not normally provide themselves.

Click on the arrow icons below to navigate forward or back through this tutorial (i.e. Now click the RIGHT arrow icon below to move to the next step).

Getting Started: Logging in to ILL

Scroll down while on the library homepage until you see a section labeled 'Quick Links.' Select the Interlibrary Loan hyperlink, and you will be taken to the Simmons Interlibrary Loan login page. Alternatively, you can use/bookmark the following URL for quick access to this page: https://simmons.libguides.com/ILL

 

On the ILL LibGuide, you'll notice a list of topics on the right side of the page. We created these topics based off of ILL frequently asked questions. For example, clicking on "Delivery of Materials" will overview where and how to access your item requests.

Getting Started: Logging in to ILL (cont.)

Click on the Log In button to access your ILL account. Here, you'll be asked to enter your standard Simmons login credentials.

After you've logged in, click the RIGHT arrow icon to continue.

You're Logged In!

Great! From here, you can see a number of hyperlinks from 'Requests' to 'Profile' and so on.

At the top of the page, you'll also notice links to a library Advanced Search and more Resources.

In the Resources drop-down menu, you can refer back to the ILL LibGuide at any time more information about the ILL process.

But for right now, let's focus on getting you resources that the library doesn't have.

Let's start by clicking the Create Request button.

Once you've done this, click the RIGHT arrow icon below to continue.

Requesting a Book

In the create a request menu bar, select Book.

Once you've done this, click the RIGHT arrow icon below to continue.

Requesting a Book (cont.)

This is where you go if you need a book that the library doesn't have.

Fill in the required fields about the book you're looking for (title, author, and delivery options) and any other relevant information you have.

While you don’t need to fill in every single field, the more information you provide will make it that much easier for ILL staff find the book you’re looking for.

For example, the ISBN is EXTREMELY helpful and makes it easier for ILL staff to process your request! You can often find the ISBN by looking at the book on Amazon, scrolling down to Product Details, and copying it - like shown below. (Note: Either ISBN10 or ISBN13 should work, but we typically use ISBN10).

When you've finished entering in all the information about the book you want, scroll down the page and click on the Submit Request button. Please just click on this button once to avoid duplicate requests.

You will receive an email notification when the book is available.

In your ILL account homepage, you can view and check the status of your item request(s).

Let's move on to covering the most common type of ILL request!

Click on the RIGHT arrow icon below to continue.

Requesting an Article

If you were to click on the Create Request button again, and select Articles and Book Chapters (instead of the Book link you just used), you would be asked for a lot of specific details about the article you're requesting.

Even if certain fields aren't required, finding specific articles requires a lot more information about them that can be time consuming to find, even for ILL staff.

You could find and fill that info in if you know exactly what you're looking for, but there's a MUCH EASIER alternative, which we'll show you in the next step of the tutorial.

Go to the library homepage by clicking on the Simmons University Library logo in the top left corner of the page. Alternatively, you can also copy and paste this link in your search bar:

https://www.simmons.edu/library

 

Click the RIGHT arrow key below to continue.

Requesting an Article (cont.)

In the Library Search bar on the library homepage, copy and paste the below article title:

Racial Abstraction and Species Difference: Anthropomorphic Animals in "Multicultural" Children's Literature

Click on the Search button.

If you are off campus, click on the banner at the top of the page: "Welcome, Guest. Sign in to your institution for full access to your library's resources."

Sign in using your Simmons login.

Once you've done this, click the RIGHT arrow icon below to continue.

Requesting an Article (cont.)

Now that you're logged in, scroll through your search results until you find the article (it should be near the top):

Racial Abstraction and Species Difference: Anthropomorphic Animals in "Multicultural" Children's Literature

Right below the article title, click on the Access Options button. Select Click here for Full Text from the drop-down menu.

You will be redirected to a page with the following access options pictured below...

Select Request via Interlibrary Loan. You will automatically be taken to the ILL Article and Book Chapters request page we mentioned earlier in this tutorial.

You'll notice, however, that by going through each of these steps, all of the required fields have automatically been filled in for you.

Talk about saving time! You can now scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the Submit Request button. You will receive an email notification when the article is available.

Please note that it usually takes MUCH less time for you to get an article than to get a book (articles appear in your ILL account as PDF files).

Click on the RIGHT arrow icon below to finish this tutorial.

Tip: You can use this trick for ILL book requests too, not just articles and chapters!

TUTORIAL COMPLETE

Now you know how to request books and articles that the Beatley Library doesn't have using Interlibrary Loan!

If you have any questions or comments about making requests with ILL, other ILL topics, or this tutorial, do not hesitate to ask.

By clicking the RIGHT arrow icon below one last time, you'll see a link asking "What did you think of this tutorial?" Fill in your information and let us know what questions, comments, or concerns you have.

Thank you for taking this tutorial!

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