Library

Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

Go to Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Request Forms

Use Interlibrary Loan (ILL) to request books, articles, book chapters, and other resources not held by Reed Library. We work with other libraries around the world to bring you what you need, and we cover the costs.

ILL is a service for current Reed students, faculty, staff, and emeritus faculty. We will decline requests that would violate copyright law. We cannot borrow whole ebooks nor streaming video/audio.

Need help or have ILL questions? Write to Interlibrary-Loan@reed.edu.

How to request materials

Fill out the Interlibrary Loan form with publication information to send a request. Please fill out separate requests for each item you would like to borrow, and add as much information as you can. Let us know specific volume numbers for titles with multiple items.

You can use the library catalog, WorldCat, library databases, or Google Scholar to search for materials held by libraries worldwide. Then, follow Reed links to autofill the interlibrary loan forms.

Arrival of materials & notification

Check the status of your requests in My Library Card/Requests. 

Can't find your request? Some requests will appear in ILLiad if we cannot fill them through the standard ILL process.

Physical materials

The average length of time to receive a print book or other physical item requested through ILL is 7-21 business days. You will be notified at your Reed email when your ILL holds are available for pick up at the Library Circulation desk.

Digital materials

Requests for articles, book chapters, and other digital materials will typically be available in 1 business day. You will be notified at your Reed email when your materials are ready to download as a PDF.

Loan periods & renewals

Loan periods are set by the lending library. A slip informing you of the due date and any other restrictions placed by the lending library will be taped to a band around the front cover of the book.

Some lending libraries will renew ILL books if the request is made before the item is due. Find renewal options at My Library Card/Loans under your checked out item.

Please return ILL books on time. Lending libraries may refuse to lend to a library that is consistently late in returning books.

Fees

The library covers shipping and other fees. Overdue or lost book charges might apply. Replacement costs are set by the lending library, which also determines when a book will be billed as lost. If a book is returned after you have paid a replacement fee we will refund the fee if the lending library refunds the fee to us.

ILLiad

ILLiad will remain available to support requests that cannot be filled with the standard ILL process.