An Inside Look at Interlibrary Loan

I’ve worked in academic libraries large and small, and they all have one thing in common: they do not (and cannot) possibly provide access to every resource students and researchers need, at least not on their own. After all, the number of new books published each year is estimated to be in the millions.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a resource-sharing solution that allows libraries to lend publications to one another for individual use. It ensures that students and researchers are not limited to what sits on a single campus shelf.

Samuel S. Green, a librarian at the Worcester (Massachusetts) Free Public Library, recognized this problem more than 140 years ago. Forty-two years after his initial proposal for “an agreement…[for libraries] to lend books to each other for short periods of time,”[1] the American Library Association (ALA) established a national system and code to facilitate this sharing.[2]

Since then, Interlibrary Loan services have supported public, academic, and special libraries—expanding not just nationwide, but globally.

For graduate students and faculty conducting exhaustive research, Interlibrary Loan makes it possible to investigate the full scope of scholarly literature. So how exactly does Interlibrary Loan work at the University of the Cumberlands?

How to Use Interlibrary Loan (ILL) at UC

Step One: Verify the resource is not available in UC Search

Interlibrary Loan is intended for materials that are not already accessible through UC Search or the University of the Cumberlands’ existing library subscriptions.

Some items are not eligible for ILL due to licensing or preservation restrictions, including:

• Testing and survey instruments
• Certain measurement tools
• Rare books or non-circulating materials
• Textbooks

If the resource is unavailable through UC’s holdings and eligible for lending, ILL is the next step.

Step Two: Gather Complete Citation Information

To submit an Interlibrary Loan request, you will need accurate bibliographic information.

Depending on the material type, this may include:

• Title
• Author
• Publication date
• Publisher
• Journal title
• Volume and issue number
• ISBN or ISSN
• DOI

The more complete your citation details, the faster your request can be processed and filled.

Step Three: Submit the Appropriate Interlibrary Loan Request Form

The University of the Cumberlands provides different ILL request forms based on the type of material needed:

• Journal Articles or Conference Proceedings → Use the Interlibrary Loan Article Request Form
• Book Chapters or Essays from Edited Volumes → Use the Book Chapter/Essay Request Form
• Entire Books → Use the Book Request Form

Selecting the correct form helps streamline processing and ensures your request reaches the appropriate lending channels.

Step Three: Retrieve Your Materials

Delivery methods vary depending on your location and the type of material requested.

• Students in Whitley County can pick up physical books at Grover M. Hermann Library.
• Books are mailed to faculty, staff, and students who reside outside Whitley County, Kentucky, and do not regularly visit campus.
• Mailed materials must be returned to the library by the due date, either in person or via mail (at the patron’s expense).
• Journal articles, book chapters, and essays are delivered electronically as PDF files to the patron’s UC email address.

Interlibrary Loan FAQs

Is there a charge for Interlibrary Loan?

No. Interlibrary Loan is free for all University of the Cumberlands students, faculty, and staff.

However, if an ILL item is lost or damaged, the lending library determines the replacement fee. All replacement fees charged by the lending library, plus a $15.00 processing and service fee, will be charged to the user’s account in the UC Bursar’s Office.

How long does Interlibrary Loan take?

Delivery times depend on the item type, availability, and lending library.

• Articles, book chapters, and essays (PDF) typically arrive within 2–5 business days.
• Physical book loans generally take 2–3 weeks.

Can I renew an Interlibrary Loan book?

Some materials are eligible for renewal.

• Renewals are generally extended by two weeks, with a maximum request of four weeks.
• Please allow 3–5 days for renewal requests to be processed.
• The lending library determines whether renewal requests are approved.
• ILL staff will notify you via email if your request is granted or declined.

Renewals are not guaranteed.

What if I have more questions?

More information about Interlibrary Loan is available at: https://ucumberlands.libguides.com/ILL.

You may also contact the library directly at 606-539-4329 or use the Ask a Librarian chat or email service.

Why Interlibrary Loan Still Matters

No academic library can own everything. But through Interlibrary Loan, access is expanded far beyond one institution’s collection.

For students conducting literature reviews, graduate research, or faculty scholarship, ILL ensures that the limits of a single catalog do not become limits on inquiry.

[1] Green, Samuel (1876). "The Lending of Books to One Another by Libraries" Library Journal, 15 (16).

[2] Stabler, K. (1982). A Brief History of Interlibrary Loan with Special Reference to Indiana. Indiana Libraries, 2, 42-53.