Interlibrary Loan & Document Delivery

Books, electronic copies of book chapters, articles, and other items for your research. You can also request items we own if they are checked out or missing. Textbooks are not available through ILL.

How long does it take?

Physical items (books, etc.) may take 2-3 weeks.

Electronic copies of book chapters and articles from other libraries usually arrive in 1-3 days

1. From the library homepage, click the My Accounts icon.
2. Log in to your Interlibrary Loan account.
3. Click the Add Request tab and select the type of item you are requesting from the dropdown menu.
4. Complete the request with as much citation information as you have. Including an ISBN or ISSN will speed up processing time.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the form to add any notes you have and submit your request.

You can also make and Interlibrary Loan request in the online search catalog by selecting a title and clicking "Request Item Through Interlibrary Loan". The citation information will automatically transfer to the request form.

Video tutorial: Finding Articles with a Citation

To check on the status of your request, or make sure it’s properly submitted, click My Requests.

Some physical ILL materials can be renewed - check the printout attached to your book for notes about renewal limits.

If you want to renew an eligible ILL, you can request one renewal through your ILL Account before the due date.

1. Go to the Checked Out Items section of your ILL account.
2. Click the Actions button for the item you want to renew and request a renewal. If this option is not available please contact interlibraryloan@charlotte.edu for help.
3. Additional renewals cannot be made through your account, contact the ILL office and we'll submit a renewal on your behalf when possible.

We will not charge overdue fines if you have requested a renewal and we are waiting for a response from the lending library.

Most borrowed items can be returned at these locations:

• The Research and Information Desk in Atkins Library (Atkins main floor map)
• The Circulation Desk at Hight Architecture Library in the Storrs Building
• In book drops around campus (campus map)

Overdue ILLs, DVDs, CDs or fragile items should be returned at the Atkins Research and Information Desk to avoid additional fines and damage. 

You'll receive an email when your requested item is available. Please be sure to activate your UNC Charlotte email account and check for arrival notices. Let us know by phone or email if you no longer need something you requested.

Physical Items (books, etc.)

• Pick up physical items at the Information and Research Desk. You'll be asked to show your UNC           Charlotte ID to pick up items. ILLs are held for pickup until the due date.
• Faculty and staff can have items sent to their office through campus mail. Select "Office Delivery"         in your ILL account profile. Delivery may take a few days.
• Books for Distance Ed students will be sent to their home address via UPS. 
• Select "Home Delivery" in your ILL account profile.

Articles and Book Chapters

• You will receive an email when your digital copy is available.
• Download articles and book chapters from the Electronically Received Articles section of your               Interlibrary Loan account.

Overdue fines

• Fines for overdue ILL materials are $1.00 per day (no maximum).
• Fines for overdue ILL items that have been recalled are $5.00 per day (no maximum).
• Not returning your interlibrary loan items by the due date will result in your Interlibrary Loan account being blocked. This is also true for any intentional damage to books such as underlining or highlighting.

Damaged or Lost Loans

Replacement fees for lost or damaged items are set by the lending library, and may be greater than the item's retail price. Fines for lost or damaged ILLs are non-refundable.

Document Delivery is a free service for students, faculty, and staff of UNC Charlotte, where we’ll scan an article or a book chapter that we own in print for you. Typical delivery time will be within 24 hours. All copies are delivered electronically.

Guidelines for Document Delivery  Requests:

• You can request one chapter from a book.
• 35 page maximum.
• Provide a complete and accurate bibliographic description (Title, Author, Pages, etc.) of the requested material. 
• You are responsible for using materials in accordance with Copyright Law (Title 17, US Code) and its guidelines. See the Copyright and Fair Use guide for assistance.
• You are responsible for conducting your own Fair Use Analysis

You are responsible for using materials in accordance with Copyright Law (Title 17, US Code) and its guidelines. See the Copyright and Fair Use guide for more information.

You may contact our Copyright & Licensing Librarian, Arnetta Girardeau for assistance.

• Textbooks assigned to current UNC Charlotte courses
• Test material
• Boxes of archival papers
• Maps (stand alone)
• E-books (are generally not available)
• Rare Books (held in Special Collections)
• Reference Books (held in Reference Collections)
• Entire journal issues
• Publication requirements of a particular journal
• Material needed for reserve use (copyright violation)
• Material recently borrowed and returned for the same individual
• Requests that don’t comply with the Copyright Law (Title 17, US code) and its guidelines
• Incomplete or incorrect citations

Hard-to-Obtain Requests

Since most libraries don’t lend the following materials, these items may not be available through ILL:

• Rare or valuable material, including manuscripts
• High demand material (best sellers, newly published, etc.)
• Reference books, audiovisual materials and genealogy works
• Bulky or fragile material
• Media such as DVDs and CDs