The time it takes to fill a request depends on the rarity of the material and where it is located. Requests sent out of state take longer to fulfill. Hard copies located in the Southeast and all items delivered digitally should be available within five business days.
The time needed to search, process, and receive a response for each request is usually between two and four business days. Due to journal embargoes and the nature of circulating books there are no guarantees that your request can be filled. We will let you know in a timely manner if your request cannot be filled.
Please note: The demand for interlibrary loans increases a few weeks before midterms and finals. While our staff always strives to process each request as quickly as possible, some slowdown may occur. You should request early and request often!
Office Location: Collier Library, 2nd Floor
Phone: (256) 765-4308
Email: ill@una.edu
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CST
Interlibrary loan is a service for obtaining materials that are not available in the University of North Alabama libraries. Materials needed for study and research, such as books, government publications, dissertations, and journal articles may be borrowed from other libraries.
How many requests may I submit? You are asked to utilize local resources before requesting materials from other libraries, but there are no limits on the amount of items you can request!
How do I see if UNA owns the material? Check UNA's online catalog to see if the desired material is already in the University's print or electronic collection. Search "Periodicals Holdings" to determine if an article is available as full-text in a database. If you are uncertain about other materials useful to your research, ask a librarian for help.
How do I submit an interlibrary loan request? Login to your ILL account using your portal login. After setting up your contact information, select the appropriate form for the item you need. Fill out the form as accurately and completely as possible to prevent any delays in processing.
How am I notified about interlibrary loan requests? By default you will only be contacted via the official form of university communication: your UNA email address. You can opt-in to text message notifications. As soon as your request arrives you will receive a notification with information on how to access your interlibrary loan. Make sure to monitor your spam/junk folder in case our emails are sent there. If this happens, add us to your "trusted sender list".
How do I renew an ILL? Login to your ILL account, locate the appropriate loan, and click "Renew".
What if I don't receive my interlibrary loan? Make sure to check your email and monitor your request status via your ILL account. If there is no status change within a week or no delivery with two weeks, contact us!
Any request filled internally, without the assistance of other libraries, is considered a "Document Delivery" request. These could be open/free/institutional access journals, dissertations we acquire directly from the author, scans from books we already own, etc.
Document Delivery requests are fulfilled and provided to the user in the same exact way as interlibrary loans.
