Interlibrary Loan

If your materials are checked out to another person or not owned by Northwestern, you may be able to borrow them from another library. Interlibrary loan (ILL) materials can be picked up and returned to the circulation desks and book drops.

You can see the status of open requests in your account.

Interlibrary Loan Details

Cost: Free
Eligible patrons: Northwestern faculty, students and staff with a valid NetID
Loan period: Set by lending library; often 16 weeks
Turnaround time: Standard turnaround time is 7-10 days. If we have difficulty fulfilling a request, we will email you.

Multiple Ways to Request an Interlibrary Loan

Search Library Catalog

Sign into your account with your NetID by clicking the link at the top of the library catalog
Search the library catalog for the item
Under "Get It", choose "Request Interlibrary Loan"
Submit the request

Search Other Libraries

Search worldwide catalog of other libraries
Under "Access Options", choose "Request Through NUL Interlibrary Loan"
Log in to your interlibrary loan account with your NetID
Submit the request

Submit an ILL Request

Log in to your interlibrary loan account with your NetID
Under "Place a Request", choose book or multimedia
Fill out as much citation information as possible; more information can speed along fulfillment