Frequently Asked Questions about ILLiad and Interlibrary Loan

Using Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery

How does Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery work?

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) allows you to obtain materials from other libraries. A request for materials from other TTUHSC libraries is known as Document Delivery. Requests for both may be made through an online request portal, known as ILLiad. Books and other “returnable” materials are picked up at, and should only be returned to, your selected Library Service Desk. Copy requests (e.g. articles and book chapters) will be posted as PDFs to your ILLiad account. .

Who can use ILLiad? services?

We do not provide department or proxy accounts. Each individual may have one account. Do not allow other people to use your account, as you alone are responsible for all items on your account. For legal reasons, including copyright and license agreements, you must be the end user of the item, and it should be used for academic research purposes.

How do I create a username and password?

Return to the ILLiad home page and click the "First Time Users" link, where you may review terms and conditions and proceed with creating a new account. Usernames are case-sensitive and may be any unique value of your choosing, up to 100 characters. Passwords must be at least eight characters long and contain a lowercase letter, an uppercase letter, and a number.

How long does it take for books and articles to arrive?

It depends on where we have to go to obtain them. We are able to fill up to 80% of our article requests within 2 working days. The remaining 20% can take up to several weeks to fill, especially hard-to-locate items. Books take a minimum of 4 working days depending on several factors including the obscurity of the citation, the popularity of the title, and the speed of the mail.

Request Status Explanations

1. AWAITING REQUEST PROCESSING: We are attempting to locate a source to fill your request.
2. ON ORDER: Your request has been sent to another library asking them to supply it.
3. READY TO PICK UP: Your item can be picked up at your designated Library's Service Desk and we have sent you an email with that message. We will typically hold it for 2 weeks, unless it is subject to an abbreviated loan period or recalled by the lending library. If you cannot get to the library that soon, please contact us and we will be happy to hold the item longer for you.
4. DELIVERED TO WEB: Your article has been scanned and is stored on the server, ready for you to log on to your ILLiad account and retrieve it. It will remain on the server for 30 days. It is best practice, however, to retrieve it as soon as it is available and then save it somewhere safe so that you do not lose access to it. Due to copyright laws, items cannot be re-requested after the 30 day limit.
5. CHECKED OUT TO CUSTOMER: You have the item.
6. RECALLED – PLEASE RETURN: The lending library has requested that the item be returned to them. It is unfortunate. However, the due date has been moved up, and you must bring the item back. You can request it again if you still need it.
7. BLOCKED: Your ILLiad account has been blocked. Please contact us if you have questions about this status.

Copyright and Licensing

Why was my request cancelled “due to copyright restrictions”?

We fully comply with all provisions of Title 17, United States Code (Section 108C). This institution reserves the right to cancel requests that we deem to be in potential violation of copyright law. In addition, we and our lending partners must comply with the licensing agreements that are associated with all electronic resources including journal databases and e-books.

What happened to my articles/chapters?

PDF copies are retained for 30 days and automatically deleted to comply with copyright requirements concerning electronic storage. It is best to retrieve them as soon as they are available and then save them somewhere safe so that you do not lose access to them. Due to copyright laws, additional copies may not be able to be re-requested after the 30 day limit.

Required fields and incomplete citations

What does “unable to verify your request as cited” mean?

Incomplete citations make it difficult for us to provide what you need. Every form has required fields that are the minimum needed in order to research your request. It is best to fill in all of the fields. Please note: the auto-population of data fields by the Library’s catalog into the ILLiad request forms does not always work. Sometimes data is missing or in the wrong fields. Please check every field for accuracy before submitting the request. Your ability to provide a full, complete citation will directly affect our chances of finding a source to fill your request. Requests that contain incomplete or incorrect citations may be cancelled.

Renewals

May I renew my ILL item?

Our ILL department has no control over the ability to renew an item. Most of our lending libraries do not allow renewals. Please check your book band. If it says “Yes” in the “Renewals considered?” field, this simply means that we can ask on your behalf. It does not guarantee a renewal and we will contact you with the lending library's response. The optimal time to ask for a renewal is 2 days prior to the due date. Once a book is overdue, it may not be renewed.

How do I request a renewal?

Log on to your ILLiad account. On the left side of the screen under View, click on "Renew & Review Loans." From this list, click on the underlined transaction number link, located to the left of the title. If a renewal request will be considered, "Renew Request" will appear above the transaction information. Click on this link. The message "Item renewed with a due date of xx/xx/20XX" will appear. The book is temporarily renewed for one week while we wait for the lending library to respond. Doing this 1 to 2 days prior to the due date will help ensure the maximum time allowed if the request is approved.

Videos/DVDs/CDs

May I request videos, DVDs and CDs?

Requests for popular videos, DVDs and CDs can be difficult to source and may be returned unfilled. Remember that requests may only be made for materials necessary for your academic research purposes and not for personal entertainment. Keep in mind that the loan period is usually one week or less, and these materials are often restricted by the lending library to remain in TTUHSC Library.

Newspapers

How do I obtain newspapers and articles from newspapers?

Many newspapers are online or in databases for which the library has subscriptions. Please check there first. If not, we can try to obtain what you need. Please use the “Article” request form and use the notes field to indicate the dates you would like. Lending libraries often don’t carry all publication dates, so they will send what they have (and often only a few reels at a time). We can then try for unfilled dates in a new, separate request. If you are looking for a particular article or obituary from a newspaper, provide us with the exact date (month, day, year).

Loan Periods, Overdue Books, and Blocked Accounts

How long may I keep my ILL items?

The loan period for borrowed books and other items is determined by the lending library. It varies from library to library and for types of requests. Your due date can be found in the transaction record in your ILLiad account and on the book band.  

What if my item is overdue?

 It is extremely important that ILL items are returned on time. Overdue notices are sent to the email account you provided during registration. First, second, and third notices are sent individually. On the third notice, your ILLiad account is automatically blocked, open requests are cancelled and books already on hold are returned. Similarly, many of our lending partners will block us from borrowing from them again until all overdue items have been returned and fines have been paid. This is detrimental to our ability to serve our campus.

Once an item is overdue, you are subject to non-refundable fines. These fines are assessed by both the lending library and our ILL department. They tend to run between $150 and $250, and will be applied to your TTUHSC Bursar’s account. This will inhibit your ability to register for classes, receive transcripts, and use any library services on campus. A pattern of having overdue items may result in the suspension of ILL privileges, altogether.

Why is my ILLiad account blocked?

Accounts are blocked for a number of reasons. Most often, they are blocked because of overdue items. Accounts are blocked if a patron is no longer enrolled or employed at TTUHSC. We also block accounts that have incorrect or incomplete patron information or if we are unable to contact a patron to resolve an issue. Please contact us if you have questions concerning your blocked account.

Instructions for Other Libraries

Libraries that wish to place an ILL request with us should use the OCLC or Docline systems. Our OCLC symbol is TXHSL and our Docline symbol is TXUTTE. We do not handle phone or e-mailed requests and will refer you back to the ILLiad web pages. All requests are processed within 24 hours of receipt during regular business hours.

Whom do I contact if I have problems with, or questions about ILLiad and Interlibrary Loan services?

Call the Interlibrary Loan office at (915) 215-4308 or e-mail illep@ttuhsc.edu. Our normal office hours are M – F, 8 to 5.