Interlibrary Loan
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) allows borrowing of articles, books, audiovisual materials, and other resources from libraries across the United States. Avila students, faculty, and staff can place requests for materials that are unavailable through the Avila Library or MOBIUS.
Request an Interlibrary Loan
Use the appropriate form below to place your request. Use the ILL Copy Request Form to request articles, book chapters, and other materials that can be delivered electronically. Use the ILL Book Request Form to request physical books and other items that must be borrowed and returned.
Before You Submit a Request
Before submitting an Interlibrary Loan request, please check whether the Avila Library already provides access to the material you need:
If you need assistance locating a resource, please contact the library.
Frequently Asked Questions
You start the process by submitting an ILL Copy Request Form or ILL Book Request Form on this page. Avila librarians then search for a lending library, request the material on your behalf, and notify you when it is ready. Articles and book chapters are usually delivered directly to your email, while books and audiovisual materials are shipped to the library for you to pickup.
Interlibrary Loan delivery times vary depending on the type of material requested and the lending library. Requests for articles, book chapters, and other copies are often fulfilled within a week, while books and other loaned materials may take several weeks to arrive because they must be shipped to the library. To help avoid delays, check the Avila Library’s collections before submitting a request and provide as much information as possible on the request form.
It is always free to submit an Interlibrary Loan request, and most requests are fulfilled at no cost. On occasion, a lending library may require an additional fee to provide access to a requested item. In those cases, library staff will contact you and explain your options before moving forward with the request.
Please note: As with materials borrowed from the Avila Library or through MOBIUS, you may be charged repair or replacement costs if an Interlibrary Loan item is lost or returned damaged.
Interlibrary Loan can be used to request books, journal articles, book chapters, dissertations, audiovisual materials, and other resources that are unavailable through the Avila Library or MOBIUS.
Due to copyright and licensing restrictions, libraries are generally unable to provide copies of complete works such as entire eBooks or complete online journal issues, but print versions may be borrowed.
Requests are most likely to be fulfilled when they involve commonly shared formats such as journal articles and print books.
Yes, in some cases. Requests for articles and other copies are delivered electronically and can be accessed wherever you are. However, books and other loans are currently shipped to the Avila Library for pickup and return. As a result, you must be able to visit Avila’s Kansas City campus to borrow and return physical Interlibrary Loan materials.
No. While the ILL Copy Request Form and ILL Book Request Form are the main ways to submit requests, Interlibrary Loan requests may also be initiated through Search Everything and Avila’s WorldCat catalog. These forms automatically transfer citation information into your request, making the process faster and reducing the chance of errors.