Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary loan (ILL) is a resource sharing service that allows our users to borrow items that we do not own or subscribe to from another library.

ILL is a free service for students and employees in the School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS) and the College of Nursing & Professional Disciplines (CNPD).

Login to Interlibrary Loan

Sign up for an account

You must register for an ILLiad account before you can request resources. If you are new to SMHS or CNPD and/or have never used our ILLiad request system, register first using the steps below.

1. Access the registration page.
2. Review the guidelines and terms, particularly the "About your Username and Password" and "Important Copyright Information" sections.
3. Use the "First Time Users Click Here" button to move on to the registration form. Note that doing so acknowledges that you have read and accept the terms of service.
4. Complete all required fields.
5. Use the "Submit Information" button at the bottom of the page to submit your responses.

Request items

Turnaround time for requests can vary. Please allow a minimum of three to five (3-5) days, which is our typical requirement for journal article (PDF) requests. Physical items require more processing and shipping time, so please expect up to two weeks (14 days) for receipt.

To request items, you may log in to your ILLiad account and use the "New Request" menu links. This allows you to enter item information for specific types of resources, such as articles, books, book chapters, theses, conference papers, etc.

Delivery

Articles will normally be delivery electronically (by PDF) to your ILLiad account inbox. Physical item delivery (books, etc.) varies by campus:

• Grand Forks: Items intended for Grand Forks users will be sent to SMHS Library Resources, where they can be picked up from the circulation desk.
• Clinical campuses (Fargo, Bismarck, and Minot) and distance students: Physical items will be shipped directly to your postal address. We cover the outbound shipping costs to you as well as costs to return the item to the lender.

Delivery delays

In addition to shipping times for physical items, there may be other delays in delivery requests:

• Rare resource: If few libraries subscribe to or own the item, it may be hard to find one willing to lend.
• Few/no free lenders: We attempt to request from free lenders first.
• Processing challenges: High-volume lenders may require more time due to the heavy volume of their requests.

Contact

If you experience issues with ILL functions, please contact our interlibrary loan manager.