Frequently Asked Questions

What are Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery?

Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery are services provided to UNC Chapel Hill Health Affairs faculty, staff and students.

  • Interlibrary Loan obtains and delivers materials not owned by any UNC Chapel Hill library, through cooperative agreements with other libraries.
  • Document Delivery obtains and delivers materials from the collections of any UNC Chapel Hill library, making information access more convenient. Both services are managed in ILLiad.

What is ILLiad?

ILLiad is the electronic system you use for submitting any requests for articles, book chapters, or delivery of books, regardless of which library may supply the information. The name ILLiad is an acronym for InterLibrary Loan internet accessible database.

Who may use these services?

UNC Chapel Hill Health Affairs faculty, staff and students.

Does Interlibrary Loan cost anything?

You will not be charged a fee. However, it costs the HSL approximately $27.00 per item requested.

What materials may not be requested?

Many libraries will not loan entire volumes of journals, fragile materials, DVDs, or high demand materials.

Electronic books cannot be borrowed or lent via interlibrary loan. Any ILL request for an e-book will be processed as a request for a physical copy.

How long does it take?

Typical turnaround times are listed here. Plan ahead when requesting materials and supply a “Not Wanted After” date in your ILLiad request.

  • Articles (delivered electronically): 2-3 business days.
  • Books (which come through a mail service): 6-7 business days.

These times could possibly be shorter if the item is coming from a UNC-Chapel Hill library, or available through the Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN): NCSU, NCCU, or Duke. It could take longer if the requested item is difficult to locate or only held by very few libraries.

Can I request “rush” service?

All submitted requests get very prompt attention and are delivered as quickly as possible. If your request is extremely urgent (e.g., patient care emergency), please contact ILL staff directly by calling 919-966-4998.

How will I be notified when my materials arrive?

We will notify you by email when your items arrive.

How do I get my articles when they arrive?

All articles will be delivered electronically to your desktop.

  1. Logon to ILLiad.
  2. From the main menu, click the Electronically Received Articles link under the View Requests options.

A list will be displayed containing all of the items that you have waiting to be viewed or downloaded.

Where will I pick up books and other items?

Books must be picked up at the Health Sciences Library User Services Desk, unless you are a distance education student or faculty or staff based off campus.

Books can be mailed to you via the U.S. Postal Service if you live and work outside of Chapel Hill or Carrboro. If you return books via the U.S. Postal Service you are responsible for return postage.

Someone has a book checked out or it’s missing from the library’s collection. Can I still get it?

You can place a hold on a book that is checked out or missing by filling out the Request a Checked-out Book form.

You can also submit a request using ILLiad, and we will order the item from another library.

Can I request an article that has been torn out, or if the journal containing the article is at the Bindery?

Yes. In both cases we will order a request for the article from another library.

How long can I keep books I borrow through Interlibrary Loan?

The length of an item’s loan period is determined by the lending library.

May I renew a book borrowed on interlibrary loan?

Yes, but not all lending institutions will allow you to renew materials and all books are subject to recall for use by other patrons. If this should happen, you will be notified either by email or telephone.

Renewal requests must be made at least 4 days before the due date. You can usually renew only one time. Request renewal through your ILLiad account or contact ILL.

You will be charged $2.00 a day for books returned late. Late return of materials jeopardizes your ability to borrow materials.

How do I get foreign language material that is located in the Health Sciences Library Offsite Collection?

If you haven’t done so, register with the ILLiad system on the ILLiad page.

Once you have registered, login to the ILLiad system and request the article or volume there. There is no charge for materials from storage.

 

If I am disabled, how do I request an article/book chapter or book?

All materials may be requested using ILLiad. If you have questions about ILL/Document Delivery services available to you, please contact us.

What if I can’t remember my ILLiad username/password?

You can reset your password using the link under the login dialog box on the ILLiad page.

OR

Contact the ILL staff during weekday business hours:

Last modified: 01/19/21