Interlibrary Loan is a service for Cornell faculty, staff, and registered students. Interlibrary Loan allows our users to borrow physical materials from other libraries and universities, as well as copies of articles or chapters from titles that are not held by Cornell University Library.
Book can also be borrowed through Borrow Direct. Copies of articles and chapters from titles held by Cornell can be requested using ScanIt. Institutions and individuals not affiliated with Cornell should see the Interlibrary Loans for Non-Cornelians page for details about policies and charges.
What can be requested on Interlibrary Loan?
- Books and multi-volume works
- Conference proceedings
- Dissertations
- Audiovisual material (videos, DVDs)
- Selected bound journal volumes
- Microfilm
- Microfiche
- Selected articles from journals
- Selected book chapters
- Other miscellaneous formats
Is there a fee to use Interlibrary Loan?
Interlibrary Loan and ScanIt are free for Cornell faculty, staff, and registered students.
Can I request a book that is held at Cornell but currently checked out?
Yes! If you submit a request for a loan of an item that Cornell has but is currently checked out, your request will first go to Borrow Direct. If the material you need is not available from Borrow Direct, your request will be submitted to Interlibrary Loan. However, in some cases it may be faster to recall the Cornell copy. If you recall the Cornell copy, please contact the Interlibrary Loan office to cancel your request.
Items held in the Cornell Library that are on Reserve or in Reference may not be borrowed on Interlibrary Loan.
How long will it take to get the items I requested on Interlibrary Loan?
Loan requests will first go to Borrow Direct, where most items will arrive within 4 working days. If not available in Borrow Direct, the book will be requested on Interlibrary Loan. Loans requested on Interlibrary Loan will arrive in one to two weeks, but in some cases may take longer. Most articles are received in two to three business days. If you have any questions about the status of your request, please contact our Interlibrary Loan team at olin-ils@conell.edu or, for Cornell Law School faculty, staff, and students, email law-ils@cornell.edu.
How long can I borrow Interlibrary Loan items?
Most ILL items are checked out to your Cornell Library account for a standard eight week loan with the possibility of one 8 week renewal, for a total of 16 weeks. However, based on the lending library’s policy, this may be different. Differences in loan period will be indicated on the band with a “No Renewals” note.
Can I renew my Interlibrary Loan?
Most Interlibrary Loan material will have one eight-week renewal. Exceptions to this will be indicated on the band by a “No Renewals” note.
Renewals should be done through My Account.
How do I cancel my request if I no longer need the material?
If you no longer need the item you requested, please email olin-ils@cornell.edu.
How do I register for Interlibrary Loan?
The first time you use Borrow Direct, Interlibrary Loan and ScanIt you will be asked to register. This is a one-time registration. During your registration you will be asked to select your Interlibrary Loan unit: Olin Library or Law Library. Only Law School faculty, staff, and students should select the Law Library. All other schools should choose Olin Library.
If you have any further questions or can’t find what you need, please ask a librarian, or contact any Interlibrary Loan office directly. Staff are happy to answer any questions via email, phone or in-person.
Olin Library
(607) 255-9564
olin-ils@cornell.edu
Law Library
(607) 255-5750
law-ils@cornell.edu