Home

FAQ

Last updated: April 24, 2020

I have feedback, where can I send it?

Please let us know if you’ve got any feedback.

Who can make a request?

Only librarians who are affiliated with Academic, Public, School, or Special libraries at not-for-profit institutions can make a request.

Why do we need your institutional email address?

Interlibrary Loan activities are transactions between established libraries. So, we need to verify that a request is from a library, not from an individual. The institutional email address is a way to verify your affiliation.

Your institution does not provide an institutional email address. What can you do?

If your institution does not provide an official institutional email address, please contact ifladdrs@gmail.com with the information about your library. We will contact you.

What can you request?

We accept requests for any textual materials which can be delivered electronically. As many libraries are physically closed, the Lending libraries will find available electronic resources and will supply you as far as their usage licenses allow.

What can’t you request?

Physical delivery of an item, digital audio and visual materials.

How can you receive an item?

We are using the OCLC Article Exchange Service. It is a free service for those who requested/ordered materials. When the item is ready, you will receive an email with a link to the PDF file and password to access it. The file can be downloaded three times and will be on the server for 30 days.

How much does it cost?

The service is free of charge for borrowing libraries since this is a temporary project run by volunteering librarians and institutions.

How long will it take to get a requested item?

We will try to supply the item as soon as possible. If we cannot find an available item within one week, we will send you a notification.

How long with this last?

This service is a pilot project run by and dependent upon volunteers. Our intention is to continue this service for at least as long as access to library collections is restricted in any part of the world. The expectation is to maintain this service through August 31, 2020, at which point it will be reviewed based on three criteria:

  1. Do current global conditions allow librarians to access collections and resume normal information delivery services?
  2. Was this service able to successfully deliver resources to those in need?
  3. Do we have volunteers that are willing to continue to participate in the program?

Who should you contact if you have other questions?

Please use ifladdrs@gmail.com to ask other questions.