Interlibrary Loan Help Guide: Requesting Items

1. When you have searched the FAU catalog and found we do not have the item you are looking for, it is possible one of the other State University Libraries may have a copy. To check, you should click on Show - items that you can request statewide. This will be under your search box but above your list of local results.

2. Scan the list of materials to see if they have the item that you want. If you see it, click on the Title of the item you want.

3. Click on the UBorrow symbol below the Title.

4. Sign onto you FAU Library Account. Enter your 14 digit Owl Card number (without the A) and your birth month and day (MMDD - e.g. enter 0304 for March 4th). Then click on sign in.

5. Choose your Pickup Location from the drop down menu and click Place Request.

6. Your UBorrow Request has now been placed. As soon as it is ready for you to pick up, you will receive an email.  If you have any problems placing your request, please contact the ILL Office or the Circulation Department for help.

Key Points

• UBorrow will only allow you to borrow books; other types of materials (ex. eBooks, CD's, DVD's...) are not eligible. You must put in a request via you ILL Account for alternate materials.

• If your UBorrow request is canceled because there are no libraries able to lend you the item, you can put in a new request via your ILL Account and ILL staff will try to locate a copy from a library outside of the State University Library system. You will receive a cancelation email with a link to your ILL Account. Once you log into your account, the request form should be filled automatically with the item's information; all you will need to do is hit Submit.

• UBorrow requests can be renewed one time only. You may put in a renewal request the week before it is due.

• If you have a UBorrow item out and you would like to get another copy of it, you will need to return the item before you can put in a new UBorrow request. Or you can put in an ILL request for the item via your ILL Account.

• PBSC - South Campus students must use the UBorrow services from their home institution. You are only eligible for FAU ILL Services via your FAU ILL Account.

ARTICLES: 

1. To check to see if you have access to the Article you need from the FAU Library, we recommend you do a quick search via OneSearch on the FAU Library webpage first. Type in the Title of the Article you need in the OneSearch search box the hit Enter.

2. If we do not hold the item electronically, you can also search the FAU Catalog to see if we have a hard copy of the journal or book. If you cannot find your Article, you can place an ILL Request for the item. You will need to log onto your ILL Account to place your request.

3. Once you are logged on, to place a new request click on Article under the New Request section from the left hand column.

4. Enter in as much information as you have on the Article (each request must be one single article), then scroll to the bottom of the request and click SUBMIT REQUEST. Note: Items with a red asterisk (*) have to be filled out.

5. Your ILL Request has now been sent for processing by ILL Staff.

• You will receive an email notification to let you know when your Request has been filled and is ready to be downloaded.
• If ILL Staff are unable to fill your Request, you will receive an email notification.
• If you have any problems placing your Request, please contact the ILL Office for help.

BOOK CHAPTERS: 

1. To check to see if you have access to the Book Chapter you need from the FAU Library, we recommend you do a quick search for the Title of the book in the FAU Catalog to see if we have a hard or eBook copy of the book. If you cannot find your book, you can place an ILL Request for the item. You will need to log onto your ILL Account to place your request.

2. Once you are logged on, to place a new request click on Book Chapter under the New Request section from the left hand column.

3. Enter in as much information as you have on the Book Chapter (each request must be one single book chapter), then scroll to the bottom of the request and click SUBMIT REQUEST. Note: Items with a red asterisk (*) have to be filled out.

5. Your ILL Request has now been sent for processing by ILL Staff.

• You will receive an email notification to let you know when your Request has been filled and is ready to be downloaded.
• If ILL Staff are unable to fill your Request, you will receive an email notification.
• If you have any problems placing your Request, please contact the ILL Office for help.

Key Points

• For faster service be sure to include:
  • The title of the journal (no abbreviations)
  • The year
  • The ISSN (the unique 8 digit number used to identify a print or electronic journal)
  • If you do not know the above information, you can contact the Reference Desk at 561-297-3785 or leave your request as is and ILL Staff will review it. Just note that this can add time to processing your request.

• Please remember that each request can only be for a single article or book chapter.
  • If you need more than two chapters or multiple articles from the same volume of a journal, the only way ILL Staff may be able to fill your requests could be to borrow the book/volume for you.
  • ILL Staff must follow the CONTU Guidelines (p18) which sets legal limits on how much we are permitted to copy and when copyright payments are required to be paid.

• The ILL Office works hard to fill your requests at little to no cost to you. However, some lenders will only provide materials for a fee. Items published within the last five years may also require a copyright fee to be paid for use. Any costs over the amount subsidized by FAU for each request will have to be paid by the patron. We will not charge your account without your written preapproval.

You are able to place requests to borrow materials not owned by the FAU Library:

1. If you search the FAU Catalog and find that we do not have the item you want or our copy is not available, you can put in an ILL Request via your ILL Account and ILL Staff will try find a copy for you to borrow from another library.

2. You will need to log onto your ILL Account to place your request.

3. Once you are logged on, to place a new request click on Book under the New Request section from the left hand column.

4. Enter in as much information as you have on the item you are requesting, then scroll to the bottom of the request and click SUBMIT REQUEST. Note: Items with a red asterisk (*) have to be filled out.

5. Your ILL Request has now been sent for processing by ILL Staff.

• You will receive an email notification to let you know when your Request has been received by ILL Staff from them lending library.
• If ILL Staff are unable to fill your Request, you will receive an email notification.
• If you have any problems placing your Request, please contact the ILL Office for help.

Key Points

• For faster service be sure to include:
  • The title of the item
  • The ISBN
  • If you do not know the above information, you can contact the Reference Desk at 561-297-3785 or leave your request as is and ILL Staff will review it. Just note that this can add time to processing your request.

• ILL Loan Requests aren't just for books! You can also borrow other materials like:
  • DVD's (movies, tv series, educational)
  • CD's
  • Microfilm/Microfiche
  • Music Scores
  • Audiobooks
  • Thesis or Dissertations

Simply choose one of the other New Request forms and fill out the form, just like you would for Book loans.

• The following items might be difficult to find a lender willing to loan them, but are eligible for ILL Requests:
  • Newly released materials
  • Entire issues of periodicals
  • Genealogical materials
  • Non-circulating materials (reference books, archival materials, special collections, rare or very old books)
  • International materials
  • Textbooks (many libraries are unwilling to loan their copies of textbooks, or will only allow a short term loan)
• The following materials can not be filled by ILL Request:
  • eBook editions of materials
  • Items available at the FAU Library

• The ILL Office works hard to fill your requests at little to no cost to you. However, some lenders will only provide materials for a fee. Any costs over the amount subsidized by FAU for each request will have to be paid by the patron. We will not charge your account without your written preapproval.