How long does it take for an interlibrary loan (ILL) request to be delivered?
How long does it take for an article I requested through ILL to be delivered? What is the delivery timeline for a book I requested through ILL?
Answer
Interlibrary loans (ILL) are books or articles that Salve's library borrows from another library on your behalf, so that means a library staff person here and a staff person at the lending library are processing each individual request.
So, for an article, you will typically receive access to an electronic version between 24 hours to up to a week from the time that you place your request.
For a book, a typical amount of time between request and delivery is one to two weeks, but the process may take up to a month.
There is always a chance that depending on the newness or rarity of the item, or for procedural reasons, we may not be able to get the book or article you are requesting through ILL. If we can't find it through ILL or if you need it sooner than a typical ILL delivery time allows for, the librarians at McKillop Library are here to help. Just call 401-341-2289, chat, email salvelibrarian at salve.edu, or make an appointment with a librarian and we'll help you find another option.
Please note that if you requested an item from a HELIN library, the typical amount of time between request and delivery is about 3-4 business days. For more information about placing hold requests from HELIN libraries, follow the links below.