Interlibrary Loan (Borrowing from Non-Ohio State Library Collections)

University Libraries subsidizes scholarly research by borrowing materials not available in the Ohio State University Libraries. Eligible users include faculty and staff employed by the university as well as our graduate and undergraduate students enrolled in degree-granting programs.  Borrowing physical items from other libraries takes 6 to 9 days on average to receive.  Foreign language titles only held overseas can take much longer.

Items for personal interest or entertainment purposes should be requested through the Columbus Metropolitan Library

Making a Request

Log in to ILLiad (the interlibrary loan request management site) below. Under Make a Request, click the Loan or Thesis links and fill out the request form. Please provide a complete, accurate citation. Provide an ISBN or OCLC number whenever possible. When you have completed your request information and chosen your delivery location, click the "Submit Request" button. Please fill out a separate request form for each item that you want.

Register or log in to ILLiad using the red button below.  ILLiad accepts the same Ohio State login used for other university services.

Requesting Through WorldCat@OSU or WorldCat FirstSearch

Order materials directly from WorldCat@OSU by using the "Request through Interlibrary Loan" button.  You may also order directly from the WorldCat FirstSearch database using the "OSU ILLiad" button. These databases will bring you to our site where citation information will already be filled in for you. Chose your delivery location and click the "Submit Request" button to complete your request.

Delivery and Timeframe

Ohio State Columbus Campus Patrons

When placing a request, you can choose any Ohio State library as your pick-up location. We will notify you via email when an item has arrived at the chosen location's circulation desk. Items will be held for pick up for 21 days or until the due date (whichever comes first).  When picking up materials, you must present a valid Ohio State ID card or Digital BuckID. Eligible patrons may authorize another person to pick up materials.

Columbus campus faculty, staff and graduate students may request that items be mailed to their Columbus campus office. Please review your personal information in your ILLiad account to ensure that you have provided a current and complete campus address. Office delivery usually takes 3-4 business days via Campus Mail. Patrons are responsible for materials from the time they are checked out and put into Campus Mail until the time the material is checked in at any Ohio State University Libraries location. We encourage you to return materials in person to receive a receipt.

Ohio State Regional Campus Patrons (Lima/Mansfield/Marion/Newark) and ATI/OARDC Patrons (Wooster)

Materials may be picked up or returned at any of the Columbus campus circulation desks or at any Regional or Wooster Campus Library. You will be notified via email when the item is ready for pickup. Items will be held for pickup for 21 days or until the due date (whichever comes first).  When picking up materials, you must present a valid Ohio State ID card or Digital BuckID. Faculty may authorize another person to pick up materials for them.

 

Distance Users 

We offer off-campus delivery of physical items obtained through interlibrary loan to any Ohio State faculty, staff, or student with a valid, unblocked library patron record and who does not have access to an Ohio State campus. When requesting materials, choose Distance User as the delivery location, and we will contact you to obtain your mailing address when we have received the requested item from a lending library. 

We will subsidize the one-way cost via UPS (delivery signature required) to send you material obtained through interlibrary loan, but you are responsible for return shipping at your expense to the Thompson Library via a traceable delivery system (such as UPS, Fedex, or USPS with Tracking) or by returning items in-person to any Ohio State University library location by the due date. 

We are only able to ship materials to addresses within the United States. Materials are subject to recall, must be returned/renewed by the due date, and you assume responsibility for any requested item that is checked out and shipped to you, including when it is in transit to you or back to Thompson Library.

Loan Period 

Due dates, renewal eligibility, and material usage restrictions are determined by the lending library. You can request renewals before the due date from your ILLiad account. Allow 2-4 business days for a response. Our office will relay renewal information via email, and users can also check their ILLiad account to confirm an extended due date.

Replacement Charges

If an item borrowed through interlibrary loan is not returned within 3 weeks after the due date, a replacement charge will be added to one's patron record. Fines, charges, and other fees of $50 or more automatically result in a suspension of library borrowing privileges and a block placed on your University records, including registration, grades, transcripts, and receipt of financial aid.

Limits on Loan Requests

Please be as judicious as possible in submitting requests. 

Please note that we are unable to accept requests for:

  • personal interest/entertainment materials (Please visit your local public library) 
  • ebooks, which are not obtainable due to publisher license restrictions

Other materials may be difficult to obtain:

  • recent textbooks (Please ask your instructor to place a copy on reserve or recommend purchase by Ohio State University Libraries) 
  • recent journal volumes (last 10 years)
  • audiovisual material, including DVDs
  • reference books (including computer manuals, study guides, and genealogical books) 
  • fragile, oversized, or rare materials/manuscripts held in special collections or archives