Interlibrary Loan

People walk in hallway near ILL
Tools used at ILL
A student looks at books on a shelf

About

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) supports the research and teaching mission of the university by obtaining critical research material for our patrons. ILL also supports researchers and scholars worldwide by providing mediated access to the UC Berkeley Library collections. 

Services

Hours

Mar 17 - Mar 23
Location Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
Interlibrary Loan monthly calendar Closed 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Closed
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Interlibrary Loan details

Borrowing

Interlibrary Borrowing Service obtains items not available in UC Berkeley’s library collections for UC Berkeley students, faculty, and staff, as well as other eligible patrons. International borrowing is available to faculty and graduate students.

Items considered not available and therefore eligible to be requested through Interlibrary Borrowing are the ones that are: 

  • not owned by UC Berkeley (check UC Library Search)
  • in process
  • at the bindery
  • checked out
  • on order
  • missing
  • Search UC Library Search for the item needed. If it is not available or not owned, use the Request from Interlibrary Loan button on an item record page to access the request form.
  • If you cannot locate the material needed in UC Library Search, use the blank ILL request form in UC Library Search to place your request. 
  • Visit Interlibrary Loan at 133 Doe Library and staff can assist you with your request.

Most scans of articles/book chapters are filled digitally and sent directly to your email on file.

  • Search UC Library Search for the item needed. If it is not available or not owned, use the Request from Interlibrary Loan button on an item record page to access the request form.
  • If you cannot locate the material needed in UC Library Search, use the blank ILL Request form in UC Library Search to place your request. 
  • Visit Interlibrary Loan at 133 Doe Library and staff can assist you with your request.

Use UC Library Search to view the status of all your pending requests and see current checkouts. Loans from other UC campuses will be visible on separate tabs for each campus, while loans from UC Berkeley and non-UC ILL loans will display within the UC Berkeley tab. You can also cancel pending requests or renew loans from other UC campuses.

  • Sign in with your CalNet login to view your library account. Use My ILL to view the status of pending non-UC requests, request a renewal of a non-UC loan, or cancel requests.
  • Sign in with your Library card/Cal 1 Card number or your UC Path number. Under Home Campus select UCB.
  • Once logged in, check the Show Everything box to view your inventory of requests.

You can pick up and return Interlibrary Borrowing material to any campus library circulation desk except the Law Library. You’ll select the pickup location when you submit the request.

Please note: If a lender restricts the material to Library Use Only, you will receive an email with the location where you can view the material (Interlibrary Loan, Bancroft Library, Media Resource Center, or Morrison Library). These books are considered non-circulating, so they will not be listed in your UC Library Search inventory.

More details
  • Items are held for you to pick up for one week only.
  • You will need to pick up books in person with your current UC Berkeley ID or Library Card. Checkouts are non-transferable.
  • Books will appear in your UC Library Search inventory along with UC Berkeley books you have checked out.
  • Articles/chapters: Most scans of articles/book chapters are filled digitally and sent directly to your email on file. You can also ​log in to your My ILL account ​​to ​download available​ ​documents​. Documents will remain available for up to five views or 30 days​. If a lender provides a paper copy, you will receive an email notification to pick up the copy from the Interlibrary Loan office.
  • Visiting scholars: Interlibrary Loan items will be counted toward your maximum number of checkouts allowed, along with your UC Berkeley checkouts.

Lender availability and processing time can impact the delivery timeframe for all types of requests.

  • Scans (articles, chapters, etc.) will typically arrive within a few days to your email on file.
  • Loans (books, scores, maps, theses, etc.) available from another UC campus will typically arrive within three to five business days. Loans obtained from outside of the UC system will take longer due to shipping times.

The loan period is set by the lending institution. Most items borrowed from another UC will be loaned for 90 days, with the option to renew in UC Library Search for up to one year checkout. Items borrowed from non-UC institutions can have loan periods ranging from one week to six months. Always check your library account in UC Library Search, not your My ILL, for your correct due date.

Overdue material:  If you don’t return your books after the reminder notices, your library account will be blocked and you will be billed the full replacement cost of the item and any additional fees. IBS requests may not be placed for material to be used for course reserve or other long-term projects.

Renewals: For loans from other UC campuses, you can renew items automatically through your library account when logged in to UC Library Search. For loans from non-UC institutions, use My ILL to request a renewal at least one week before your due date in UC Library Search. We need to contact the lender, and will get back to you by email within two days. If you need more time, we will try to accommodate you.

Eligible members of the UC Berkeley community are:
  • Currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students 
  • Active and retired faculty and staff
  • Visiting scholars registered with the Visiting Scholars Program
  • UC Office of the President 
  • Proxy Card holders

Patrons at other UC campuses will need to use interlibrary services through their home institution. 

Proxy Card privilege: Faculty may authorize research assistants as proxies to check out library materials on their library account. The proxy borrower application form includes eligibility requirements and a statement of responsibility.

Alumni Association members do not have Interlibrary Borrowing privileges. Patrons who are not eligible may make requests at their local public library. If you aren't sure if you are eligible, please contact the Privileges Desk.

Overdue material

Please monitor your due dates in your UC Library Search account.  If you do not return your books after the reminder notices, your library account will be blocked and you will be billed the full replacement cost of the item and any additional fees

Loss and damage

As the borrower, you are responsible for any damage to or loss of materials from the time you pick them up until you return them. You are also responsible for damage caused by scanning or copying from the material. Should any damage occur, report it to Interlibrary Borrowing directly. Do not attempt to repair it yourself.

E-books

E-books are not currently available for interlibrary loan due to licensing restrictions.

Textbooks and test prep books

The Library does not borrow textbooks through Interlibrary Borrowing Services (IBS). Generally, the loan periods given for books do not cover a full semester and may be recalled at any time. Faculty make course materials available to students through course reserves. Materials may also be available for purchase or rent through the Cal Bookstore. Along with textbooks, we cannot borrow test prep (e.g. GMAT, MCAT, GRE, LSAT), or “[Subject] for Dummies” books.

Special conditions

The lending library may impose special conditions on the use of their material. Common conditions include: library use only, restricted reading room use in the Bancroft Library, no renewals, no photocopying, or user's signature required. Conditions are noted on the IBS band attached to the material. When you accept the IBS loan, you are obliged to honor these conditions.

Special materials

Many libraries will not lend rare, fragile, new, or unique materials. Also, they may not lend whole volumes of recent periodicals, DVDs, or special collection materials.

Graduate Theological Union materials

UC Berkeley students, faculty, visiting scholars, and library staff have library privileges at the Graduate Theological Union (GTU) library, so material available at GTU is not eligible for ILL. To obtain a GTU library card, bring your UCB ID card to the GTU Circulation Desk. For hours and directions, visit the GTU library website.

Law Library materials

The Law Library is open to Berkeley faculty and graduate students who wish to use the library for legal research. Undergraduates who wish to use the Law Library collection for research purposes only must first apply for an access pass at circadmin@law.berkeley.edu. During exam periods for law students the library will be open to Berkeley Law students only. Check the Berkeley Law Library catalog.

Please note: Interlibrary Borrowing will not process requests for materials that UC Berkeley owns and that are listed as AVAILABLE in UC Library Search.

The Research Library Cooperative Program (RLCP) provides eligible patrons of UC Berkeley on-site privileges at Stanford University and the University of Texas at Austin. Interlibrary Borrowing obtains physical and digital material for all UC Berkeley patrons.

UC Berkeley patrons visiting Stanford libraries

UC Berkeley faculty, graduate students, and academic staff can physically visit Stanford Library onsite, access collections, and check out library materials physically by obtaining a Stanford library card, which can be requested online. Before traveling to Stanford, visitors should review the Stanford Libraries visitor information regarding accessing the collections, wireless access, and licensed electronic databases. The Business, Crown Law, Lane Medical, and SLAC libraries are Stanford Coordinate Libraries and are not included in the RLCP resource sharing agreement. Review their separate websites for access and borrowing policies. 

UC Berkeley patrons visiting UT Austin

UT Austin encourages UC Berkeley faculty, graduate students, and academic staff to apply for a UT Austin RLCP account by emailing circserv@lib.utexas.edu prior to physically visiting the location. More information may be found on UT Austin's RLCP page.

UC Berkeley patrons requesting materials from Stanford Libraries and UT Austin Libraries

All UC Berkeley patrons with Interlibrary Loan privileges may use UC Library Search to request research materials that are not held in UC Berkeley’s library collections. Physical material may be picked up at UC Berkeley campus libraries and at the NRLF.  Digitized items (articles and book chapters) are delivered electronically.

Patrons who have questions regarding UC Berkeley’s ILL or resource sharing services may contact cuy@library.berkeley.edu.
 
 

Lending

Interlibrary Lending provides access to the material holdings of the UC Berkeley Library to institutional borrowers in the United States and around the world.

Lending staff may be contacted by phone, 510-642-7367, Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific time or by email at lending@library.berkeley.edu

Interlibrary Lending is available to:

Academic, public, special, and private libraries in the U.S., Canada, and overseas.


Interlibrary Lending is not available to:
  • Individual borrowers: Non-UC Berkeley researchers need to consult their local library to arrange interlibrary loans.
  • Borrowers from other UC campuses: Use your local version of UC Library Search to find and request materials from UC Berkeley, or other UC libraries outside of your home campus.
  • Books: Monographs are lent for 4 months (no renewals). Please abide by the due date on the request form sent with UC Berkeley material.
    • We do not lend current or previous year imprints, proceedings of the past three years, reference/reserve material, double/triple folios, or rare books. Renewals are determined on a case-by-case basis.
    • Microforms, software, audio/visual material, maps, and other media items do not circulate.
  • Dissertations and theses: We will lend if a circulating copy is available. The loan period is four months from receipt, library use only.
  • Newspapers: We will only lend newspapers available in microfilm (shown in our catalog as Newsfilm).
  • Microforms and special materials: Most microfilms are available for loan for four months, no renewals (some exceptions may apply). The Bancroft Library only loans one positive microfilm reel per request, (one-month loan, no renewals), so long as Bancroft holds the master negatives. Bancroft Library positive microfilm reels can be loaned to any university, college, research, and public library in the United States and to university and college libraries in Canada.
  • Government documents: Documents including census material and congressional hearings are also non-circulating, but may be available for duplication.
  • Periodicals: We do not lend bound or unbound periodicals.

Contact Duplication Services to inquire about duplicating non-circulating material, which is not guaranteed.

You must create a borrower account to submit a new scan or loan request. Interlibrary Loan has set up a new ILL Requests website that replaces the webforms that non-affiliated borrowing institutions, libraries and non-UC Berkeley researchers have used in the past. We hope this new system is easier and more efficient for all. 


New users

To create a new account please go to Create a new account.


Current users
  • If you are using the website for the first time, and you know your Username/Login ID, go to Forgot your password, enter your Username/Login ID, and you will receive an email with a new system-generated password.
  • If you have used our services in the past and do not have access to your Username/Login ID and password, please contact us for further instructions. Current users, please do not create a new account. Email lending-library@berkeley.edu.

Returning users
  • California libraries: $17 or 17 IFM loan fee for up to four volumes/reels of one title. Invoices are sent monthly. Prepayment is not required. No charge for public libraries covered by state library funds (PLF).
  • Out of state libraries: $22 or 22 IFM loan fee for up to four volumes/reels of one title. Invoices are sent monthly. Prepayment is not required.
  • RUSH processing: Turnaround time for RUSH requests is 24 hours from the date/time of receipt (business days only). Additional $20 USD (20 IFM for OCLC requests) will apply. Please specify Overnight or 2nd-day Delivery and provide your FedEx or UPS account number.
  • Overseas: Base fee is $50 USD, 50 IFM or 4 1/2 IFLA vouchers. (IFLA payments must be approved at time of quote). Cost may increase due to excessive duties and taxes.

Material is shipped via UPS, FedEx, and other courier services with tracking. For expedited shipping, provide your FedEx or UPS account number (rush fees may apply). For returns, a traceable method of shipping is preferred.

Please note: Loan service outside California is suspended for the last two weeks of December.

Duplication services

Duplication Services provides fee-based access through digitization of a variety of materials within the UC Berkeley Library collections to other institutions and organizations. We supply a variety of services, from scans of journal articles to technical photographic work, including the reproduction of glossy and matte prints, negatives, slides, and microfilm, and digital imaging of maps and other material.

Lending staff may be contacted by phone (510-642-7367) Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Pacific time or by email at illpmail@library.berkeley.edu

Duplication service is available to any library, institution, organization, or non-UC Berkeley researcher.

Limited scans from printed materials at The Bancroft Library

Due to preservation concerns, we can only provide scans of a limited number of pages of a printed item, dependent on its condition, from The Bancroft Library. Photocopies are free for requestors from any University of California campus through their local ILL departments. For all other requestors, a service fee applies.

All reproductions are supplied in compliance with U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code). The Library can neither grant nor refuse permission to use material to which it does not hold copyright. The Library retains all rights to commercial reproduction of material to which it does hold copyright.

You must create a borrower account to submit a new scan or loan request. Interlibrary Loan has set up a new ILL Requests website that replaces the webforms that non-affiliated borrowing institutions, libraries and non-UC Berkeley researchers have used in the past. We hope this new system is easier and more efficient for all. 


New users

To create a new account please go to Create a new account.


Current users
  • If you are using the website for the first time, and you know your Username/Login ID, go to Forgot your password, enter your Username/Login ID, and you will receive an email with a new system-generated password.
  • If you have used our services in the past and do not have access to your Username/Login ID and password, please contact us for further instructions. Current users, please do not create a new account. Email lending-library@berkeley.edu.

Returning users
Costs for scans/copies

OCLC requests: $17/17 IFM for every 50 pages (1 chapter/article per request). 

Non-OCLC requests: $20 USD for every 50 pages (1 chapter/article per request).


RUSH processing

RUSH requests are processed with a 24-48 hour turnaround time, excluding weekends. Additional $20 per request.


Digital reproduction (publication-quality)

To inquire if high-resolution, publication-quality digitization of eligible UC Berkeley Library materials is possible, please contact us by email with your citation information at illpmail-library@berkeley.edu. If digitization is possible, we will provide requestors with instructions on how to submit a request and how to provide prepayment by credit card.  


Map duplication

$25 per image: A URL and password will be provided to access and download the file.


Extra labor

$20 per hour/prorated: In addition to copying fees, a research fee is charged for orders requiring unusual staff effort. In these cases, work will not proceed until authorized.


Billing
  • Non-UC Berkeley researchers: If we are able to fill your request, we will contact you by email with instructions to pre-pay by credit card. Price quotations will be provided. 
  • Libraries, businesses and other organizations: Invoices are sent monthly. Prepayment will be required in some cases (e.g., for large orders).
  • Foreign requests: Prepayment by credit card may be required. IFLA vouchers are accepted for non-OCLC requests.
Payment

We accept payment via credit card, check, IFM (for OCLC requests), and IFLA vouchers (for non-OCLC, international requests only)

  • All payments must be in U.S. funds.
  • Payment may be made by check or money order (payable to the U.C. Regents) or by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover).
  • For credit card payment, please supply:
    • Name on the card
    • Credit card number
    • Expiration date
    • Credit card type (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover)
  • Please do not send credit card information via e-mail.
  • Please do not send cash or wire transfer.

Contact

Location

Doe Library exterior
Interlibrary Loan
133 Doe Library
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000
510-642-7365

This location is wheelchair accessible.