What can I borrow through Interlibrary Loan (ILL)?
TU library patrons can borrow books, book chapters, journal articles and other materials (such as government documents) that are owned by participating lending libraries in the contiguous U.S.
Things we may not be able to borrow through ILL, though we will definitely try:
- Theses and dissertations.
- There are usually only few print copies of these and they are owned by the library of the university where they were published.
- Recently published items (less than a year).
- If it just came out, then other libraries likely won't have copies for us to borrow yet.
Items that CANNOT be borrowed through ILL:
- Things we already own at any of the TU libraries. (Either in print or electronically)
- Try checking our catalog, Summon, or the journal list to see if we own it.
- Current textbooks.
- This includes test preparation or review materials and required reading for classes.
- Bestsellers and mass market paperbacks.
- If it's really popular here, then it's probably popular there too.
- If you think it would be a good addition to our collection, then you can suggest we order it.
- Books that are really old, rare or fragile.
- Most eBooks/Digital books.
- DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs or other media.
- Entire issues/volumes of periodicals or conference proceedings.
- Musical scores.
- Non-circulating materials (reference books, dictionaries, archival materials, special collections, etc.).
- Patents, standards, specifications, technical papers.