Request Materials: Interlibrary Loan
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a resource sharing service for current students, faculty, and staff that provides access to materials not held at Oberlin or in OhioLink from libraries around the world.
Beginning on Monday, August 17, 2026, InterLibrary Loan requests are placed using Search.Libraries user accounts. Requests placed before August 17, 2026 will be managed through the old InterLibrary Loan interface until the item is returned.
Manage a request placed before August 17
Creating an ILL request
- Check Search.Libraries to see if there is an available copy of the material you need on campus or within OhioLINK.
- If not, expand your search to the InterLibrary Loan scope.
- If you can find a result that matches the item you want, use the Request button to order it.
- If you cannot find a result that matches the item you want, use the link at the top of the search results to access the manual request form, and enter the needed information.
You are most likely to need to use the InterLibrary Loan scope to request scans of articles and physical copies of books and scores not held in Ohio academic libraries.
Managing ILL requests
Use your Search.Libraries account check status, access materials delivered electronically, and request renewals for requests placed after August 17, 2026.
Loan Periods
Article and Chapter Scans
- Arrive electronically, often within 1 week
- Must be downloaded within 30 days, but the file can be kept in perpetuity after download
- Limit to one chapter or scan per request. If you require more than one chapter from a book, we recommend requesting the physical book instead of a scan.
Physical loans of books, scores, DVDs
- Arrive via mail, typically within 1-2 weeks
- Loan periods and renewal options are set by the lending institution and vary widely
- Most libraries do not lend whole periodical issues or bound journals