Interlibrary Loan (ILL) allows you to borrow books not found in Tripod or EZBorrow, and to request articles not available at Bryn Mawr, Haverford, or Swarthmore. Please provide as much information as you can to ensure you receive the correct item.
We do not charge fees for ILL services.
Q: Who can use ILL?
Current students, staff, faculty, and emeritus faculty can use ILL.
Alumnae/i cannot use ILL, but can request books from Haverford or Swarthmore by contacting the Circulation Desk.
Q: What can I borrow?
Articles, books or book chapters, dissertations, videos, and more. If we can’t find it, we’ll point you in the direction of other departments who can. If an item cannot be requested, the librarians can work with you to find alternatives. Email library@brynmawr.edu or make an appointment with a librarian to get help with your research.
Q: How long will it take?
Articles usually arrive within two or three business days, but books may take up to a week or more. If the item is hard to find and we have to get it from a library on the other side of the country or overseas, it may take weeks.
You can email us at bmcill@brynmawr.edu for a status update on any request.
Q: How will I get my requests?
When any item arrives, you will receive an email notifying you.
Articles are posted in ILLiad; after logging in, under "View", click on "Electronically Received Articles." Articles only remain on the site for 30 days, so print or save them right away!
Books will be placed on hold for you in Tripod, and can be checked out at the circulation desk in Canaday Library. Occasionally, the lending library may require that the book be used only in the library.
Q: When are ILL books due?
The loan period for ILL items is set by the lending library; the due date will be shown on a label on the front of the book. You can also look up the due date in ILLiad under "Checked Out/Renew Items." The book will also be added to your checked out books list in Tripod. It will take one business day for the correct due date to appear in your Tripod list. The lending library has the right to recall their books at any time. If this happens, you will be emailed with a new due date.
Overdue ILL books will be charged $1.00 per day.
Q: How can I renew ILL books?
You can't automatically renew ILL books.
To request an ILL renewal:
Renewals are at the discretion of the lending library and are not guaranteed. When the lending library responds to the request, we will email you the result and a new due date. Renewals are usually not given more than once.
Some libraries do not grant renewals for their ILL books; this will be noted on the front of the book, and the "Renew Request" link will not appear in ILLiad.
If you would like to get another copy of the book, follow steps 1 and 2 above, then click on the "Clone Request" button to create another copy of your request.