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Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

What is interlibrary loan?

Interlibrary loan is a service for requesting articles and books that are not in the library's collection for private study, scholarship, or research. It is also for requesting scans of items from the library's print collection. Digital materials, such as PDF copies of academic journal articles, will be added to your account and accessible to you for 30 days.

Who can use interlibrary loan?

All UNMC faculty, staff, and students can request materials through this service. Employees and physicians with Nebraska Medicine and Children's Nebraska can utilize interlibrary loan services as it relates to their work. Other groups that can use interlibrary loan services include UNMC alumni and Nebraska professionals in need of health sciences-related materials. If you are not a member of one of these groups or your request is outside of the scope of services, please contact your public library interlibrary loan services for assistance.

How do I register and place a request?

UNMC users can log in with their UNMC username and password to register or return to their account. If you do not have a unmc.edu email account, you must create an account from the "Create an Account" link below the log-in fields. Once logged in, select the request type from the "New Request" menu item.

What if I forget my password or can't log in?

If you have an @unmc.edu or @volunteer.unmc.edu account:
  1. UNMC user interlibrary loan accounts are tied to your UNMC username and password. Your username in our system does not use the @unmc.edu portion of your ID.
  2. Check other sites that use your UNMC log-in, such as Outlook or Canvas, to ensure that your password is currently valid. If you are unable to log in to these other sites, UNMC passwords can be reset online using the IdentityNow site. If you have issues resetting your password or accessing other UNMC sites, contact the IT Help Desk at 402-559-7700.
  3. If you have saved passwords in your browser, delete the password and retype your password, as old passwords are sometimes retained in browser settings. Clearing your browsers cache, cookies, and stored passwords is the most effective method to resolve this issue.
  4. Contact the interlibrary loan department at illdept@unmc.edu for assistance.
If you do not have an @unmc.edu or @volunteer.unmc.edu account:
  1. Check below the webpage header after you have entered the incorrect password for your password hint.
  2. Click the "Forgot Password" link to reset your password.
  3. Contact the interlibrary loan department at illdept@unmc.edu to have your password reset.

Are there fees associated with requesting items?

There are no transaction fees for UNMC faculty, staff, and students. Fees for requests made by Nebraska Medicine and Children's Hospital users are funded by their respective institutions. Volunteer faculty and clinical instructors may also use this service as it relates to their work as preceptors of UNMC students.

UNMC alumni and unaffiliated Nebraska professionals are charged $20 for items in the library collection and $30 for items the library must obtain from other libraries or sources. Books cannot be loaned to or requested by these groups.

The interlibrary loan department seeks to obtain materials at reasonable costs while adhering to copyright laws by paying royalty fees as required. To keep these costs sustainable for the library, the interlibrary loan department will communicate with users when the cost to the library is $90 or more to inquire, before proceeding, if the request is essential to their education, research, or clinical care responsibilities. Likewise, if our periodic review of past requests for potential copyright royalty payment is $90 or more and reveals a pattern by a single user, the interlibrary loan department will inform them of the potential cost to the library for their reference in future requests.

We reserve the right to deny a request if the cost exceeds the library's budget.

What is the turnaround time for requested articles and books?

If the library owns the print version of a journal, you will receive a scanned copy of your requested article the same or next business day. If we need to request the article from another library, the average turnaround time is 1.5 business days, though many may be received the same day. Books requested from other libraries may take up to a week or more. If you are remote or located on a different campus, up to an additional week may be required for us to redirect the book to you from the McGoogan Library.

Can I request an item that is required in my course?

Interlibrary loan may be unable to provide articles and books assigned as required course readings. For articles and book chapters not available in Canvas, students are encouraged to ask their instructor to provide a copy. The library does provide some course texts in our digital catalog and print collection. Faculty can recommend a title for purchase using our Comments & Suggestions Form.

Can I request an item for personal reasons outside of my work at UNMC?

This service is to be used for requests that are related to your work, research, or education at UNMC. For leisure reading, popular titles, or works not related to the UNMC mission, we advise you to contact your local public library for service. Students unable to obtain a public library card can request these items for wellness purposes.

What are service levels, and when will my request be processed?

A service level is the priority with which you would like us to handle your request. The default service level is Regular. For Regular requests, the average turnaround time from request to receipt for articles and book chapters is 1.5 days. Many of these requests are received the same day they are requested. If you need an item the same day, please request it as a Rush or Urgent Patient Care, when applicable. The Interlibrary Loan Department will do everything possible to get the item to you in an expedited manner. Surcharges may apply for non-UNMC users.

Print books may take a week or more to be mailed from a lending library. Ebook requests through interlibrary loan are limited due to current publisher licensing. The request form allows you to indicate which format, or both, that you will accept.

The Interlibrary Loan Department processes requests throughout the day (Monday - Friday). Requests made after 3:00 p.m. or on weekends and holidays may not be processed until the following business morning.

Can I cancel a request?

You can cancel a request yourself if it has not been processed. To cancel, go to the "Outstanding Requests" section, click on the request title, then click the link at the top of the page titled Cancel Request. If your request is already in a processing queue, you will not see that cancellation link. You must then contact the Interlibrary Loan Department at 402-559-7085 or illdept@unmc.edu. We will make every effort to cancel the request; however, if the item has already been processed by the lending library, we may not be able to cancel the request.
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