We always recommend that you begin your search in our library catalog. In the summer of 2023, we integrated the I Want It button with our Interlibrary Loan service. Now when you use the Penn State catalog, if you find an item that is not currently available locally, you will be presented with the option to place an ILL request. Please note the ILL option is available only for PSU faculty, staff and students, as eligible users of the Interlibrary Loan service.

When you search for items in the catalog, you can click the blue I want it button to place a hold. If a local copy is available, you will see the typical screen to place a hold on the material, along with options to select your pick-up location. If a local copy is not available, you will be presented with an option to place an Interlibrary loan request. Click the blue Place ILL request button to submit your request to the ILLiad system for processing.

If you have searched our catalog, and haven't found what you are looking for, we recommend Worldcat as the next stop in your search. At Worldcat, you can search for and request the holdings of libraries worldwide. Use the Request Item via Interlibrary Loan link in the External Resources area of the Worldcat record to populate an ILLiad request form.

Our databases contain links to e-resources as well as links to request unavailable materials through the Interlibrary Loan service. Look for the blue Get it button, or Request via Interlibrary Loan links. In the example below, you will see the Get it button in the Library Literature & Information Science Index database.

While we recommend that you start your research by searching our catalog and Worldcat, you may decide to enter requests manually. You can do that by navigating to our library website, and click Services. Under Services, click Interlibrary Loan. Once on the Interlibrary Loan web page, click the link to Login to ILLiad or create an account.

Once you have logged in to your account, you can click the Submit New Requests option in the menu at the top of the ILLiad page. Several request options will become available in a drop-down menu, including article, book, book chapter, and more.

Select the necessary format, and fill out as many fields as possible. For loan requests, including the ISBN will expedite your request, as our system is set to auto-search ISBN numbers. If you have notes or citation information you'd like to supply to the ILL staff, please include that information in the notes field. Once you've completed filling out the information, click the blue Submit Request button.