Interlibrary loan (ILL) allows Tulane students, faculty, and staff to borrow physical items like books or DVDs, or receive scans of articles or book chapters, that are owned by another library or supplier.  At Tulane University Libraries, ILL is offered at Howard-Tilton Memorial Library and the Rudolph Matas Library of the Health Sciences.

Tulane University Libraries use an automated system called ILLiad to process and track ILL requests. Users create accounts in ILLiad that they can use to request books, articles or other materials not owned locally. 

Login: To use ILLiad, users login with their Tulane username and password using either of the links below depending on their campus affiliation. Law school affiliates should request interlibrary loans through the Tulane Law Library.

• ILLiad Login Page: Howard-Tilton for Uptown campus (except Law School), the Business School, and the School of Social Work
• ILLiad Login Page: Matas Library for School of Medicine, the School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, and the Tulane National Primate Research Center

What Can Be Borrowed: 
 Items typically available through interlibrary loan include books, journal articles, microfilm, dissertations and theses, and government documents 

Items usually not available include: 

• Entire issues of journals and periodicals (except items held at the Matas Library)
• Rare or fragile materials, including manuscripts
• Reference materials
• Genealogical and heraldic resources
• Many dissertations published prior to 1970
• Books published within the last year, including current fiction
• Current textbooks 

For questions about the availability of an item, contact the Interlibrary Loan Office at ill@tulane.edu or (504) 865-5610. 

Eligibility: 
Interlibrary loan services are available only to individuals affiliated with Tulane University. Those not affiliated should seek assistance through their local public library. Materials borrowed through ILL are for the exclusive use of the requestor, who is responsible for any late fees, replacement costs, or damage. 
 

Delivery Time: 

• Articles: Usually delivered within several business days.
• Books: Typically arrive in 1–2 weeks.
• Delivery may be delayed during winter holidays (mid-December to early January).
• Shipping speed varies by lender. Louisiana and KUDZU consortium libraries often use express couriers (e.g., FedEx or UPS), while others use slower USPS book rates. 

For urgent requests, contact the Interlibrary Loan Office. 

Electronic Delivery: 
Most libraries now send articles electronically. Files are delivered via ILLiad under “View | Electronically Delivered Articles.” Articles are in PDF format and may be saved, printed, or read online. 

Scan & Deliver Service: 
Howard-Tilton Memorial Library offers a Scan and Deliver service for Uptown campus faculty, graduate, and undergraduate students (excludes Law School). This includes scans of journal articles or book chapters from circulating print collections, delivered to your ILLiad account within two business days. 

• Special Collections are not included.
• Use the Article or Book Chapter form to submit requests.
• In compliance with U.S. copyright law, only one article or one chapter per request is allowed. 

Loan Durations & Restrictions: 
Loan periods and usage restrictions are set by the lending library. Some items may be: 

• Library Use Only: Must remain in the library; your ID is held while the item is in use.
• No Renewals: The item must be returned by the original due date.
• No Photocopying: Due to copyright restrictions or preservation concerns. 

Renewing ILL Materials: 
Most items are eligible for one renewal unless prohibited by the lender. Renew through ILLiad by selecting the item and clicking Renew Item. Submit renewal requests at least two days before the due date. 

Cancellations: 
Requests are most commonly canceled when the item is already available at Tulane. If a request is canceled, ILLiad will notify you with an explanation. If you're unsure about item availability, consult a subject librarian before submitting a request. 

Loss or Damage: 
Failure to return items on time can jeopardize Tulane’s ability to borrow from other institutions. 

• Report any lost or damaged items immediately to ill@tulane.edu or (504) 865-5610.
• Users are financially responsible for lost or damaged materials.
• Do not attempt repairs.
• Abuse of the service may lead to loss of ILL and general borrowing privileges. 

Copyright Compliance: 
Tulane Libraries comply with U.S. Federal Copyright Law. Libraries may borrow up to 5 articles per journal title (published in the last 5 years) per calendar year and no more than 2 articles per journal issue (within the last 5 years). Exceeding these limits may incur copyright or royalty fees. 

Understanding Your Library Accounts: 
To learn the differences between off-campus access, your Library Account, and your Interlibrary Loan (ILL) account, see the Library Logins Guide.

Center for Research Libraries (CRL)

Tulane is a member of the international CRL consortium, giving students and faculty access to over five million research materials, including: Newspapers, Journals, Dissertations, Archives, and Government publications. Search the CRL catalog and request materials through Tulane’s interlibrary loan service.