Service Overview
For materials not owned by the Library, you can request what you need through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Interlibrary loan services are offered without charge to all University faculty, students and staff. You can borrow a variety of items through interlibrary loan, including books, articles, dissertations, videos, and more. View a list of items available through Interlibrary Loan service. Items may be borrowed from a variety of public and academic libraries in the U.S. and Canada.

Items requested through Interlibrary Loan usually arrive in 7-10 business days. Articles may be scanned and delivered via e-mail. There are no limits on how many items you may request and there is no fee. However, please be aware that the loan times are shorter and you may only be able to renew once. The one exception is items borrowed from the Center for Research Libraries. View Interlibrary Loan Policies.

Identifying Items to Borrow Through Interlibrary Loan
Te easiest way to locate materials at other libraries is by using WorldCat, which is the largest bibliographic database in the world and includes millions of records for books and other materials. WorldCat is accessible from the Library's web site under "Catalogs". Once you find the item you need, just click on the button in the record to make a request.

The Center for Research Libraries.
A great source for Interlibrary Loan materials is the Center for Research Libraries. The Center has an extensive collection of books, reference sources, newspapers, magazines, and microfilm collections from around the world. The Center has generous borrowing policies (including renewals) and they often will fill requests that other insitutions won't. The Center for Research Library's holdings can be searched by using WorldCat, or you may search their catalog directly.

Visiting Other Libraries and Archives

When researching a BA or honors thesis, you may want to visit other libraries or archives to view their collections. You can determine what other libraries have by searching their library catalogs directly, or by using WorldCat. This latter option is helpful to ascertain general information, but does not provide circulation information (such as if the item has been checked out).

Northwestern University
The University of Chicago Library has a special arrangment with Northwestern University Library so that our students may borrow books and other materials. Please be aware that these items are not delivered to the University of Chicago Library, so this will require a trip to Evanston. If you want an item delivered, you should use Interlibrary Loan.

You may borrow items from Northwestern for 4 weeks from the date of checkout (with the exeption of the Transportation Library, which is 2 weeks from the date of checkout). Three renewals are allowed before the material must be brought in for checkout or return. Like the University of Chicago, books may be recalled at any time; the borrower is guaranteed a minimum two week loan period. Renewals may be made in person at Northwestern by presenting the book, date due slip and your borrower ID; or using Northwestern's My Account. Learn More About Borrowing Books from Northwestern Library.

Local Theological Seminaries
Many of the seminaries in Hyde Park also offer borrowing privileges to students of the University of Chicago. They can be helpful if you are studying any topic about religion.

Other Universitites
University of Chicago students have building access to CIC institutions (Big 10 schools) and RLG institutions (Research Libraries Group). Please note that you will not have borrowing privileges at these insitutions. Some institutions may also limit their computer access.

Chicago Public Library
If you live in the City of Chicago, you can obtain a library card for the Chicago Public Library. The Chicago Public Library consists of a main library, two regional libraries, and 76 neighborhood libraries. The Harold Washington Library Center, the main library, has many excellent research collections unavailable elsewhere in the country. The two regional libraries, Woodson (South Side) and Sulzer (North Side), have unique collections dealing with Chicago neighborhoods. Of special note is the Vivian Harsh Research Collection of African American History at the Woodson Library, which is one of the premier collections of African American history and culture in the country.

Private Libraries and Museums
Chicago has many museum and private libraries that you may access for your research. These include the Newberry Library, Chicago History Museum, the Burnham and Ryerson Libraries at the Art Institute, and Field Museum Library. All of these libraries are excellent sources for primary source materials.

Archives
Many institutions around the country have unique archival collections. Archives and manuscript collections are wonderful for locating primary source materials. To identify archival material, we suggest using ArchiveGrid, which allows you to search finding aids from archives at RLG insitutions. Another database, Archives USA, will help you locate archives around the country. And of course, don't forget the Special Collections Research Center here at the University of Chicago.

Please Note
Should you visit any library or archive, we strongly recommend contacting them directly to determine their hours, policies, and procedures. During interim periods, many insitutions may be closed or have limited hours.