Interlibrary loans
The Interlibrary Loans Service
- obtains items and articles that are not held in UNSW Library's collection from other libraries, both within Australia and from overseas, that supports the research and teaching at UNSW
- supplies physical resources held in the UNSW Library collection to off-campus staff and students
Eligibility
- UNSW staff
- postgraduates, honours students, and Medical Independent Learning Project students
- off-campus staff and students
Requesting an interlibrary loan
- log in to request an interlibrary loan via the ILL request tab in the Catalogue
- journal articles can also be requested via the interlibrary loan link in SFX
- before submitting your request, check that the item is not held in UNSW Library's collection by searching the Catalogue and Sirius e-Journals
Requests that may be difficult to obtain include
- rare books
- reference materials
- whole issues or volumes of serials
- materials in heavy demand in the lending library
- very recent publications still in print
Turnaround times
- regular/non-urgent material will usually be supplied within 5 to 10 working days
- overseas material will take longer to obtain
Delivery is dependent upon
- the accuracy of the details provided
- the location of the supplier
- availability
- the supplying library's turnaround time
- postage time
Users can log in to myLibrary to track the progress of their request.
Availability
You will be notified via email when an item has arrived. Electronic articles will be supplied either as an attachment or as a link with access details.
Loan periods
Loan periods vary depending on the lending library's policy.
Renewing an interlibrary loan
Contact the Document Services Unit at least three days before a loan's due date.
Email: ill.one@unsw.edu.au
Phone: (02) 9385 2671 (9.00am - 5.00pm, Monday - Friday)
Returning an interlibrary loan
Interlibrary loans can be returned via any UNSW Library return chute, or by post. So that your loan is discharged correctly, please ensure the plastic ILL strap is attached to the loan when it is returned.
Loans returned late will be subject to the same penalties as all UNSW Library loans.
Need more help?
- make an online enquiry
- contact the Help Zone during opening hours

