Interlibrary Loan Request Process

Search for the item in HamCAT.

Some items discovered using the HamCAT search engine may be at our university, they may be at another school in the MnPALS consortium, or they may be at an institution external to MnPALS--including out-of-state.

The options below the dark red menu bar pictured here are visible in the Advanced Search options at the top of the HamCAT display (it is fine to just start with 'Hamline & Libraries Beyond'):

If the item you need is owned by a MnPALS partner or other library and you see it in HamCAT, you will be presented with options to request that it be delivered to Bush Library for you. Sign in to HamCAT (if you haven't already done so). Upon successful sign-in you will see something like this:

Click on the relevant Get It Button  (printed or electronic--the above is for a book chapter, but articles are the most commonly requested format).

All you will need to do to complete the request, is click the box to agree to copyright terms, and click 'Send'.

Second Option: If you can't find the item you are seeking by searching in HamCAT, click the Interlibrary Loan request button in the dark-red menu bar at the top of the HamCAT display, to open a form that will permit to create a request for your item from scratch. 

For faster access please make sure that you have already searched HamCAT before filling out the blank Interlibrary Loan Request online form. Requesting materials already held by Bush Library will commonly cause an unnecessary delay:

* Most libraries are unable to lend entire ebooks due to licensing restrictions. If you request an ebook through ILL, please be aware that you will probably be offered a print / physical copy of the book.

* You can still use WorldCat to look up citations. However, you will have to search the item again while logged into the HamCAT search engine, and if you find it listed there request by using the HamCAT search engine. If you do not find the desired item using the HamCAT search engine, complete a blank ILL form in HamCAT for your request. We recommend you use HamCAT first, search by expanding beyond our partner libraries, and only use WorldCat if HamCAT yields zero results.

Items that are quickest/easiest to obtain through Interlibrary Loan (from fastest to least fast):

• journal article, from an e-journal
• book chapter, from an ebook (less than 10% of the book)
• journal article, scanned from print
• book chapter, scanned from print (less than 10% of the book)
• printed books
• DVDs
• CDs

Items that are difficult or impossible to borrow through Interlibrary Loan (in no particular order--mileage varies):

• ebooks
• more than 10% of an ebook
• textbooks
• conference proceedings
• entire journals (request instead specific articles.)
• very newly published books
• rare books
• video games or computer software