How Do I Request Interlibrary Loan Through Lippincott Library?

Short and practical: first, make sure Lippincott doesn’t own the item by searching their catalog. Then log into your library account and look for the interlibrary loan or document delivery request form. Fill it with full citation details—title, author, year, edition, ISBN/ISSN/DOI—and specify if you want a scan or the physical book and where you’ll pick it up. Submit and wait for email status updates; articles often come faster than books. If you need help, call or visit the circulation desk with your citation. Be mindful of processing times and any borrowing restrictions, and include DOIs or exact page ranges to speed things along. Give it a try and don’t hesitate to ask staff for a quick walkthrough.

Honestly, I treat interlibrary loan requests like making a careful order: precise info, clear instructions, and a polite follow-up. I start at the Lippincott catalog to double-check availability; if it’s not there, I use the library’s ILL/document delivery portal. My mental checklist while filling the form: title, author, year, edition, ISBN/ISSN, DOI, pages needed, and whether I want a scanned chapter or the whole book. If it’s an article, I paste the citation exactly as it appears in databases—this reduces back-and-forth with staff.

I usually choose electronic delivery whenever possible; PDFs save me a campus trip. After submitting, I monitor the request status in my library account and email, and I’ve learned to add a brief note like “Needed for research by [date]” if I have a deadline. Lippincott’s staff have been helpful when I’ve called to clarify a tricky citation. One practical tip: use WorldCat or Google Scholar to find lending libraries and include any helpful links in your request form. That little extra detail can speed things up. If ever stuck, I pop by the desk with my citation printout and we walk through it together.

Okay, here's the chill, step-by-step version I use whenever I need something my own library doesn't have — it usually works at Lippincott.

First, I search the Lippincott catalog (or the Penn Libraries catalog if you're part of Penn) to confirm the item isn’t available locally. Then I sign into my library account with my university credentials and look for a link labeled something like “Interlibrary Loan,” “Request from another library,” or “Document Delivery.” That page will typically ask for the citation details: title, author, year, ISBN/ISSN, and if it’s an article, the exact pages or DOI. I always paste the DOI or URL if I have it; it speeds things up.

After submission I get a confirmation email and occasional status updates. Articles often arrive as PDFs in a few days, books take longer (often 1–2 weeks, sometimes more). You can usually choose electronic delivery or request a physical pickup at Lippincott’s circulation desk. If something’s urgent, I’ll call or email the ILL staff directly — they’re friendly and can flag requests. If you hit a snag, bring your citation and ask staff at the desk in person; they can sometimes place special requests or suggest alternatives. Good luck — ILL has rescued so many late-night reading binges for me!

I remember the first time I used interlibrary loan through Lippincott I felt a bit lost, but it’s actually straightforward. Start by confirming the library doesn’t own the item, then log into your library account (use your campus credentials). Find the interlibrary loan or document delivery link on the Lippincott site—sometimes it’s under “Services” or “Borrow.” Fill out the request form carefully: full citation, preferred format (PDF or physical), and any notes like chapters or pages you need. Include identifiers like ISBN, ISSN, or DOI when possible; they save everybody time. After you submit, watch your email for status updates or messages from the ILL staff asking for clarification. Processing times vary—articles are usually fastest, books can take longer. If you need it fast, politely contact the ILL staff by phone or email and mention your deadline. Also remember eligibility rules: typically current students, faculty, and staff can use the service. If the system confuses you, swing by the circulation desk and someone will help place the request for you.