University of Waterloo students, faculty, staff, and retirees may use interlibrary loans (ILL) to request materials from another library free of charge, provided none of the TriUniversities Group of Libraries owns it or the online access is restricted.
Place an ILL request
- To place an ILL request, use the 14-digit barcode number on your WatCard as your "User ID" and your last name in lower case letters as your "Password" to login to the ILL system
- Items can arrive within three days and most items available from a Canadian library arrive within two weeks. International requests can take longer to obtain.
- Getting books through Interlibrary loans (video)
- Getting articles through Interlibrary loans (video)
- Tracking the status of your request (video)
- Fill in blank request form (video)
Receiving materials
- Copies: If you requested a copy, you will be sent a web link to an electronic copy, with instructions for retrieving it.
- Loans: You choose which library to use as your pick-up location for ILL loans. You will be notified via email when your ILL loans are ready to pick up.
- Materials can only be picked up by the person who made the original request or someone on his/her behalf that has a written note from the requestor.
- You can always track the status of your ILL request by logging into the ILL system.
Borrowing period and return
- The lending library determines the length of the loan period for items that you borrow through ILL.
- The lending library may stipulate any further restrictions on the use of material. For example, "in library use only".
- You may be required to pay for the purchase of some documents like patents on a cost-recovery basis. You will always be notified in advance of any charges that may apply.
- Interlibrary loans must be returned with the book bands still affixed to a circulation desk at one of the University of Waterloo libraries.
Contact us
Login problems and all other Interlibrary loan issues can be reported by phone (519-888-4567, ext. 42598), or email at ill@uwaterloo.ca.
Helpful resources
Lending policies for external institutions
- Not-for-profit publicly funded institutions can borrow materials from the University of Waterloo libraries through ILL service. Fill out the ILL system request form to submit your request; free email requests will not be processed.
- Lending to commercial for-profit organizations is limited to print items from the TriUniversity Group of Libraries (TUG) catalogue with some exceptions. Charges apply, please email ill@uwaterloo.ca for cost estimates. Commercial borrowers should fill out the ILL system request form; email requests will not be processed.
Codes
- OWTU (National Library)
- UWW (OCLC)
- CaOWtU (NUC)
Loan period
- Books: six weeks to any of the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) with no renewals. Three weeks to the rest of Canada and International.
Items not for loan
- Serials, theses, rare books, audiovisual, and newspapers
Charges
Canada; International; Ontario Council of Universities (OCUL); Conférence des recteurs et des principaux des universités du Québec (CREPUQ); Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL); Council of Prairie and Pacific University Libraries (COPPUL), and Council of Atlantic University Libraries (CAUL)
| Canada | International | OCUL; CREPUQ; CARL; COPPUL, and CAUL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Books | $10 | $20 | no charge |
| Photocopy | $10 | $20 | $5 |
| Rush service |
no extra charges |
||
| Maps | charges and availability vary | ||
| Replacement fee | $69 - $144 | ||
Contact information
- Mailing address:
Interlibrary loan
Porter Library
University of Waterloo
200 University Ave. West,
Waterloo, ON
Canada N2L 3G1 - Phone: 519-888-4567, ext. 42598
- Fax: 519-888-4323
- E-mail: ill@uwaterloo.ca
Samantha Gibbon, Manager, Circulation Services: Resource Sharing and Reserves samantha.gibbon@uwaterloo.ca
Related terms
- RACER (Rapid Access to Collections by Electronic Requesting)
