Interlibrary Loan Guide

November 1, 2022

ACTION REQUIRED: Update Account Information

Interlibrary Loan account user information now expires yearly. Please log into your account to verify the information is current or update the information as needed. Here is the link: https://illiad.boisestate.edu/. We are not connected to the University system and do not receive updated information from them.  

Thank you for being so patient,

The Albertsons Library Interlibrary Loan Team

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) supports the research and teaching needs of Boise State University by providing students, staff, and faculty with a wide range of materials beyond the collections of Albertsons Library. ILL makes available article delivery and short-term loans from libraries and document suppliers on a local, statewide, national, and international basis who are willing to lend the items. Examples of what can be requested on Interlibrary Loan are

• Books
• Thesis/Dissertations/Conference Proceedings
• Audiovisual Material
• Journals
• Microfilm/Microfiche
• Articles
• Book Chapters
• Other miscellaneous formats

Currently enrolled Boise State University graduate and undergraduate students. Employed Boise State University staff and faculty (including Emeritus and Adjunct) are eligible for ILL services at Albertsons Library.

As a first-time user visiting Albertsons Library's website, you will want to click on the Using The Library title on the page. In this section, you will find a list of library services, and Interlibrary Loan is eight-item down the list. Click on Interlibrary Loan. 

Go to the ILL Interlibrary Loan login page and type in your Boise State username and password. A registration page will appear. Fill out your contact information and submit the form. The Main Menu will come up, and you can request materials.

How-To Videos

(Click Pictures to Access Videos)

Introduction to Albertsons Library Interlibrary Loan Video Script
Requesting Articles Using Interlibrary Loan Video Script
Requesting Books(and Other Physical Materials) Using Interlibrary Loan Video Script

As defined by the Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States (see sidebar), "Interlibrary loan is the process by which a library requests material from, or supplies material to, another library. ... The purpose of interlibrary loan as defined by this code is to obtain, upon request of a library user, material not available in the user's local library."

Libraries should follow the Interlibrary Loan Code for the United States, originally approved in 1917 and most recently revised in 2015 by the Codes, Guidelines, and Technical Standards Committee of the Sharing and Transforming Access to Resources Section (STARS) of the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association.  The RUSA Board approved revisions of Directors on January 11, 2016.  The ILL Code was also published in the Summer 2016 issue of the official RUSA journal, Reference & User Services Quarterly (v.55 no. 4, pp.306-307).  The Explanatory Supplement accompanies the U.S. ILL Code and is intended to amplify specific sections, providing fuller explanation and specific examples.

The U.S. ILL Code provides guidelines for exchanges between libraries in the United States when no other agreement applies.  The Code does not override individual, consortial, state, or regional agreements which may be more liberal or more prescriptive. 

All libraries are encouraged to participate in international interlibrary loan activities. When seeking a loan from a library outside the United States, follow the guidelines set forth by the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) in International Resource Sharing and Document Delivery: Principles and Guidelines for Procedure. See also Guidelines for Best Practice in Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery.

• International Resource Sharing and Document Delivery: Principles and Guidelines for Procedure

  Prepared by the IFLA Document Delivery and Resource Sharing Section in 2009.

• Guidelines for Best Practice in Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery

  Leaflet based on discussions held among members of the Document Delivery and Resource Sharing Section of IFLA.