How to Place an Interlibrary Loan at UA Libraries (2026)

If you need to access materials such as books or articles that are not currently available in the University of Alabama's collection, you can utilize the interlibrary loan service to request these resources from other institutions. To begin this process, visit the UA Libraries homepage and click on the "interlibrary loan" link located in the upper right corner of the screen, which directs you to ILLIAD, the university's dedicated interlibrary loan system. Upon your first login to ILLIAD, you will be asked to complete a form with your contact information, after which you must select whether you are an on-campus student who wants to pick up items or a distance learning student who prefers to receive them via mail. When making a specific request, the process varies slightly depending on the type of material you need. If you are requesting an article, you should use the "new request" drop-down menu and select "scan," noting that if the item is accessed through one of the library's databases, the form will often already be populated with the necessary details. For requests involving books or other physical items, you must select the "physical item" option before proceeding with the same steps. It is important to provide as much information as possible in these forms, as having complete details allows the library team to process and fulfill your request more quickly. Once a request is submitted, on-campus students will be able to collect their items from the Gorgas Circulation Desk, while distance learning students will have the materials mailed directly to their addresses. Interlibrary loan requests are generally fulfilled quite rapidly, and you will be contacted by a member of the ILL team once your item is ready for pickup or delivery. If there are any issues with the request or if you have further questions regarding the status of your items, you can reach out to the staff directly at ILL staff@ua.edu for assistance.