Using the Library

If an item is unavailable through the UCA Library, UCA students, faculty, and staff can request it through interlibrary loan (ILL). Students can request when currently enrolled and classes are in session, and faculty or staff can request items at any time. The last semester day for students to request books or other physical items is posted on our interlibrary loan website. 

Quick Facts:

• On average, physical items arrive in 7-12 days, whereas electronic items such as articles may be available in 2-4 days.
• Items can sometimes take longer due to availability, shipping, and the location of the lending library. 
• Books or DVDS ready for your use can be checked out in person at the Circulation Desk.
• Status updates are available in your library account. If you have questions or concerns, please email the ILL Office at ill@uca.edu.

Getting started

1. Visit our interlibrary loan website, and log into your library account using your myUCA username and password. The Interlibrary Loan FAQs on the ILL website include helpful introductory information.
2. We suggest starting your research on the UCA Library website to find quality resources efficiently. You will discover items available through the UCA Library, as well as items to request from other libraries using the convenient Request Document Delivery or Interlibrary Loan button. Requests submitted through our library website take full advantage of the system’s capabilities and may be received faster than manual requests. A Discovery search bar is provided on the library website front page, or you can search in specific databases through our A-Z Databases.
3. If you know the item you want to request, use the Discovery search bar on our library website to find the article or book title. For detailed search instructions, view How do I find a book using the Discovery search tool? If the item is unavailable through our library, click to expand your search to Libraries Worldwide. 
4. Once you locate the article or book title with the correct year/format/citation information, click on the item title and then click the Request Document Delivery or Interlibrary Loan button. The citation information will fill in automatically, and then you can click submit. Note: You're welcome to try to request a full ebook, but please keep in mind that availability is limited.

5. If the item is not found on the library website, access your library account and click the CREATE REQUEST button at the right. Manually enter the item information (title, author, journal title, publication date, etc.) and submit the request. If you need additional citation information, search the item's title on the WorldCat website.

Please note:

• When an item is ready for your use, you will receive an email to your UCA email account unless you have set up an alternative email in your Library Account's Profile.
• If you are searching for hard-to-find books or monographs, use the WorldCat database, which provides additional search options. You can still click to Request via Interlibrary Loan and fill in citation information automatically. This database is also accessible through our library A-Z Databases page.