Frequently Asked Questions about Interlibrary Loan
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service for requesting materials not available within the CSUN Collections. Requests are fulfilled using CSU+ and partnerships with other libraries.
Currently enrolled CSUN students, currently employed CSUN faculty and staff and Emeritus faculty are entitled to ILL services.
If you have overdue items or owe fees for lost/damaged materials, you will be unable to make ILL requests. You will need to clear any blocks by returning overdue items or resolving any lost/damaged item fees. See Fees and Potential Holds for Overdue, Lost, or Damaged Library Materials and Equipment for more information.
Courtesy card holders, such as Alumni and Friends of the Library, should obtain Interlibrary Loan Services at their local public library.
There is no fee for eligible users to utilize our ILL services.
Books, media, articles and book chapters (usually available via email within 72 hours).
Items owned by the University Library that have been checked out by another user, declared missing, or overdue in the catalog can also be requested.
The following materials may normally not be borrowed: books owned by the University Library, reference books, genealogical items, books recently published or in high demand; entire periodical issues or volumes; newspapers unless available on microform; non-book materials such as audiovisual recordings; materials for reserve or group use; and rare or valuable materials such as manuscripts.
Use the Interlibrary Loan request form or look up the title in OneSearch and make sure you are signed in so the request option will appear. When requesting to borrow a book the library does not own, there will be an option to request the entire book or a book chapter. For a book chapter request, the option to get a digital copy will show up.
To request an item through CSU+, look up the title in OneSearch and make sure you are signed in so the request option will appear. When requesting to borrow a book the library does not own, there will be an option to request the entire book or a book chapter. For a book chapter request, the option to get a digital copy will show up.
New CSU+ request options for loan or book chapter:
- First option: Get a physical copy - Delivery estimated in 3 business days or Delivery estimated in 7 business days. Keep it for 112 days (Delivery and loan periods my vary depending on the lender). GET IT button activates request.
- Second option: Need a book chapter? - Second option: Need a book chapter? - Delivery estimated in 24 hours via email and also available for download from your OneSearch account. GET IT button activates the request. You may login to OneSearch to check the status of this request. If you do not receive a digital copy in 72 hours, please contact InterLibrary Loan.
CSU+ request option for articles:
Get a digital copy from another library (terms to be supplied). GET IT button activates request.
Digital article and book chapter copies usually arrive within 24 to 72 hours. Physical items may take around 5 days if your item is coming from a CSU library, and 7 to 14 business days if it is coming from a non-CSU library.
Delivery time depends on several factors, including the availability of the item, the location of the potential lending library, shipping speed, and the accuracy of the information provided in your request. To avoid delays, please ensure you are using the correct request form with complete and accurate information and use a “Not Needed After” date that is at least 3 weeks away. Requests with incorrect or missing information may experience delays.
**Pro-tip: These are estimated delivery times! The library always tries to fulfill requests as quickly as possible, but timing of your request, library staffing, and mail delivery can all impact the actual delivery date.
Interlibrary Loan will notify you via email. The information you provide in your OneSearch user profile will determine where you are notified when the material arrives. Interlibrary Loan materials may be picked up on campus using the Library's Locker Pickup Service which is available 6:00am–10:00pm, seven days a week. Your Interlibrary Loan item(s) will be held in the locker for 6 days. You may request more time to pick up your Interlibrary Loan item(s) from the library lockers before the 6 days are up by contacting the Guest Services desk at librenew@csun.edu or (818) 677-2274. If your loan is not picked up in 6 days Interlibrary Loan will return the item(s) back to the lending institution and you will need to submit a new request.
Loan periods vary depending on the lending library:
- Items borrowed from CSU libraries typically have a loan period of 16 weeks
- Non-CSU items loan periods are estimated at 112 days, but may vary.
Items are not renewable. If you still need an item after its due date, it must be returned. Once it’s checked in, you may submit a new request for the same title.
Yes! Distance learners enrolled in Tseng College programs can request materials through Interlibrary Loan. Interlibrary Loan offers free home delivery and return via FedEx for eligible students.
For full details and instructions, visit our Distance Learner Guide.
You can cancel a CSU+ request by logging into your library account through OneSearch.
- Go to your Library Account
- Click on "Requests"
- Find the item you want to cancel
- Select "Cancel"
Note: You can only cancel a request before it has been shipped by the lending library. If the item is already in transit or has been processed for delivery, cancellation may no longer be possible. If you are unable to cancel the request or need assistance, contact the Interlibrary Loan department.
You may return items inside the Library during Library open hours at the Guest Services desk on the 1st floor or you may return the loans to one of the Library book drop bins* at any time. More information, including what types of items should not be returned to the book drops can be found in our Returning Library Materials/Book Drops page.
*Please note: Items returned to book drops are not cleared from your account until the items are inspected by University Library staff which can take up to a week to process.
For assistance with Interlibrary Loan services or to request in-person help by appointment, contact us at:
- Email: interlibrary.loan@csun.edu
- Phone: (818) 677-2294
You can check the status of your request anytime by signing in to your OneSearch account.
The conditions of this service are set by the National Interlibrary Loan Code, 1980 (adopted by the American Library Association), the CSU Interlibrary Borrowing System agreement, the regulations of individual lending libraries and the polices of CSUN Library.