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Interlibrary Loan: Requesting with I-Share & WorldCat

A how-to guide to requesting materials through Staley Library's interlibrary loan service.

I-Share & WorldCat

ILL requests for books, scores, and audio or video recordings may be placed through one of two systems:

  • I-Share - Services resumed July 20, 2020, however, due to varying member campus policies, not every I-Share Library has resumed full operation.
  • WorldCat/ ILLiad

Use these services when:

  • Staley Library's copy is checked out, missing, or lost
  • Staley Library doesn't own it

I-Share

I-Share is a collection of around 90 academic libraries across Illinois and a great way to get books and other materials quickly. The best way to find I-Share items to borrow is to select All I-Share Libraries as your search option in Millikin Library Discovery.

I-Share search box

When you find an item that looks interesting, click on the title. In the How to get it section of the page you can see all of the I-Share libraries that own the item. To see more details about a library's copy and if it is available click on the library's name. Click I-Share to request the item.

I-Share request option and library name highlighted in book record

At the request screen you will see the information about the item and you can select where you would like to pick up the item (probably Millikin University, but you can select any other I-Share library if that is more convenient for you). The system will check if there is a copy of the book available to borrow. If there is, click the Send Request button when you are ready.

I-Share request screen with pickup location and send request highlighted

A green message will appear letting you know that your request has been submitted. 

request submitted dialog window

You will receive an email, typically in 3-4 business days, when the item is available for pickup at the Library Services Desk.

If the I-Share system is not able to find an available copy, you will see a notice that there are "No items currently available through I-Share." At this point you can search for the item using WorldCat, or you can email ill@millikin.edu or call 217-424-6214 for assistance.

WorldCat & ILLiad

Always start your ILL process with the I-Share catalog, because I-Share libraries fill requests quickly and will be the most generous with due dates and renewals.

However, if you cannot find what you are looking for in I-Share, or your I-Share request was denied, you will have to broaden your search to public libraries and libraries outside of Illinois.

1)  Go to the Staley Library Homepage and then click on Start Your Research then Other Library Catalogs.

Start your research menu with other library catalogs highlighted

2)  Click on OCLC WorldCat.

other library catalogs page with OCLC WorldCat highlighted

3)  Type in the title of the item you are looking for (or keywords describing your research topic) into the search box(es). You may also want to limit to the format of the item (book, musical score, sound recording, etc.) you want. If so, use the "Limit type to" checkboxes. Click Search.

Screen shot of WorldCat search screen

4)  In the results list, click on the title of the item you want. 

Screen shot of title result in WorldCat

5)  Click on the link ILL/Request from other Library.

ILL/ Request from other library

6)  You will be routed to your ILLiad account. You may have to sign in to myMillikin before proceeding.

ILLiad title

7)  After you are signed in to myMillikin, you will be taken to a Book Request screen. Details for the book you wish to request should be entered in the form. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click Submit Request.  (If this is the first time you have used ILLiad, you may need to create an account in the system. If so, just fill in your details on the account creation screen and then proceed to your request.)

filled in book request form in ILLiad

 For information on using ILLiad to request articles, see "Requesting Articles with ILLiad" on this guide.

 If you are requesting a music score, you can also go directly to ILLiad and select "Music Score" from the "New Requests" menu option to submit the request.