If you're unable to find an article through our databases, Find a Journal, and Google Scholar, that probably means that we don't have access to it through any of our subscriptions and that it's not freely available anywhere online. If the article closely fits your project and you need it for your research, your next step would be to request it through interlibrary loan (ILL).
ILL is a service that allows you to request articles or books that aren't available through the SU Library. There is no cost to the user.
There are two ways to start an ILL request:
When you place an ILL request, you'll have the option to request the item as a "copy" or as a "loan." A copy is an digital version of the item, usually in PDF or TIFF format, that will be sent to you electronically through email. Articles, ebook chapters, and book chapters are usually sent as copies. Print books and ebooks cannot be sent as copies because libraries aren't legally able to scan or send a copy of an entire book. A loan is a physical version of the item that will be sent to the SU Library for you to pick up and take home for a specified amount of time. Print books are usually sent as loans.
Another option you'll see in the request form is the "need by date." When you place a request, the need by date must be at least two (2) business days in the future. It tells us the last possible date you can make use of the item. Think of this as a hard deadline--if you say you need the item by this Friday, that means that you're no longer interested if we're unable to get the item by this Friday and you'd like your request to be canceled. We recommend not using this date as a "want by" date, because if you tell us that you want it by Tuesday and we can't get it, your request will be canceled after midnight.
ILL is not instantaneous. When you submit an ILL request, the SU Library staff processes your request; this is done five days a week, on Mondays through Fridays. After that, we ask other libraries to send the item, and it takes time for the owning library to respond and fill your request. Be prepared for it to take at least 4-8 business days for the request to be filled. Articles usually arrive sooner, but books often take longer, especially if they're being mailed via USPS. The sooner you place a request and the more flexible your need-by date, the better the chances that you'll receive it in time.
For copies, your request will be sent via electronic delivery. You'll receive an email with a link and a password to access it. Please download the article as soon as you receive it, because the link is only good for 30 days or 5 views, whichever comes first. By downloading the item, you're able to keep using it for longer than the 30-day/5-view limit.
For loans, your item will be sent to the SU Library for pickup. You'll receive an automated email when the item is available. Come to the library during our open hours to pick up your item. You'll need your SU ID card and will need to sign a form confirming that you picked up the item.
For more information on ILL, read our full FAQ or email ill@stevenson.edu.
