Interlibrary loan rejections and solutions

You need a specific book or article for your research, but it is not available at the UvA University Library. You could ask me -as your librarian- to purchase it. But it could be quicker to make an online request to borrow the work from another university library. This is called Interlibrary Loan (ILL). With the database Worldcat Discovery you can find out which Dutch libraries have the item in their collection and make a request for it online. However, not all requests are granted. Here are six common reasons for rejecting ILL items that I have encountered and options on what to do next.



1. The paper book has already been lend
You have found a paper version of the book in Worldcat Discovery. But if you click there on the library that owns the copy, it turns out that the book has already been lend to someone.   
➤ ➤➤ What to do? Check if it is available at another University Library via Worldcat Discovery. Otherwise make a purchase request for the book to me via email.


2. You have requested an ebook* 
Only paper books can be borrowed via ILL. Ebooks can be viewed via the platform of a supplier. (see blogpost on ebooks).
➤ ➤➤ What to do? Within Worldcat Discovery you can see which libraries offer the requested ebook. Contact the particular library and see if it is possible to view the ebook there. 


3. The book is already available at the UvA
The specific item you need is available in the UvA collection already, but at that moment borrowed to sombody else and reserved by others. It is not possible to order the item via an ILL request form.
➤➤➤ What to do? Go to a the online form on our CONTACT page and ask for an ILL request of the book.


4. The requested item is rare, old and/or fragile
A 19th Century book -for instance- or a rare book can not be borrowed via ILL. Usually items from a university library special collection ("Bijzondere Collections" at the UvA) Visitors are only alloud to view the item in the Reading Room.
➤➤➤ What to do? Contact the specific library and ask if you could view it there. 


5. The library does not participate with ILL delivery
Collections of certain organisations, like museums or ArtEZ, can be found within Worldcat Discovery, but do not participate in lending it to others with ILL.
➤➤➤ What to do? Contact the specific library and ask if you could view it there.


6. The book is only available abroad
The item you are searching for can only be found in libraries abroad. The ILL-form within Worldcat Discovery will reject your request.
➤➤➤ What to do? You can order an interlibrary loan via a different form


Tip: check availability
The book on the right is available as a paper version at the Hogeschool Rotterdam. But if you click on Request this item via Interlibrary loan, fill in the form and send it, your request will be rejected. Why? If you would click on the link of the Hogeschool Rotterdam you will see in their catalogue system that they do not have the paper version, but the ebook.

Mistakes like these do occur in Worldcat Discovery. That is why you always have to check if the paper version is available at the organisation mentioned. In this case you should click on: Hogeschool Rotterdam

If it still is rejected it could be because of one of the reasons mentioned above. Email a purchase request to me.


Quick Links

* Check for more information on this topic the interesting blog post of Raymond Snijders of Hogeschool Windesheim.



(updated post on 2nd December 2020) 

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