Q. How long after requesting a book or article should I receive my ILL item?

Hello,

It is difficult to predict how long it will take for an ILL item to arrive after you have requested it. It depends on a variety of factors, including the format of the item that you have requested, how many libraries own it, the demand for this item, library staffing, and even the distance between the lending library and ours.

Generally speaking, though, you can expect the following: 

• Books requested through ILL from partner libraries usually arrive within 4-7 days.
• Books requested through ILL from other libraries usually arrive within 5-10 days.
• Articles requested through ILL that UMD owns are usually delivered within 1-2 days.
• Articles requested through ILL that other libraries own are usually delivered within 1-3 days.

You can always check your ILL Services Account for the status of your item. If you are not sure what a given status means, or if you notice that an item has had the same status for more than a week, you can email the transaction number to us at docdel@umd.edu and ask for an update.  

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