What address should I use to register?

When registering with Interlibrary Loan, students, faculty, and staff should use their campus address if they are not residents of the Southern Maryland tricounty area (St. Mary's, Charles, and Calvert). Otherwise, use your in-county home address for lasting privileges.

I can't login to my ILL account!

• If it has been more than a year since your last login, your account password likely needs reset, you can attempt to reset it yourself through "forgot password", or you can email ill@smcm.edu.
• If your account has been "blocked," you likely have not returned an overdue item and cannot place more requests until that item is returned.
• If your account is "disavowed," the barcode you entered is no longer in use. You likely have a new OneCard with a different barcode number attached to your ILL account.

What can I request from Interlibrary Loan?

• Books
• Articles
• Book chapters
• Theses/Dissertations
• DVDs
• CDs
• Sheet music
• Microfilm
• Patents
• Conference papers
• Standard documents

Although requestable, availability is not guaranteed.

Why can't I get an ebook from Interlibrary Loan?

Due to copyright restrictions and licensing agreements, many eBooks aren't available for interlibrary loan. Digital materials often come with rules that limit sharing between libraries.

My request got cancelled! What do I do now?

We cancel requests for several reasons. You should have received an email stating the exact reason.


Most commonly, we cancel requests due to their availability via USMAI or "Title available from USMAI." This means that a partnering Maryland academic library has your material available for request from them through OneSearch. We do not borrow from other non-USMAI libraries until USMAI availability has been exhausted. More information about that can be found through our USMAI libguide.

We also commonly cancel requests due to the following reason: "This article is free and publicly available in full text." This means that we have access to a published, PDF version of your article through the library's OneSearch, likely as a link from "Get PDF" or "Download PDF."

How long will it take for my materials to arrive?

• Articles and digital PDFs typically arrive in 24-48 hours if submitted during a weekday.
• Books and other physical media typically arrive in about 10-14 days.

You will receive an email notification when your loan is available.

How will my item get to me?

• Articles and book chapters are delivered electronically via email.
• Books and other physical materials will be sent to our circulation desk for pickup.

Is there a limit on how many requests I can have at one time?

There is currently no limit on requests.

Can I place ILL requests over break?

Yes, you can place ILL requests over break. If the library is closed, they will not be processed until the library reopens. Lending libraries may also be on break, which can delay shipping and arrival.

What should I do if I get a new OneCard?

Please register again as a first-time user and use your new barcode number as your username. ILL staff will merge your old and new accounts so you can still see your request history.

Who do I contact if I have problems with or questions about ILLiad?

Email us at ill@smcm.edu