Interlibrary Loan

Borrow beyond TU and USM

Through interlibrary loan (ILL), you can access materials from a worldwide network of libraries.

To access your ILL account, sign in with your TU NetID and password.

Sign in

How does it work?

Submit a request, and we’ll send you an email when it’s ready to view online or pick up at the library.

Journal articles and book chapters

  • Requests are usually filled within 2 business days
  • Pages are scanned and delivered to your ILL account as a PDF
  • Files remain available online for 30 days
  • You can download or print your files before they expire

Books and other loans

  • Requests usually arrive within 2 weeks
  • Items can be sent to Cook Library, TU Northeastern, or TU at Shady Grove for pickup
  • The library that owns the item sets the due date
  • Some items can be renewed. We’ll send an email with instructions before the due date

What can I borrow?

We try our best to obtain the materials you need. For example:

  • articles
  • chapters
  • books

Some items may not be available. We generally can’t borrow textbooks, e-books, and materials in archives or special collections.

Who can use interlibrary loan?

Current TU students, faculty, and staff can use our interlibrary loan service.

Alumni are not eligible to use ILL, but do have lifetime borrowing privileges for Cook Library materials.

Contact Us

Email us at ill@towson.edu or call us at 410-704-3292. You'll hear back within 2 business days.