InterLibrary Loan (ILL): Policy Page

This free service gives Purdue Northwest faculty, staff, students, emeritus faculty, and official retirees access to books, articles, book chapters, DVDs, microfilm, sheet music, and more from libraries across the country. Most requests are completely free for PNW users. In rare cases—such as hard-to-find or foreign-language materials—there may be a small fee (typically $15–$30). If that happens, our ILL staff will always contact you first for approval before moving forward.

Please note: Visitor cards do not include ILL access.

PNW uses Tipasa, an online system for placing and managing ILL requests.

• Register with your PNW email address to set up your account.
• Place, track, and renew requests entirely online.
• Registration is available to current PNW students, faculty, and staff only.

• Books: Usually delivered within 7 days, but may take longer if hard to obtain.
• Articles/Chapters: Typically arrive within a few days.
• Some items may have restrictions (e.g., no renewals or library use only).

• Renewals depend on the lender’s approval.
• Requests must be made before the due date.
• If denied, the item will be recalled and must be returned promptly.

• Items must be returned within 5 days of a recall or overdue notice.
• Failure to return items will result in a block on your ILL account until the material is returned.

• Patrons are responsible for the safe return of borrowed items.
• If items are lost or damaged, the lending library’s replacement cost will be charged to the borrower.