Requesting Materials (ILLiad System)

The links below will connect you to the Becker Library Interlibrary Loan Service. If you are with the Washington University Danforth Campus or the School of Law, please submit your ILL requests to the ILL services through University Libraries or the Law Library.

Interlibrary Loan (ILLiad) services incur fees dependent upon your affiliation with Washington University School of Medicine. View the Fee Table.

Log In as a Returning UserCreate an ILLiad Account (New Users)

Select “Create” if you’re unsure whether you already have an account or not

Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery Services

Use the library’s ILLiad online request system (links above) to:

  • Request materials not owned by Becker Medical Library (“interlibrary loan”).
  • Request scans of physical materials owned by Becker Medical Library (“document delivery”).
  • Request materials physically housed at Becker Medical Library – the item(s) will be pulled and held at the Information Services Desk for you to pick up at no charge.

You may also log in to ILLiad to:

  • Revise pending requests.
  • Check request status.
  • Resubmit canceled ILLiad requests.
  • Update ILLiad account information.

Requests are fulfilled electronically whenever possible. Books or AV materials are held at the Becker Library Information desk for you to pick up.

Useful ILLiad Information

Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery Fees

Becker Library covers a portion of the cost of obtaining, shipping and/or scanning documents to fulfill ILLiad requests, and a small portion is passed along to patrons through the fees outlined below. However, some documents such as patents or non-U.S. theses can only be obtained from commercial vendors, which can be extremely expensive. If the cost of obtaining a particular document exceeds $25, we may need to pass on additional charges and will contact you for approval before placing such an order.

Affiliation Charge Per Request
WUSTL Medical School Students* No Charge
WUSTL Medical School Faculty, Staff, Residents, Fellows, and Postdocs $6
BJH and SLCH $8
Library Member $14

* Interlibrary loans are free for students currently enrolled in a WUSM program when used for personal research or classroom purposes. Fees will be required for requests made on behalf of others.

Interlibrary Loan Periods

For items borrowed from another library, the length of the loan period and any restrictions on using the item are determined by the lending library. Bernard Becker Medical Library honors all rules established by lenders. Most borrowed items have a two-week loan period, though some materials have much shorter loan periods.

Notification When Requests are Ready for Pick-up

ILLiad will send you an email message telling you what item has arrived. If the item is held for pick-up, the message will tell you that the item is being held at the Becker Medical Library circulation desk. If the item is mailed to your address, the email message will tell you the address to which we mailed the photocopy. If the item is a PDF or electronic copy, the e-mail will provide instructions for viewing and downloading the PDF file.

Interlibrary Loan Renewals

Items are automatically renewed for you wherever possible. You will receive a notice of your item’s due date. Renewal policies for each item are determined by the lending library, not by Becker Medical Library.

Returning Borrowed Items

Please return all Interlibrary Loan materials directly to the Becker Medical Library Circulation Desk.

When you return a book, microfilm reel, or other item you borrowed through Interlibrary Loan, please be sure that the ILLiad identification sticker remains on the item so it will be clearly identified as an interlibrary loan item. (Photocopies do not need to be returned.)

Canceling a Request

You may cancel a request by logging into your ILLiad account and you will not be charged if your request has not yet been processed.

Copyright Issues

Bernard Becker Medical Library at Washington University School of Medicine complies with the National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works Guidelines on Photocopying Under Interlibrary Loan Arrangements when fulfilling interlibrary loan and document delivery requests. In the rare case that we have already reached the allowed maximum for the item you have requested, we have several alternatives for filling your request and will try our best to fulfill your request.