Interlibrary Loan (ILL) | Schaffer Library

Schaffer Library participates in a reciprocal borrowing and lending service called Interlibrary Loan (ILL) to supplement its collections. Through this service, Union College students, faculty, and staff have free access to articles, books, and media from libraries worldwide to support their teaching, learning, and research.

Beginning Fall 2025, Schaffer Library’s interlibrary loan (ILL) service will be primarily offered through the Primo discovery system. The ILLiad system will continue to be offered to Union members, but as a secondary system and only as needed. All users are encouraged to begin their ILL request process in Primo.

Manage your ILL requests in ILLiad. For any questions about interlibrary loan (ILL), please email unionill@union.edu.

Interlibrary Loan Policy

Interlibrary loan (ILL) at Schaffer Library is available to Union College students, faculty, and staff. Community users interested in ILL should contact their home or public library for access to materials outside of the Schaffer Library collections.
Users are encouraged to see if Schaffer Library owns the resource (book, article, etc.) before they place an ILL request. If an ILL request is placed for an item currently available in the Schaffer Library collections, the ILL request will be canceled and the item will be placed on hold for the user. In the event that we are unable to locate an item through the ILL process, we will contact you with options for alternative access.
Request processing times may vary, and all lending policies for ILL items are set by the lending library. Please refer to the lending paperwork that came with your item for specific lending requirements.
Users may receive messages from one or both ILL systems (Primo/ILLiad), depending on the request. Please read all messages carefully for important information regarding availability, due dates, renewals, etc.
Requests and Renewals
There are two ways to place an interlibrary loan (ILL) request.
In Primo:

Be sure to log into Primo to make sure you have all options available to you!
1. Use the Primo option for WorldCat or SUNY to find an item not available at Union College.
2. Click on the item that you wish to borrow from another library.
3. Under “How to Get It,” choose “Borrow from another library” to start the interlibrary loan process.
Login to Primo
In ILLiad:
1. Make sure you have as much information about your item before using ILLiad.
2. Log into ILLiad.
3. Choose the type of item you wish to borrow from another library (e.g., book, article, etc.)
4. Fill out the form to request your item.
Login to ILLiad
When a book or media request is ready to pick up, users will receive an email notification that their item is available on the Schaffer Library hold shelf. No further action (checkout) is needed. Each item will contain ILL paperwork that indicates the request and item information, along with due date and renewal options. Please retain all paperwork throughout the item loan for return processing.
All ILL request and loan information is available online through a user’s My Library Card or ILLiad account. Users are encouraged to regularly check their account.
Information for Partner Institutions
For libraries interested in borrowing from Schaffer Library, please see the important information below.
Schaffer Library OCLC Symbol: ZWU
Capital District Library Council (CDLC) members should use the CDLC LiNX system.
Schaffer Library lends circulating materials in the following formats:
- Print monographs/books
- Compact discs (CDs)
- Digital video discs (DVDs)
Requests for items in other formats will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Please ensure all requests include complete and accurate citation information. Incomplete or inaccurate requests may result in processing delays or cancellations.
Item availability is subject to change at any time during the request process. Schaffer Library reserves the right to cancel interlibrary loan requests at its discretion.
The standard loan period is eight (8) weeks, with one renewal permitted. Loan conditions may vary by item. If a different loan period applies, it will be indicated on the interlibrary loan (ILL) documentation.
Materials are shipped with consideration to size, condition, cost, and efficiency. While we aim to accommodate preferences, we cannot guarantee specific delivery times, services, or carriers.
Items are considered overdue up to 30 days past the due date. After this period, they will be deemed lost.
In the event of loss or damage, we request a replacement copy in excellent condition or better. While invoices may be provided, we strongly prefer receiving replacement copies.