What if the University of Kansas does not have the book I need?
- "KU has the book I want but it is unavailable, what should I do?"
- “What happens if KU doesn’t own the text I’m looking for?”
- “What should I do if the material I need isn’t available at KU?”
- “What are my options if KU doesn’t have the book I need?”
- “How can I get a book that KU does not have?”
Answer
If KU does not have the book you need, you can request it through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) or suggest that the library purchase it. If KU does own the book but it is lost or currently unavailable, you can request it through ILL.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) allows you to borrow books or receive scans of chapters from other libraries. There are restrictions on what can be requested through ILL https://ref.lib.ku.edu/faq/439697 and unlikely to get textbooks for classes https://ref.lib.ku.edu/faq/436817.
-
Request ILL: Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
-
New to ILL? Instructions for first-time users
-
Use your regular KU login, then your last name, with the first letter capitalized, to set it up. After that, you would use your regular KU login and password to access ILL.
-
Steps to request:
-
Log in to WebRetrieve.
-
Click “Make a Request” at the top.
-
Select the appropriate option and complete the form.
Suggest a purchase
Suggesting a purchase is a good way to help the library collection staff know what our patrons need. Though if you need the book faster, you should use ILL. You can submit a purchase request here: https://lib.ku.edu/purchaserequest