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Research Guides

Access & Borrowing

Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary loan (ILL) allows the GC community to request items—articles, book chapters, books, media items, conference papers, dissertations, entire boxes of microfilm rolls, to mention a few—from libraries near and far.

Ready to make an ILL request? Log in to your ILL account.

Quick Tips for GC Community Borrowers

To get your materials quicker, 

  • Check whether the GC library has the material you need: Start in OneSearch.
  • Request from OneSearch: 
    • Use the "Request" tab to request a book or media item from other CUNY libraries, or
    • Use the "More Options" tab to request it via interlibrary loan from libraries beyond CUNY
  • Request from Worldcat: If the book or media item is not in OneSearch, use the Worldcat link on top to find it, then from the record, use the "Request through Interlibrary Loan" link to request it.
  • Request from Google Scholar: Use Google Scholar through the GC library website. If there is no full-text access, click on More > Find It @ CUNY! to request it.
  • Request from Databases: Consult subject specialists' guides for recommendations, or choose from the GC's full list of databases. If there is no full-text of the article you need, click on Find It @ CUNY! to request it.
  • Save time and typing:  In databases, use the "Find It @ CUNY" link, and in Worldcat, the "Request through Interlibrary Loan" link, to auto-fill requests.
  • Request scans of book chapters: If you need just a chapter from a book, try a Book Chapter request to get a scanned PDF. In general, you can request one chapter per book or up to about 50 pages.
  • We send notifications via email. If you are not getting our emails, check your spam folder/settings for ill@gc.cuny.edu.

Scan and Deliver Local Print Material

Request Scan & Deliver from the GC library: request scans of print material available at the GC library, delivered electronically within 24 hours (Monday-Friday). Request up to a single article from a journal issue, or a single chapter from a book, as an Article or Book Chapter request through interlibrary loan.

Alternatives to ILL

Can't wait for delivery?  Here are a few local options if you prefer to get material in person.

  • METRO cards - GC reference librarians can issue cards that let you go to other libraries. Stop by the reference desk or contact us at library@gc.cuny.edu

Information for Other Libraries

Requesting Loans/Copies from The Graduate Center (CUNY)

Librarians: 

  • Submit an interlibrary loan request via OCLC, or
  • Email us at ill@gc.cuny.edu

Individuals: 

  • Ask your librarian about submitting an interlibrary loan request

Information for Other Libraries: Dissertations

GC dissertations may be available through:

  • Academic Works, our institutional repository
  • The ProQuest Dissertations database

If a dissertation is not accessible from either, request it via interlibrary loan. 

Librarians: 

Individuals: 

  • Ask your librarian about submitting an interlibrary loan request