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Research Assistant Guide

Resources for Research Assistants

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) and E-ZBorrow

If Temple University Libraries do not have the book or article you need, you can request it via E-ZBorrow or Interlibrary Loan (ILL). These methods can take some time, however, so plan accordingly.

  • WorldCat
    If you cannot find a book in the Temple Universities catalog, try searching for it in WorldCat. WorldCat is a network that allows you to simultaneously search thousands of library catalogs worldwide to see if the book exists elsewhere. If you can't find your book on WorldCat, double-check your spelling and try a few variations. Once you do find it in WorldCat, you can use the information in the record to make an E-ZBorrow or ILL request. It's also worth checking to see if WorldCat lists an electronic version of the material; these records sometimes include links to publicly-accessible electronic versions.

  • E-ZBorrow
    E-ZBorrow is an expedited interlibrary loan service using the collections of regional libraries. E-ZBorrow is the better option for book retrieval because it’s simpler, faster, has long checkout periods, and incurs less cost for Temple. Use the E-ZBorrow link, enter your id number, and search for the book of interest, then hit the request button when you find it.

  • Interlibrary Loan (ILL)
    You can use ILL to request articles as well as books, and ILL draws from an international group of libraries, so it has a much broader collection than E-ZBorrow. Users first need to register for Illiad (the ILL client) here. When filling out the form, you can use a book’s WorldCat entry to find the material's ISBN and/or OCLC number.

  • I made my request. What happens now?
    If you requested a book, Temple University Libraries will send you an email when the book arrives. You can pick it up at Charles Library from the shelves behind the one-stop desk. If you requested an article via ILL, it will be emailed to you.

  • This is not intuitive. Help!
    The Temple Law Library staff is happy to assist with interlibrary loans. Just stop by the Research Help Desk or email tulawlib@temple.edu for assistance.