Interlibrary Loan FAQs

Please first check the library catalog for required reading textbooks and study aids that may be housed in print in the Reading Room, Circulation Desk Reserves, Course Reserves, or Casebook Reserves, or made available through Controlled Digital Lending or West Academic Study Aids Online. Titles found in the print Reserves or accessible digitally are not eligible as ILLs.

Read the Law Library FAQ "Does the library have my casebook? Or other textbooks?" for more tips. For study aids, read the Law Library FAQ "Do I have access to electronic study aids?"

If you are experiencing difficulties getting an ordered casebook in time for your assignments, e.g., back order or mail delivery delays, please inform the faculty as it may be more of a widespread problem. Please consider asking your faculty to donate a copy of the textbook to the Law Library and we will place it on reserve for a three hour loan.

If you are assigned to read only certain pages out of a casebook, study aid, or textbook that is not accessible electronically or readily available in print in the Law Library, please ask your faculty to place a copy in Canvas or TWEN for your class. 

However, ILL libraries will not lend to you publications that are categorized as casebook, casebooks, study aids or any textbooks, of any edition. Also, ILL libraries will not process requests for copies / scans of content within such books.

Why?

• ILL libraries reserve their casebooks, study aids, and textbooks, regardless of  edition, for their own patrons to use.
• Obtaining copies of content within casebooks or textbooks infringes on fair use so ILL libraries will refuse to make such scans.
• Due to licensing, ILL libraries will not lend electronic formats of casebooks or textbooks. 

Unfortunately, casebook publishers will not sell electronic licenses with unlimited users to law libraries, and the Law Library is also unable to purchase individual access for you. Each academic year it is expected that students will purchase required casebooks and readings.

If you need pages out of a casebook, study aid, or textbook for anything other than for class or assigned reading, i.e., class paper, journal note, source collection assignment, or seminar research, you must include into the ILL request the name of your class / seminar and faculty, or journal. The textbook title will be checked against a required reading list for your class, or the requested citation may be verified with the journal editor. We will still be unable to borrow the whole casebook, study aid or textbook from ILL libraries as they would not lend such materials.