Interlibrary Loan FAQs

Ambiguous References, Incomplete Citations & Research Requests

As a Georgetown Law Library patron, you may ask assistance from Reference Services to help you verify the existence of and the exact citation to a vaguely described work, study or report that is associated with a scholar, professor, or researcher and where the publication is unnamed.

This Law Library ILL service can only process complete, unambiguous citations for materials that have been published, or verified as existing since ILL libraries will only accept such requests. Therefore, (a) incomplete citations, (b) forthcoming works (with "estimated" citations), (c) working drafts, (d) incorrectly cited works, (e) citations correctly formatted but fabricated by AI tools, (f) non-existing full-length manuscripts to conference abstracts, and (g) vaguely referenced works (that are found mentioned, but not cited, in published or unpublished content) cannot be submitted to other libraries to process.

This Law Library ILL service and ILL-participating libraries are unable to perform on a Georgetown Law Library patron's behalf the level of research that is necessary to identify and verify the exact citation to (a) an ambiguously mentioned reference, (b) a work that has yet to be formally published (in any format), (c) an item that has not been formally cataloged in WorldCat, or (d) a print material that has not be collected by ILL libraries. For example, this ILL service cannot identify for you the exact passage or argument within an article, chapter or book to which the citing author fails to provide a pinpoint page number.

To identify a citation to a forthcoming work, or newly accepted manuscript, anyone may contact the publisher for confirmation and citation information. This Law Library ILL service is unable to process requests based upon "estimated" or proposed future citations by the author or publisher. As a library-to-library service, this office is unable to obtain a manuscript proof from the publisher. Works previously cited as "forthcoming" may be requested through this Law Library ILL service only after they are formally published, when copies are owned by ILL-participating libraries, and by submitting the exact citation to the final, published version.

Ceased-in-Print Publications

Many publishers are no longer producing their publications in a printed format in addition to their web-published version. These include journals, newspapers, trade or professional magazines, conference proceedings, state regulations, special interest newsletters, etc. Georgetown Law Center members who need assistance citing to an online or electronic publication, may contact the Reference Desk. The Reference Desk may also be consulted to help (a) verify that a publication is still published in print and (b) find the citation that accurately reflects the print-published version in order to submit an accurate citation into the ILLiad reqeust form.

The following are not eligible for borrowing regardless of the purpose of their use:

• Any titles (regardless of edition) housed within the Law Library's Circulation Reserves, Course Reserves, Casebook Reserves, Reference Collection or accessible electronically, and available materials cataloged as Library Use Only.
• Study aids of any edition, in any format, as a number of them can be found in our collection.
  • Study aids in the library include: Examples & Explanations, Nutshells, Hornbooks, Understanding Series, Concepts & Insights, Turning Point, Questions & Answers, Sum & Substance. Instead, check "Where can Georgetown University Law Center students find legal-subject study aids, either in print or online?" FAQ for possible online options.
  • Use the study aids listed in a Treatise Finder.
• Audio books, even law-related ones, in any format (e.g. CDs, audio files, etc.).

These materials are types of items not loaned by ILL-participating libraries:

• Casebooks, coursebooks or textbooks & assigned readings: Please check "Can Required Readings & Casebooks Be Requested?"
• Primary sources in print, such as state or federal codes: Please check the "Can Primary Law Materials Be Obtained?" Also check the "U.S. Primary Sources & Topical Reporters" research guide for Law Library online access or print options.  For state primary sources, please check in a state's research guide for online options.
• Looseleaf topical reporters: Please check the "U.S. Primary Sources & Topical Reporters" research guide for Law Library online access or print options to topical reporters.
• Entire issues or volumes of print periodicals or original newspapers. However, if a periodical has been microfilmed, the Law Library may be able to borrow a set of reels or fiche.
• Digital audio files (e.g. MP3s) of music, books, etc.; online video or streaming files; games in any format, for any platform (e.g. apps, XBox, etc.).
• Reference books (e.g. dictionaries, encyclopedia, etc.). Please submit requests for specific entries, pages, sections or chapters from such publications.
• Rare materials; special collection items; archival materials; manuscripts; genealogical items; books published more than 100 years ago. For materials that are outside of copyrights, check HathiTrust (log in with your Georgetown NetID and Password) and Internet Archive for digital replications.

For materials that cannot be obtained for personal or leisure purposes, check Can Materials for Personal or Leisure Use be Requested?

These materials are types of items not found in the general collections at ILL-participating libraries:

• Case briefs and court documents that have been not microfilmed and found only in court houses or at NARA. Please contact the court clerk office or NARA directly.
• Materials that would be requested under FOIA. Submit a FOIA request to the appropriate agency.
• Special, unique collection materials, such as original, historical papers, manuscripts, or letters (that have not been microfilmed), held by special collections or manuscripts departments or archive institutions, like NARA and the Library of Congress Manuscripts Division. Contact the holding institution or archive directly.

Infringing on Fair Use & ILL Libraries' Policies

• Though Georgetown Law Library patrons may request to have a certain amount of pages within a large work, or collection of works to be copied, ILL-participating libraries are restricted by copyrights on how much content they are able to scan, or by online licenses on how much they can download.
• If in this ILL service's assessment a request infringes on fair use, we reserve the right to borrow the entire physical book instead, if such a format exists and available for loans at ILL libraries.