Services for Distance Learners

We are currently only able to get physical books to students who are located in the state of Illinois or who have the ability to visit one of our I-Share locations in Illinois.

If you are not located in the state of Illinois and need a physical item, we encourage you to contact a local institution that you are a member of to see if they are able to request the book you need. Contact the owner of this guide, seen on the left, if you need help finding a local institution.

If you are a student who lives within or near the state of Illinois, but are not on or near an Illinois Tech campus, start by searching in the I-Share Catalog, which will search the catalogs of 90 other research institutions that we have borrowing agreements with. See below for instructions on how to place a request and return physical items held by Galvin Library or an I-Share institution.

When you find an item you want to borrow on I-Share:

1. Search using the catalog linked above.
2. Click on the item title from the search results list
3. Look for the "How to get it" section. If you are not logged into your library account, you will see a yellow bar that says, "Please sign in to check if there are any request options." Click on the red link next to this that says "Sign in". You will be prompted to login via IIT Portal.
4. Under "How to get it", click on the bar that says, "I-Share".
5. The form should autofill, but if it does not, add in any necessary information. Be sure to select a pick-up institution near you.
6. Click "Send Request". You should receive an email confirmation when your item is ready to pick-up.

To return an I-Share or Galvin Library book, simply return the book to your nearest I-Share institution.

If you live within Illinois and are unable to find the item you need from an I-Share institution, we are able to ship interlibrary loan materials to students who live in the state. See below for instructions on how to place a request and return these items.

Use WorldCat, linked below, to find an item. When you find an item you want to borrow on WorldCat:

1. Click on the item title from the search results list
2. Under the section "Get This Item", click on the link that reads, "Request Item via Tipasa"
3. You will be prompted to log into MyILL, our interlibrary loan management system. There, you will complete your request.
4. Fill out the appropriate information, and in the notes field, indicate that you are a distance learner.
5. The library will ship materials to you, free of charge, but you are responsible for paying for return shipping.

For more information on MyILL and our interlibrary loan services, see the InterLibrary Loan page of our Checking Things Out guide. MyILL services are free to the IIT community.

Items borrowed through WorldCat must be returned to Galvin Library. 

Because the borrower is responsible for the item until it is safely in our hands, we strongly suggest that items be returned via USPS or UPS with insurance and a tracking number. Replacement fees for items not received by IIT Libraries will be charged to your student account. Please return items in the envelope provided to:

Paul V. Galvin Library - IIT
35 W. 33rd Street
Chicago, IL 60616-3793

Attn: Distance Learning

Items should be returned at least one week before due so that they arrive by the due date.