Interlibrary Loan - BLC Virtual Catalog and ILLiad

Which Interlibrary Loan service should I use?

Tufts provides two services to students and staff for requesting books from other libraries: ILLiad and the BLC Virtual Catalog. The Virtual Catalog searches libraries in the Boston Metro area and allows you to select the library from which you would prefer to borrow. Articles can not be requested through the Virtual Catalog. Click here to learn more about Tufts' partnership with the Boston Library Consortium (BLC).

Virtual Catalog

Students and Staff can use the Virtual Catalog to request books that are unavailable at any of the Tufts University Libraries. Typically, Virtual Catalog books arrive within 3 - 5 business days of submitting the request. Click here for detailed instructions on how to use the Virtual Catalog.

ILLiad

Students and Staff can use ILLiad to request journal articles not available at any of the Tufts libraries or books not available through the Virtual Catalog. We strongly encourage users to check for books in Virtual Catalog first before using ILLiad. ILLiad takes from 1 - 4 weeks for delivery. Click here for detailed instructions on how to use ILLiad.