New York State Library | Interlibrary Loan

NYSILL -- The New York State Library’s ILL System:
Introduction and Directions for Using

image of book as banner hanging from house
  • The State Library offers libraries located in New York free interlibrary loan services. Libraries can borrow books at no charge and are allowed 50 free photocopies for each request.

  • Libraries can request through their systems or can make their requests directly.

  • The State Library has a collection of over 20 million items, from medical journals to industry standards to federal documents.

  • Our mission is to serve the educational needs of all the citizens of New York.

  • Interlibrary loan is one way we share our collections with all New Yorkers.

Directions are available in plain text, and in PDF format with illustrations:

Plain Text Directions:

PDF Directions with Illustrations:

Getting Started (PDF)

To Request a Book

 To Request a Book (PDF)
To Request an Article from a Journal To Request an Article from a Journal (PDF)
To Request NYSILL Code C To Request NYSILL Code C (PDF)
Check Your Records Check Your Records (PDF)

To Request a Book

  1. To use NYSILL, the State Library’s interlibrary loan system, go to the Library's Web site and click on Catalog...
  2. (You are at the Catalog screen)
  3. Click on Search NYSILL.
  4. To request a book, search the catalog…
  5. For this example, we are searching for Stagestruck, about Lunt and Fontanne. Browse the Title field…
  6. Click on the title to display the full record…
  7. (You are at the Catalog record screen)
  8. Location, location, location! The location tells us what floor this book is on. You will need to remember the location for 30 seconds.
  9. Click on Request…
  10. Click on Request This Book From Excelsior.
  11. (You are at the Request This Book From Excelsior screen.)
  12. Type in the location code and your library’s user ID.
  13. Click on Place Request. Voila!…You are done!!

To Request an Article from a Journal

  1. Go to the Library’s Web site and click on Catalog...
  2. Click on Search NYSILL.
  3. To search for the name of the journal, Browse the Title field.
  4. Click on the journal’s title to display the full record.
  5. You need to look at the bottom of the record to determine location…
  6. The location for most journals is J.
  7. Back to the top of the record! Click on Request…
  8. Click on Request This Serial…
  9. Fill in the location and the citation for the article you are requesting.
  10. The Send To field is used if you want us to deliver the article to a library other than the requesting library.
  11. If you would like the article delivered to your email or faxed, please put that information in the Note field. Type your User ID to complete your request. Click on Place Request and voila! You are done!

To Request NYSILL Code C

  1. Go to the Library’s Web site and click on Catalog…
  2. Click on Search NYSILL.
  3. Some of our collections such as ERIC or NTIS are not included in our catalog, but you can still request them. Click on Request.
  4. Click on Request For Type Code C…
  5. (You are at the Request for Type Code C screen)
  6. Fill out request form, enter your User ID, click on Place Request…you’re done!!

Check Your Records

  1. Go to Library’s Web site, and click on Catalog...
  2. You will see a screen with 5 login choices…
  3. Login under NYSILL by clicking Search NYSILL.
  4. To view your records, click on Your Records at the top of the screen…
  5. Then, click on View Your Records…
  6. You will be prompted to enter your library’s user ID and PIN number…
  7. A screen will appear with 4 links to view: bills, checkouts, holds, and requests / library messages…
  8. By clicking on the checkouts link, you can view the items your library currently has checked out…
  9. A list of the items currently checked out by your library will appear on the screen.
  10. By clicking on the requests / library messages link, you can check the status of requests. It is on this screen that you can DELETE requests that have been COMPLETED.
  11. A list of requests for items in process at NYSL will appear. By clicking on the View buttons to the left of each request, you can view messages from NYSL regarding the status of requests...
  12. In this example of the messaging system, you can tell the date on which a copy of the article requested was sent…
  13. You can also modify or cancel requests !! (Modify Request, Cancel Request)
  14. Click on Exit to return to the catalog.

Contact ILL