Hello, everyone! My name is Diamond Williams; I am a second- year double- majoring in Criminal Justice and Writing & Rhetoric. Welcome to the first installment of Diamond’s Hidden Gems, a blog series in which I introduce you to the University of Central Florida’s library services that you may not have known about!
Interlibrary Loan & Document Delivery Services (ILL/DDS)
If you’ve attended the University of Central Florida (UCF) for long, chances are you’ve heard someone mention “ILL” or “loan services” in passing. From professors to library staff themselves, the ILL department is incredibly popular, but remains an under-utilized resource for students! Below, I give you a simplified run-down of the ILL department and the service you should be making use of before you graduate.
There is nothing more terrifying than being asked to locate full PDFs of research articles or primary sources for a class assignment. Maybe you’re the type of person who spends hours scouring the internet for a free version of a journal issue or book chapter. Maybe you look for sites you could purchase from. If either of these things sounds familiar, you can end this needless and costly search by making use of UCF’s ILL services.
The ILL department processes virtual requests for materials from other libraries and our own in-house collection.
This means you* can request and receive free books, articles & more with just a few clicks of your mouse!
*If you are a UCF retiree, a currently enrolled student, staff, or faculty member.
ILL services save you time, energy, and money by doing all the hard work for you.
By filling out a one-page request (a step you can skip by finding the material on the UCF library website first), you’ve avoided all the hassle of finding ineffective versions of the document you need.
I created a step-by-step guide that shows you exactly how to request, track, and view the materials you need!
If you want to contact the office for inquiries, call 407-823-2383 or email illbor@ucf.edu.
