Borrow It Now: Home

Phone: (808) 956-8568

Email: libill@hawaii.edu

Office: Hamilton Library, room 101 (the patron entrance is near the Microfilms room)

Short Answer:  It's faster.

Long Answer:  When you make a regular ILL request (not using BorrowItNow), your request goes through several steps:

1. Interlibrary loan staff at UH-Manoa verifies that UH does not hold the item.

2. Interlibrary loan staff at UH-Manoa looks to see if other university libraries hold the item.

3. Interlibrary loan staff at UH-Manoa requests the item from another university library.

4. Interlibrary loan staff at the lending library veryify that they hold the item.

5. Interlibrary loanstaff at the lending library looks up the call number.

6. Interlibrary loan staff at the lending library retrives the item.

7. Interlibrary loan staff at the lending library delivers the item via USPS/FedEx/UPS (for books).

8. Interlibrary loan staff at UH-Manoa process the loan and notifies you that it's ready to be picked up.

When you request the item using BorrowItNow, you request the item directly from the lending library, and the lending library automatically knows that it's available and what the call number is; this means you skip steps 1-5.  By skipping 5 steps, you are reducing the amount of time it takes for you to get your item.

To search and request an item via BorrowItNow, click on this link

The main page features a simple search box.  You can search by title, author, subject, keyword, ISBN or ISSN.  For a more precise search, click on "advanced search" at the top right.  After you search, you will see the results page.

You can sort the results by relevance, newest/oldest, or title (alphabetically).  On the left column, you can limit your search to a specific author or subject.  Once you find an item you want, click on the title (in bold) in the center column.  This brings up the item record screen.

The record screen lists the bibliographic details of the item.  It also shows which libraries hold the item, the location within that library, their call number, and its availability.  There are three possibilities once you get to this screen--you will see these just above the table of library holdings.

   1. "This item is available at the UHAWAII library." 

This message means that we own this item, and that it's currently available for checkout.  Clicking on the link ("available at the UHAWAII library") will open up a new tab with our library's record of the item.  You now have the call number of the book.  You can put a hold on it, or come into the library to check it out.  You may get this item immediately, if the library is currently open.

   2. "Request via BorrowItNow." 

This message means that we don't have a copy that is available for checkout.  Click on "Request."  This will open a new tab--the login to ILL page.  Login to your ILL account (which is the same as your UH gmail login).  After logging in, the request form will be automatically populated with the item's bibliographic information; if everything looks correct, scroll down and click "Submit Request."  You may get this item 5-7 business days after requesting.

   3. "Not available via BorrowItNow.  Request via ILL." 

This means that there are no GWLA libraries who will lend us the item; however, there may be other libraries who will lend it to us.  Click on "Request via ILL."  Login to your ILL account.  The request form will be filled in already; double-check that it looks right, and then scroll down and click "Submit Request."  You may get this item in 1-2 weeks.

This libguide was written by Joshua Mullins, under the supervision of Ryan James and Naomi Chow.