Library Services

West Chester University

25 West Rosedale Avenue
West Chester, PA 19383
Phone: 610-430-4400
Fax: 610-738-0554
Email: refdesk@wcupa.edu

Library Website Search

Interlibrary Loans

Telephone: 610-436-3454
Email: illoan@wcupa.edu

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service through which materials not owned by West Chester University Libraries may be requested from other libraries. WCU Libraries lend and borrow materials in conjunction with libraries around the world. Materials may be loaned (usually books) or delivered in print or electronic format.
Interlibrary loan services are free of charge to all WCU students, faculty, and staff.
Requests should be submitted online via the services below (E-Z Borrow or ILLiad).
Users are notified by email about the status of the interlibrary loan request.
Fines: Users are responsible for any replacement or overdue fines charged by the lending library.

NOTE: Libraries engaged in borrowing materials nationally and internationally are subject to protocols which preclude the borrowing and lending of the following materials:
  • Textbooks required for current WCU courses
  • Books published within the last 12 months
  • Certain video, CD, DVD and microfiche/microfilm materials
  • Certain dissertations/theses

E-Z Borrow (PALCI)

E-Z Borrow is a combined catalog of participating Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium (PALCI) libraries from which you can request books directly.
Before requesting a book, please check the PILOT Library Catalog to determine if it is available at WCU Libraries.
Use the 14- or 16-digit number located on the back of your WCU RAM eCard.
Not available to borrow: reference books, rare books, and other non-circulating books as well as journals or newspapers and articles from them.
Available in 2 to 3 days. The loan period is 60 days with no renewals.
Requested print materials can be picked up at the FHG Library Circulation Desk. Please bring your WCU RAM eCard as identification.
Please return interlibrary loan materials to the Circulation Desk on or before the due date to ensure continued good relations with the lending library.
ILLiad

ILLiad is an online request system for journal articles, dissertations, books (not available through E-Z Borrow) and other materials from libraries worldwide.
Before requesting a journal article, please use the Journals search to determine whether it is available in print or online at WCU Libraries.
Requests should be limited to 5-10 per person per day. At certain times of the year, the volume of requests will determine how many can be filled each day.
For renewal of print materials borrowed through ILLiad, please contact the Interlibrary Loan office, email illoan@wcupa.edu.
For an online introduction to ILLiad, see the Libraries video Getting Articles through Interlibrary Loan.