There are multiple ways to submit ILL requests, email us or use the LEAGLE or WorldCat Catalogs. Instructions are below.

Doing Spading or Source Collection?

Need an ILL filled for spading purposes, click here: https://wcl.american.libguides.com/circulation/ill4spaders

Emailing the ILL department at ill@wcl.american.edu is the simplest and easiest way.

• Please include as much information as possible, including title and author, edition and year needed, ISBN/ISSN if known in the body of your email. Please do not include attachments to your email.
• Please let us know if you would like to borrow the item as a physical loan or if you would like a digital copy of a portion (chapter, article, page range) of the item. (if you are requesting a digital copy please give as much information as possible (i.e., page numbers, article/chapter title, etc.).
• If this is for a spading assignment please do not email us, please refer to our ILL for Spaders page 

Use the LEAGLE Catalog to borrow items available from libraries in the area from the WRLC Library Consortium. WCL Faculty and Students can also use this feature to request books and materials from the American University Library. Materials can be requested online and will be available for pickup at the Pence Law Library Circulation Desk. 

Visit the library website at library.wcl.american.edu 

Use the Search Bar on the home page or Click Search Tools and then click the LEAGLE Search link box.

Type your search terms in the search bar and select AU, WCL, and Consortium (WRLC) as the search profile.

Select the item you are interested in from the list of results to view the item record.

Sign in to your account to view the request options in the How to get it section.

If you would like a loan of the physical item, select the Quickly request from main campus or local libraries option and a request will be sent to Washington Research Library Consortium members that own the item.

If the Quickly request from main campus or local libraries option does not appear on the item record, use the Email the interlibrary loan department option to submit your loan request.

If you would like to request a digital copy of a portion of the item (chapter, article, page range, etc.) click the Email the interlibrary loan department option. This will open an email to the ILL department in your default email client.

Please complete the email by filling in as much information as you are able: page numbers, edition, etc. You can also add any comments to the email.

Once your request has been submitted, please note that depending on the item requests may take a while to process. Continue to look for an email notifying you that the item is available.   

Copy requests should not take more than a few days, but, depending on the availability and location of items requested for physical loan, your wait time maybe a week or more. Consortium Loan Service requests made of area institutions tend to be quicker.

Use the WorldCat Catalog to place a request for an items at libraries outside of WCL, AU and the WRLC Consortium. Search for items worldwide. Materials can be requested online and will be available for pickup at the Pence Law Library Circulation Desk. 

Visit the WorldCat catalog at: https://washingtoncollegeoflaw.on.worldcat.org/discovery

You can type your search terms in the simple search box or, if you would like more options, use the Advanced Search function.

• If the item you need is a single chapter of a book or a single article from an issue of a journal, the title you search for is the title of the book or the journal rather than the title of the chapter or article within the journal.

Advanced Search allows for more precision. Limiting the Format options and the Publication Year range will help exclude items you are not interested in.

You may further limit results by selecting the options on the left of the search results page.

Once you have found the item you are interested in, click the title of the item.

Look over the item details carefully. Make sure that if you need to loan the entire physical item, you click on the print version. Most libraries will not lend e-Books. If you are confident that you would like to request that particular item, click Borrow this item from another library under Access Options.

If prompted, please Sign into AU-WCL and access the Request Form.

Under Type of Request, select the Service Type you would like. If you would like to borrow the physical item, select Book/Media – Loan.

If you would like a digital copy of a portion of the item, select Article – Copy. Enter the chapter or article titles and any pages needed in the comments box.

Please use the optional box for any comments or additional information.

Fill out the required fields under Patron Information.

If the request is for a spading or source collection assignment, please indicate this in the Journal & Brief Spading and Source Collection Requests section.

Once your request has been submitted, please note that depending on the item requests may take a while to process. Continue to look for an email notifying you that the item is available.   

Copy requests should not take more than a few days, but, depending on the availability and location of items requested for physical loan, your wait time maybe a week or more. Consortium Loan Service requests made of area institutions tend to be quicker.