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Advanced ILL request search

Learn how to perform an advanced ILL request search in UnityUK.

Sometimes you will want to do a more complex search for ILL requests. The Advanced ILL Request Search allows you to limit searches and combine conditions using Boolean operators, to do more refined searching.

You can access the Advanced ILL Request search by clicking the Advanced link in the top menu bar, if you are in the requests domain in UnityUK.

Advanced option

ILL Request Search screen

ILL Request Search screen - Other fields area

You can search for requests you have placed by selecting the Borrower option in the Your Library’s role section, or monitor requests for which you are the responder by selecting the Lender Option.

The Other Fields section allows you to search for specific ILL requests placed. Simply enter the ILL request number and click Search.

You can use Boolean operators - AND, OR, & NOT to further define your search further.

You can search on the following fields:

ILL Numbers The UnityUK request number, local request number, or BLDSC VDXTL number.
Local Request Number The borrower’s local request number.
User Name Search on the name (or library number if this is what you enter on your requests) of the requesting user. Retrieves matches including your search term right truncated. If left truncation is needed % should be explicitly added (E.g. %smith).
Patron ID  
Patron Barcode  
Patron Status  
User Lock  
Borrower Code The identifier for the requesting location e.g. the BL symbol.
Lender Code The identifier for the responding location. 
Due Date The date specified by the responder when the item should be returned to the responding library.
Date Created The date the request was first created.
Date Shipped The date the Shipped action was taken on the request.
Need by Date The date by which the item is needed as specified by the requester.
Expiry Date The date the request will move on from its current responder if there is no response (expiry is currently set to 10 days at each responding location).
Title / Author Keyword Keywords from author or title of requested item.
ISBN / ISSN The ISBN or ISSN entered when the request was created.
Series Title Retrieves matches including your search term right truncated.
Audit No. A control number given to each transaction performed on a request. You are unlikely to use this.
Supplier Reference  
Shipped Item  
Circulating Item  
Local Due Date  

Check the Display sent messages only checkbox to only display requests that have been sent to potential lenders. Requests with a status of Idle will not be displayed when this box is ticked.

Check the Display Terminated requests to include requests which have had the Terminate action performed on them. If this box is not ticked, UnityUK will not show Terminated requests as they are no longer active.

Check the Do not includeCompleted requests checkbox to ensure that requests that have been Completed are not included in the results set. If this box is ticked, UnityUK will not show Completed requests as they are no longer active.

Check the Include Completed requests checkbox to include requests that have been Completed in the results set. If this box is not ticked, UnityUK will not show Completed requests as they are no longer active.

If you choose Completed requests only the system will only display requests that have been completed.

Check the Display not supplied requests checkbox to include requests that have a status of Not Supplied or Cancelled in the results set. If this box is not ticked, UnityUK will not show Not Supplied requests as they are no longer active.

You can choose to filter the search results by requests in a particular status by selecting the status from the Status box. More than one status may be selected by using the Shift+Click or Ctrl+Click selection methods.

You can also filter the search by Authorisation status. 

The Last Action option allows you to filter your results by the last action that you or the lender has performed on the request. 

The Any Action option allows you to filter your results by any action that you or the lender has performed on the request. 

The Service Level search allows you to retrieve requests based on their Service Level.

The Service Type 1 search allows you to search for requests with a specific service type, for example, Loan, Copy non returnable, etc.

The Format search allows you to retrieve requests based on their Item Format.

Sort by allows you to choose a field from the list box by which to order the list of requests, for example, ILL No, Status, Last Action.

Format allows you to print the full details of the search. Standard is used as the default and displays brief records on screen.

You may also specify how many requests should display per page.

Results for: Advanced Search screen

After you have displayed the results of a request search you can begin to manage those requests.

You can sort the request list using the Sort by fields at the top left

For each item listed you can:

  • Select the Action button to perform an Action (selected from the drop-down list) on the request
  • Display the item Details (see Request details). From the details, you can also perform an Action on the request
  • Print the request (all request details print out on 1 A4 page)
  • Select requests for bulk actions (see Bulk action).