INTERLIBRARY LOAN

What is it?

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service  in which one library agrees to loan an item to another library on behalf of one of the receiving library's patrons. It is a library to library transaction, not a library to patron transaction as is the case when you take a book off the shelf and check it out. 

Why ILL?

Libraries are constrained by the amount of shelf space that is available to house materials, and the size of the budget available for purchasing those materials. These factors limit the size of the collection that can be owned and readily available for your use in any one facility. Sharing resources through ILL allows libraries to expand their walls to include the collections held in hundreds of libraries throughout the country.

Who benefits?

Registered patrons within our eight Blair County public library databases are eligible to request that an ILL be processed on their behalf.

How to go about using ILL services?

The process begins when you fill out an ILL Request Form at the library serving the community you reside in.  Your "home" library will act as your agent in borrowing materials from another library when the item you need cannot be found in your home library.  In Blair County you can request an ILL in person, over the phone, or by using the e-mail form linked to the "Search the Blair County Libraries" page on this site.

What information is needed?

Your home library will need specific information on who you are, what you need, and how to contact you.  They will also need to verify that you are a registered patron.

Your Name:  Type in your name as it appears on your library card. This will help to eliminate any confusion over similarly named patrons.

Your Email Address:   If you have an e-mail account and check it regularly, this may be the most efficient way to communicate.  Playing "phone tag", if library staff need to clarify the title you are requesting, will slow down our ability to fill your request. 

Your Phone Number:  Please provide the number at which you can be reached even if you have provided an e-mail address. 

The Library at which you are registered:   Click on the arrow to view a dropdown menu of Blair County public libraries. Select your "home" library.  This form will automatically send to the e-mail inbox at that library. Your home library is where you will pick up the item you requested.

Your Library Card Number:   Type in the 14 digit number from the barcode attached to your library card. If you have registered at more than one library, be sure to use the number for your "home" library.

Tell us what you need:   If you found an item in another Blair County library using the on-line catalog, type in the title, author, call number and  the name of the library whose catalog shows that the  item is available.  You may be able to "copy and paste" this information into the ILL Form from the catalog record.   If your need is not specific to a particular title, explain with as much detail as possible what you are looking for. 

Send Request:   Click on the button at the bottom of the form to send your request to your home library e-mail inbox.  Library staff will read e-mail daily according to the schedule that the site is open.  You will be contacted for clarification if there are any questions concerning the information you have provided.

What happens now?  

Your home library ILL staff will search out locations that have the item you need.  A request to borrow the item will be sent to appropriate sites.  Local and in-state sites will be asked before reaching out on a national level.  It may take two or more weeks to locate a site able to fill your request, and then have it sent to your home library.  If the information you request is time sensitive, as is the case when needed for a research deadline, please advise the ILL staff  so that the search does not continue beyond your due date.

You will be notified by library staff when the item is available for you to pick up.  You will also be notified if the search is unsuccessful.