Interlibrary Loan FAQs

  • General Questions

    If you are looking for a book or article that the Palm Beach County Library System does not own, you can make an Interlibrary Loan request to find the item. Before placing a request, check our catalog. Fill out the form below with as much information about the item as possible. This will speed up the processing of your request.

    Please note there is a limit of five active requests members may have at any given time.

     
     

    We’ll need specific information to find the material including the author, title, publisher, date of publication, journal or citation for photocopies, and any other important information that will help us locate a copy.
     

    Anyone with a current Palm Beach County Library card can use this free service. Limited to five active requests at a time.
     

    This is a free service. However, some lending libraries may charge for borrowing or copying materials. We will not be able to obtain materials unless you have agreed to pay the lending fee. The lending charges can be $15 to $25 or more per loan.
     

    Depending on availability, it can take as little as three days to as much as two weeks or longer to obtain materials.

    We gladly accept suggestions of materials to add to our collection. You can make your suggestion(s) here! Many factors are considered when reviewing suggestions, including but not limited to:

    • Availability and suitability of format.
    • Suitability of subject, style, and level for the intended audience.
    • Critics’ and staff's reviews.
    • Reputation of the publisher or producer; authority and significance of the author, composer, filmmaker, etc.
    • Timeliness or permanence of the material.
    • Quality of writing, design, illustrations, or production.
    • Relevance to community needs.
    • Relative importance in comparison with existing materials in the collection on the same subject.
    • Price.
    • Appearance of title in special bibliographies or indexes.

    For this reason, we cannot guarantee that every suggestion will be purchased. If we are able to purchase your suggestion, however, we are unable to notify you when the material arrives. Feel free to search the catalog for the item periodically or ask a staff member. We are also happy to request an interlibrary loan (books only) if we are not able to purchase the item.

     

    Loan periods vary based on the policies of the lending library.

    You can request books, copies of journal, magazine articles, newspaper articles, microfilms, archival, fiction, research and special collection materials. To request a book or monograph, you must provide the title, author, publisher and any other necessary information to locate the item. To request an article, you must provide a complete citation of the article including title, author, volume, page and issue.
     

    In most cases, you cannot borrow genealogy materials. Sometimes libraries will copy materials if you have a family name or citation for a specific section of a book.

    If you have a question about this service, contact the Interlibrary Loan Section at illmail@pbclibrary.org, or contact your local library location.
     

    Phonograph records, cassettes, CDs, DVDs, videocassettes, directories, indexes, textbooks, reference books and encyclopedias (multi-volume sets). Material held outside the United States and computer disks cannot be requested.

    We make every effort to fill your requests. Reasons for unfilled requests are:

    • The author, title or citation is incorrect or incomplete.
    • No library owns the material.
    • The material is only owned outside the United States.
    • Book is in heavy demand or on bestseller List.
    • Book is non-circulating and for research only (part of special collection, rare, too fragile to lend, limited edition, etc.)
    • Some libraries do not lend current year materials.

    Interlibrary Loan (ILL) items may be eligible for one renewal at the discretion of the lending library. Due dates are assigned by the lending library. Members must contact any Palm Beach County Library System branch to request and inquire about the status of a renewal prior to the due date.

    Some lending libraries allow renewals. Ask staff at any library location several days before the due date so they can send the renewal request to the lending library. Overdue materials are not eligible for renewal. Contact your branch a couple days after your request to find out if the renewal was accepted. If the renewal is denied, you will be notified and the materials will be due.