Interlibrary Loan FAQ

What is Interlibrary Loan (ILL)?

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) locates and obtains materials that are not available in the East Baton Rouge Parish Library's print, microform or multimedia collections. We get these materials from other library systems.

Who can use ILL?

ILL services are available to any patron who is a resident of East Baton Rouge Parish and has a valid East Baton Rouge Parish Library card.

How do I get started?

First, you need to choose specific items that are not available at the East Baton Rouge Parish Libraries. If you're not sure which particular book, journal article, or other material you need, contact the Reference staff. Once you have a specific book, article from a journal, or other citation, the reference staff will fill out an Interlibrary Loan request form for you.  Or, you may submit an Interlibrary Loan Request online. 

What can I get through ILL?

You can get almost anything through Interlibrary Loan but some things are harder to locate and borrow. Dissertations and theses, rare books, and genealogical materials are sometimes unavailable or can take longer for us to find a willing lender. Videotapes, audiotapes and CDs can only be borrowed from the Louisiana State Library.

Materials that are available in the East Baton Rouge Parish Libraries should not be requested through ILL. However, you can request items that are lost or missing.

Restrictions

ILL requests are limited to eight (8) "in-process" at a time. For books, in-process status begins when a request is made and lasts until you return the borrowed item to the library. For photocopies, the transaction is complete when you pick up the copies.

The following materials cannot be requested through Interlibrary Loan:

• Entire issues of a periodical
• Most genealogical material
• Current-year materials
• Reference books
• Course textbooks
• Recent, un-microfilmed newspapers
• Bulky or fragile items
• Rare or valuable material such as manuscripts

When will my request be processed?

Requests are processed in the order in which they are received. If your ILL request form is not completely filled out, your request will be delayed while we contact you for the missing information.

How does Interlibrary Loan find the material?

We use the Loan Shark and OCLC online databases, which containing the holdings of nearly 9,000 libraries to locate and request most materials.

When will the material arrive?

Your materials will usually arrive within 2 weeks. Items that are very recently published, unusual, or in a format other than a book or photocopy can take longer. ILL offices around the US usually don't operate during weekends and holiday periods, so at those times there can be delays.

Materials that are available from libraries in the State of Louisiana can arrive in less than 2 weeks. If you have special needs requiring fast delivery, talk to the staff about your situation and make sure your deadline is included on the request forms. We will try to meet your deadline; however, when your deadline is reached, we will stop trying to locate your material and let you know the situation. There may be an extra charge for fast delivery. Contact the ILL Office for more information about extra charges.

Feel free to contact the ILL office to ask about the status of your request. If your material has not arrived and you have not heard from us within two weeks of placing your request, contact us to ask about it.

How much will it cost?

The East Baton Rouge Parish Library pays for postage charges for ILL materials; however, there are some charges that the Library cannot pay for, like extra charges for fast delivery or for the costs of purchasing dissertations or other entire works. Any extra charges or purchase costs will be your responsibility if you decide you want those materials.

Be sure to let the staff member know if you are willing to accept charges and the amount you are willing to pay. If your actual charges are more than the amount you approved, we will contact you before we order to let you know what the charges will be and give you a chance to cancel the order. The amount of charges is determined by the delivery service (for fast delivery) or by the library or document supplier (for dissertations or other entire works), not by the East Baton Rouge Parish Library. If you choose to accept charges, your library account will be charged when the materials arrive.

How long may I use the item?

Photocopies are usually yours to keep.

The lending library sets the loan period for books. This loan period can vary according to the lending library and its needs. We can sometimes request ONE single renewal of no more than three weeks. The lending library decides whether or not to allow the renewal. Items marked "No Renewal" will not be renewed by the lender.

The books we borrow through Interlibrary Loan are the property of other libraries. We respect those other libraries and their materials and appreciate their continued service. We also respect the due dates they have given for their books.

Can I renew ILL materials?

If an item is not marked "No Renewal," and it has not already been renewed once, contact us to request a renewal. We'll contact the lending library to ask for the renewal. You will get a new due date that is three weeks after the original due date unless we contact you to tell you differently. If the lending library cannot renew the item, you must return the item immediately.

Some items cannot be renewed:

• Items marked "No Renewal"
• Items that have already been renewed once
• Overdue items