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Q. What is interlibrary loan?
A. Interlibrary loan (ILL) βis the process by which a library requests materials from, or supplies materials to, another library.β ILL is βa means by which a wider range of materials can be made available to users.β We obtain material from libraries throughout the Twin Cities, the state of Minnesota, and the U. S. We do not request materials from sources outside North America.
Q. When is interlibrary loan used?
A. Use interlibrary loan to request material that is not owned by Hennepin County Library. You may prefer to use MNLink to check holdings at other library systems in the area on your own; we encourage you to call ahead to confirm the availability of material at the library in question before making a special trip. If you can't find your item in MnLINK, use Ask a Librarian to request it, and we will search outside Minnesota for it.
Q. What kinds of materials may be requested through interlibrary loan?
A. You may request books, photocopies of periodical articles, microfilm, videos, DVDs, cassette tapes, and compact discs. Be advised that audiovisual materials may be difficult to obtain; newly released or published material and popular music, films, and television programs especially so.
The following formats are not available through interlibrary loan: posters, art prints, maps, computer software, and 16mm films.
Lending libraries retain the right to decline to lend any item at any time. The fact that a particular item has been obtained through interlibrary loan in the past does not ensure that it will be available again. In fact, libraries may limit the number of times they will send a particular item.
Q. How long does it take to obtain materials through ILL?
A. It may take from two weeks to several months to obtain a title through interlibrary loan. Some titles may simply be unavailable. If you have a short time frame or an immediate deadline, please discuss other options with a librarian.
Q. How long may I keep an item obtained through ILL?
A. The loan period is set by the lending institution, and can vary from one week to one month. ILL materials may not be renewed.
Q. What about magazine articles?
A. A request for a magazine article is usually filled with a photocopy of the article, which is mailed directly to you. You may keep these photocopies.
Further ILL guidelines:
You may request up to 5 items a day.
You are limited to 20 active requests, that is, 20 ILL items checked out to you or in process.
To suggest items for purchase by Hennepin County Library, please use the Suggestion for Purchase form.
Your ability to check out library materials, including ILL materials, will be limited if you have fines over $10.
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