Interlibrary Loan
Interlibrary loan (ILL) is the process of sharing material between libraries. Much of interlibrary loan work occurs behind the scenes, but it usually starts at the reference or circulation desks. If a patron wants an item that your library doesn't have, interlibrary loan is one way of obtaining that item. It's not quite as simple as that, however. When a patron requests something, you should think carefully about whether or not you want to purchase that item. If it is something others might be interested in then you should buy it for your library. If it seems like a one time only item, then ILL may be the way to go.
The most important step in the process is a reference interview. You should talk to the patron to determine what is really needed and when it is needed. After working with the patron, make sure you gather the title of the item, author, and date published. For magazines, you will need the title of the magazine, the title of the article, author, date of the magazine, volume, and page numbers. Technology has made requesting an interlibrary loan much easier. You can search for the item while the patron waits and even see which libraries own that item. Generally in Montana there is no charge for interlibrary loan, but some non-Montana libraries do charge a fee. Your library could choose to pay this fee or you could pass the cost onto the patron. If it looks like an ILL request is going to generate a fee you should let the patron know that there might be a fee, and you should find out how much they are willing to pay for the ILL request.
After obtaining all of the information you need, verify that the information is correct and find out which library has the item. You do this by searching a bibliographic database such as WorldCat (http://worldcat.org), an online database.
Once you know who has the item, send a request to that library. This can be done via mail by using the appropriate form, by email, or by FirstSearch ILL (a product of OCLC, the company behind WorldCat). We won't go into a lot of detail about these products. If you would like more information about Interlibrary Loan, contact the Montana State Library at 1-800-338-5087. The staff can help you find the resources you need to learn more about interlibrary loan.
ASPeN: The New Library Directory
- Home
- Introduction
- Wanted: A Library Director
- Contacts
- Montana Library Scene
- Montana Library Scene Overview
- Montana Public Libraries
- Montana State Library
- Montana Library Association
- Wired-MT and Focus
- Federations
- Continuing Education in Montana
- Certification
- Public Library Standards
- Montana Shared Catalog
- Library Director, Trustee, and Local Government
- Library Director, Trustee and Local Government Overview
- Library Laws
- New Library Staff
- Library Board Overview
- Responsibilities of the Library Board and the Director
- Tips For Working With the Library Board
- Getting Boards to Attend Meetings and Plan for the Library
- Policies vs. Procedures
- Policies vs. Procedures Overview
- Policies
- Procedures
- Public Service
- Public Service Overview
- Customer Service
- Reader’s Advisory
- Reference
- Reference Interview
- Circulation
- Interlibrary Loan
- Outreach
- Programs
- Visiting Senior Centers and/or Schools
- Services to the Homebound
- Bookmobiles
- Children Services
- Young Adult Services
- Adult Services
- Collection Development
- Collection Development Overview
- Assessing the Collection
- Collection Development Policy
- Collection Management Honor Roll
- Selecting Items for the Collection
- Acquisitions
- Weeding or Deselection
- Technical Services
- Technical Services Overview
- Organizing Your Collection
- Classification and Cataloging
- Processing and Mending
- Public Relations
- Public Relations Overview
- Library’s Image
- Publicity
- Programming
- Community Relations
- Role of Trustees
- Marketing
- Friends and Volunteers
- Friends and Volunteers Overview
- Friends of the Library
- How to Organize a Friends Group
- How to Revitalize Your Friends
- Volunteers
- Volunteer Programs
- Recruiting Volunteers
- Managing and Keeping Volunteers
- Personnel
- Personnel Overview
- Personnel Policy
- Hiring
- Interviewing
- Job Evaluations
- Discipline and Termination
- Grievance Procedures
- Important Employment Laws
- Finances
- Finances Overview
- Local Funding Sources
- State Funding Sources
- Information Access Montana Act
- Coal Severance Tax
- Federal Funding Sources
- Library Services and Technology Act
- Telecommunications Discount Program (E-Rate)
- Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
- Library Foundations
- Other Funding Sources
- Budgeting
- Budgeting Calendar
- Following the Money
- Planning for the Future
- Planning for the Future Overview
- Long Range Planning
- Preparing to Plan
- Describing Your Community
- Your Community’s Vision
- Questions That Should Be Answered
- Planning for Disaster
- Technology in the Library
- Technology in the Library Overview
- Planning and Evaluating Technology
- Automation
- Statewide Cooperative Projects
- E-Rate
- Montana State Library
- Montana State Library Overview
- Montana State Library Commission
- Montana State Librarian
- Library Development Division
- Montana Talking Book Library
- Montana Digital Library
- Publications
- Timeline of Required Paperwork
- Explanation of Paperwork Required by Montana State Library