Inter-Library Loans 101

Here is your chance to learn a little bit more about Inter-Library Loans (ILL). This service is designed to get the materials you want to borrow, but that are not available in the Town of Greenwich Library System, into your hands. Remember, if we don't have it, we can probably find someone who does!

Q. What constitutes an InterLibrary Loan (ILL)?
A. Material, not in our Greenwich catalog system, that comes in for a Perrot patron from a library outside the Greenwich system, or goes out from Perrot to another library.

Q. Where do our ILLs come from?
A. Mainly from within Connecticut, but in the past year from as far away as Alaska, Florida, California, and, very rarely, from Canada.

Q. How many ILL materials come in per month?
A. On average, about 30 items, mainly books, come in per month for Perrot patrons. In the past year (2006), 94% of all items requested as ILLs were supplied.

Q. Can I request other materials besides books?
A. Multimedia ILL requests are more elusive to fill (they are dependent on the lending libraries' lending policies), but we have succeeded in finding DVDs, videos, CDs, books on tape, and even maps for Perrot patrons.

Q. What subject matter and types of items are requested?
A. Materials requested are as diverse as our patrons' interests: books that are old, obscure, oversized. . . for children and for adults. . . fiction and non-fiction. . . some in foreign languages. Topics in the past year have ranged from World War II aircraft to French porcelain, Miles Davis to medical therapies, New Orleans to nematodes. . . and so on.

Q. How long can one keep an ILL item, and is there a charge?
A. You may keep an ILL item for 3 weeks, and the service is free.

Q. How long does it take to get an ILL?
A. This varies, but the majority of ILLs arrive within 2 to 3 weeks of requesting.

Q. How does one request an item via ILL?
A. Fill out the white general request card, which is available at both circulation desks, and expect to hear from us when the item is ready for pickup.

Any further questions? Please contact Elizabeth Owen at 203-637-1066, ext. 20, or comment on this post.