Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary Loan is the process by which a library requests material from, or supplies material to, another library.

The purpose of Interlibrary Loan is to compliment our collection by sharing resources with other libraries, based on the belief that no library, no matter how large or well supported, is self-sufficient in today’s world.

In the interest of providing quality service, Greenwich Library uses Interlibrary Loan to obtain material to meet the needs of our patrons, when our local resources do not meet those needs.


Frequently Asked Questions


Answers

  • Who can place Interlibrary Loan requests?

    Anyone with a valid Library Card issued by a Town of Greenwich Library may request Interlibrary Loans. If your library card number starts with a Greenwich number (21117…,) or a Perrot number (22021…,) and it is not expired or blocked, you may request Interlibrary Loans.

  • What type of materials can be requested?

    You may request books or photocopies of journal articles.

  • What are the fees?

    Interlibrary Loan photocopies of journal articles cost $0.20 per page. These photocopies are sent to the patron through surface mail and a fee is added to the patron’s record.

  • What information do I need to provide to place an Interlibrary Loan request?

    If you come to the Library or call (203) 622-7910, a librarian can help you fill out the necessary forms quickly and correctly.

  • Where do I place an Interlibrary Loan request?

    You can place an Interlibrary Loan request at any of the Information Desks at Greenwich Library.

    You can also place a request at the Main Desk of the Byram Schubert or Cos Cob Libraries.

    Requests can be taken over the phone by calling the Reference Desk at (203) 622-7910.

  • Where can I pick up my Interlibrary Loan?

    Interlibrary Loan books will be held at the Holds Desk of the branch of Greenwich Library where the request was taken. Photocopies of Journal Articles will be sent to the patron in the mail, and a fee of $0.20 per page will be added to the patron’s record.

    NOTE: Perrot Memorial Library has it’s own Interlibrary Loan Department. If a patron wishes to pick up an Interlibrary Loan at Perrot, the request must be placed with them, please feel free to contact the Perrot Memorial Library at (203) 637-1066

  • Where can I return my Interlibrary Loan?

    Because of the complex record keeping involved with borrowing books from other libraries, Interlibrary Loan books must be returned to the branch of Greenwich Library where the request originated, and the book was borrowed.

  • What is the loan period?

    Interlibrary Loans are checked out for 3 weeks like a regular Greenwich Library book.

    Occasionally, the supplying library will stipulate that a book it lends is to be used only inside the Library. In the interest of maintaining good relations with other libraries, while meeting the needs of our patrons, these "In House Use Only" books will be checked out to the patron and used only inside the Library. The patron can look at the book every day for up to three weeks during Library hours, but the book must be returned to the Holds Desk before Greenwich Library closes each night.

    In addition, sometimes the supplying library will "Recall" the loaned book, because one of their patrons has requested it. In the event that this does occur, the Interlibrary Loan Department of Greenwich Library will make every effort to get the book back for our patron from a different source. While this is rare, we do expect our patrons to return their Interlibrary Loan books as soon as possible after they have been notified of this "Recalled" status in order to protect our borrowing relationship with other libraries.

  • Can Interlibrary Loans be renewed?

    Interlibrary Loan books may be renewed once for a 1 week period.

  • How long does it take?

    Interlibrary Loans generally take at least two weeks to fill, and some can take as long as a month depending on the availability of the book and the location of the supplying library.

    We will do our best to get Interlibrary Loan materials to our patrons as quickly as possible, but much of this process is out of our hands, since it involves staff at other libraries, as well as the US postal service, so please be patient.

    If it has been more than a month since your request, and you haven’t heard from us, please feel free to call us at (203) 622-7944

  • Are there any limits to the number of requests?

    At present, there are no limits on Interlibrary Loans, but please keep in mind that this service is very labor intensive, and there is only a limited number of staff in the Interlibrary Loan Department. Should a patron request so many Interlibrary Loans that we feel it negatively affects our ability to provide this service to the entire community, the Library will place limits on such requests.

  • How am I notified that my loan has arrived?

    Interlibrary Loan photocopies of journal articles will be sent to you through surface mail, and a fee of $0.20 per page will be added to your record. You can pay this the next time you are in the Library.

    When Interlibrary Loan books arrive, you will be called and given one week to pick them up. In order to maintain a good relationship with the supplying library, and better serve the whole community, no exceptions to this rule can be made.

  • Questions?

    If you have any questions that haven’t been answered in the FAQ, please feel free to call the Interlibrary Loan department at (203) 622-7944, or email us at lendingservices@greenwichlibrary.org. Thank you for using the Greenwich Library.