Genealogy, Family History & Temple Work

With the invention of the internet and online library websites and catalogs, people everywhere have realized that the local library they use to look to as the ultimate resource, may actually not carry everything they need in doing research. But even with this realization, traveling to a library far away, then applying for a card there and checking the item of interest out just isn't practical or feasible. Enter the beginning of a wonderful library service called Interlibrary Loan (ILL).

Interlibrary Loan brings material of interest to you by following two simple operations: borrowing and lending. If your library is a borrowing library, you can request a certain book or photocopy of information and this request will be sent to a lending library. If the item you want is in circulation at the lending library, it will be shipped to your local library and you will be notified when it arrives and allowed to borrow it. All you have to do after that is return it to your local library and they will ship it back to the library that lent it out. You can make a request in person, or, if your library has a website you may be able to make your borrowing request online. Interlibrary Loan is usually, though not always, free.

Unfortunately the wait time on an item can take a few weeks. Items that are in high demand may not be available to lend. And of course, items that are very rare or very old may not be in circulation due to fear of further damage or destruction.

Also, not all libraries participate in Interlibrary Loan. And not all of those that do, participate with all other libraries that do. Meaning the library that holds the book you want may participate in Interlibrary Loan, but they don't lend to your local library.

It is important to remember that Interlibrary Loan policy varies from library to library. So always check with your local library staff for details on how Interlibrary Loan works there. In many cases, if you know what book it is you want you can just ask the library staff to find out what other libraries carry that book and if they will lend to your library, instead of having to do the research yourself. So ask the library staff before you go searching.

In the event that your library staff does not provide that service, one good resource for finding books in other lending libraries is the WorldCat Database.