Interlibrary Loan
The Lexington Public Library offers an Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service which allows cardholders in good standing to borrow books and receive copies of articles we do not own and cannot purchase. Our borrowing network includes over 4,000 participating public and academic libraries.
Lending libraries provide material to us as a courtesy and we are required to follow the rules they establish pertaining to loan period, renewal policy, and any other conditions they choose to impose.
Please remember:
- Do not remove or damage any of the paperwork that comes with the item. It must be returned along with the item.
- ILL items do not renew automatically like LPL items. Return or request a renewal by the due date listed on the attached paperwork.
- Lost or damaged items can result in loss of ILL privileges.
- Customers may have up to 3 active ILL requests at a time.
- There is no charge. We only borrow from free lenders in the continental United States.
Having trouble signing in?
Make sure you are using your library card number and PIN. Your default PIN is the last 4 digits of the phone number on your library account. You cannot use your EZ username or password.
If you are still having trouble, please contact ILL staff.
Voicemail: 859-231-5527
Email: ill@lexpublib.org
What types of items can be borrowed?
- Print books not owned by LPL that are at least 1 year past their publication date
- Copies of articles that are not part of the LPL collection. Check our databases for available publications.
- Microfilm reels
What types of items cannot be borrowed?
- Items that are part of LPL’s circulating collection
- Books less than 1 year from their publication date
- Digital items like eBooks or computer files
- Full issues of magazines or newspapers
- DVDs, audiobooks, or other audio/visual materials
- Textbooks or other materials needed for longer than 2 months
- Items that are only available outside the continental U.S.
What counts as an “active request”?
An ILL request is considered active and counts against your request limit until its status is marked Complete or Canceled. A request is not Complete until the item has been returned to the lending library and checked in. You can check an item’s status from your ILL account page.
How long may I keep an ILL item?
The lending library determines the checkout period, usually 2-3 weeks. The due date will be noted on the label or book-strap attached to the book.
How do I renew an ILL item?
Renewal requests can be submitted through your ILL account or by contacting ILL staff.
Most lending libraries will allow at least one renewal, but they determine whether an item can be renewed, and, if so, for how long. You will be contacted by text or email when a renewal decision is made.
While waiting for a renewal to be approved, you may ignore any automated overdue messages you may receive.
What if I lose or damage an ILL item?
You are responsible for all ILL items that you borrow. The loss or damage of ILL materials can result in penalties up to the permanent loss of your ILL privileges.
The loss of, or damage to, the paperwork that comes with an ILL item is treated the same as loss of, or damage to, the item itself.
Items that are more than two weeks overdue are at risk of being declared lost by the lending library. Your ILL privileges will be suspended until the item is returned.
In cases where loss or damage occurs due to circumstances beyond your control (theft, fire, flood, etc.), please contact the ILL department as soon as possible. A copy of an itemized insurance claim or police report may be accepted.
Can I request non-checkout items like special collections, reference, or genealogical materials?
Non-checkout materials can be requested, but there is no guarantee that other libraries will have circulating copies to lend.
However, many libraries will accept requests for copies of specific pages or sections of reference materials, typically up to 30 pages per request. Use the “Notes” field in the request form to specify sections and page numbers.
Note that census images are now available through Ancestry Library Edition.
There is a book that the library owns, but it cannot be checked out. Can I request the book through ILL?
If all copies of a title owned by LPL are lost or are reference items labelled as non-checkout, you may request that title through ILL.
If all copies of a title owned by LPL are checked out, you may not request that title through ILL. Please place a hold through the catalog.
What do I need to include in an ILL request?
For books:
Title, author, and pickup location
Any other information you can provide is helpful, but not required.
For articles:
The title of the publication
The title and author of the article
The date or the volume/issue number
For microfilm:
The title of the publication
The date or the volume/issue number
Note: Microfilm must be used in the Central Library’s Kentucky Room and cannot be removed from the library.
Why can’t I see some of my previous ILL requests on my account?
Your account will only show requests associated with your current library card number. You can contact ILL staff for information about requests associated with old card numbers.
Why did I get an overdue notice for a book I already returned?
The ILL department is closed on weekends. Items that are returned on or after Friday afternoon will not be checked in until the ILL department reopens on Monday.
Items returned at branches will not be checked in until they reach the ILL department at the Central Library location. This can take up to 2 days.
An item returned without its ILL paperwork is not easily identifiable as an ILL, and that misidentification may cause a failure to return the item to the ILL department. Do not remove any of the paperwork that comes with an ILL item. If you have returned an item without its paperwork, please contact the branch you returned it to and explain the situation as soon as possible to increase the chances of the item being located. You will be held responsible for the loss of any ILL items returned without their paperwork.
