An Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a request to libraries in the United States or Canada for items not owned by the Santa Clara County Library District. This service is available to patrons with active full-membership library cards.
Placing a Request
- Use our WorldCat link to search for items in the collections of other library systems.
- Then place the interlibrary loan request online also through WorldCat.
- We will notify you when your items are ready for pickup or have any additional questions. ILL items are held for pickup at the Accounts desk.
Request Policies:
- Items already available in the SCCLD collection are not eligible for interlibrary loan borrowing. This includes items available in our online collection.
- We request that you respond to questions from our staff about your interlibrary loan request in a timely manner. If we do not hear back within 5 business days, we will cancel the request before it is submitted to other library systems.
- Special collection items, multimedia, and items published in the last twelve months may not be available through Interlibrary Loan. You may recommend newer titles for our library collection by submitting a Suggest a Purchase form online, or at your local library's reference desk.
WorldCat: Search Other Libraries' Collections
Fees
Request Fee: There is a $4.00 non-refundable processing fee for each submitted ILL request.
Lender's Fee: Some libraries charge an additional fee to lend materials from their collection. You will be given the opportunity to indicate what you are willing to pay in addition to the $4.00 ILL request fee.
Overdue Fine: $1.00 per item per day
Lost, Damaged, or Incomplete Fine: You will be charged for any lost or damaged items. This includes:
- Amount charged by the lending library for replacing the item
- A lost charge applied by SCCLD if the item is more than 4 weeks overdue.
Borrowing Rules
Loan Period: The lending library dictates the due date of the Interlibrary Loan item, so the check-out time allowed for your item may be shorter or longer than our normal loan periods.
Renewals: Request a renewal of your ILL item 3-7 days prior to the due date by contacting the Interlibrary Loan Department at ill@lib.sccgov.org or 408-293-2326.
Returns: Return ILL items to the Accounts Desk in the library. Do not return through the bookdrop or automatic return.
"Library Use Only" Items: Certain ILL items are for “Library Use Only.” The ILL item will be available from the Accounts Desk at your SCCLD Library for use in the library during regular library hours.
Contact Us
Contact the Interlibrary Loan Department for assistance at ill@lib.sccgov.org or 408-293-2326.