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  Interlibrary Loan Online


Before placing an ILL request, please take a moment to review procedures for requesting materials from other libraries online, anytime!

Please note that the reQuest database has been revised, so be sure the review the directions below for using this resource.

Your first step should be to check the Rockville Public Library catalog to see if we own the book.  To do this, from the menu to the left, choose "Search the Library" and then click on "Rockville Public Library Catalog."  If you find the book you want, follow the on-screen directions to place a hold on it.  

If Rockville Public Library doesn't own the book you want, check the database for "Other Bibliomation Libraries," also on the "Search the Library" page.   This will allow you to search the global database for the system to which our library belongs.  If you find the book you want, follow the on-screen directions to place a hold on it.  The book will be shipped to Rockville Public Library for you to pick up here.

If the book you want is not available through either of these options, it's time to move on to the Interlibrary Loan process that uses the reQuest online catalog. You can search for materials in the collections of  libraries throughout Connecticut all at one time and send an online request to our staff asking us to borrow it for you. The instructions for doing this follow, but first a few notes:

1. You will need your barcode number from your library card.
2. You will need to think of a password. (It can be as simple as your initials.) It should be something that you will remember so you can use it to track all your requests, because you must enter your name and password the same way each time you use them.
3. Making the request online does not guarantee that the item will be available to you. Library staff makes the determination on whether a request will be filled, just as they do with interlibrary loan requests placed in the library.
4. Most interlibrary loan requests take about two weeks to arrive.

Please note that failure to pick up interlibrary loan requests after we notify you that they have arrived will result in a $2 charge per title, which will cause your library account to be blocked.

How to Place an Online Interlibrary Loan Request

1. Go to Rockville Public Library’s reQuest web site by clicking on the box at the bottom of this page marked "Begin your search here."  You must send your request from our site or the request will not be processed.
2. If a box appears asking for a library name, locate Rockville Public Library by clicking on the Lookup button.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions to search for the material you want. When you have found the item, click on it. If more than one possibility comes up, click on the specific item in the list that you want.
4. Click on the "Request this item" link located at the left or top of the page.
5. Fill in the form that comes up, being sure to provide all information in the fields marked "required."  When you are finished, click on "Request" at the top of the page.  The next page will confirm your request.  You may want to print out a copy for your records.
6. You will be notified when the item arrives at Rockville Public Library.

General Guidelines and Policies Governing Interlibrary Loans From Rockville Public Library

The interlibrary loan process is used to acquire books from other libraries that are not available through the Bibliomation system. We will attempt to obtain material for anyone with a valid library card from a Connecticut library. The interlibrary loan services are for the most part free. Costs are incurred if the lending library charges for materials. This is sometimes the case if requested materials are photocopies, but a few other situations may involve cost to the patron.

Some general guidelines for making interlibrary loan requests:

1. Please do not request items that Rockville Public Library owns or that are listed in the Bibliomation global database. Exceptions are items that are long overdue and considered lost. The staff will make this determination.
2. We usually cannot obtain new materials and bestsellers. Other libraries hold these items for their own patrons’ use. (An item is no longer considered “new” after about six months.)
3. Loan periods vary according to the lending library. Occasionally interlibrary loans can be renewed, but Rockville Public Library needs to determine this in conjunction with the lending library.
4. We request that patrons limit requests to no more than 5 items at a time.

Begin your search here!