Have you ever heard about a fantastic book, but then searched our catalog to find out that we did not have it?
What did you do?
Did you spend your hard-earned money to get it from a bookstore or website, or did you simply give up on the idea of the book altogether? What if I told you that we could still find just about any book that’s been published and get a hold of it for you?
Sometimes, when we get a request, we simply buy the item and add it to our collection for other people to use and enjoy after you are done with it. Other times, we get it through a system called Inter-Library Loan, which we typically refer to as ILL.
Libraries across the state of Louisiana have an agreement with each other. If one library system has a book available for people to check out, any other system can ask to borrow it. With over 60 library systems in the state, we’ve got the bases well-covered. Take a peek at the integrated ILL catalog.
There is paperwork, I’ll admit it, but we can handle it for you. Just bear with us as we ask you a few questions to make sure we are getting the right thing and as we take a couple of weeks passing information among ourselves and actually getting the book to your local library branch. Sometimes your request has to travel nearly 300 miles, and that takes time. It’s the same sort of wait when we order new books, too.
If you want to handle the paperwork yourself, we have both the “ILL Request Form” and the “New Item Request Form” up on our website on the “Using the Library” menu.
As soon as we have your request ready to pick up, we will call you. Find the ILL request form here.
So, walk up to the desk of your local library and tell us what you’re looking for. Even if it is not on our shelf, there is still a good chance that we can put it in your hands.