Interlibrary Loan

Library

Looking for an unusual book? Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service you can use to borrow almost any book ever published. The Iredell County Public Library can borrow books from over 10,000 libraries in 40 different countries.

To begin, complete an Interlibrary loan form. You can pick up a form at any library location or download an ILL form.

Tips for using Interlibrary Loan:

  • There are no guarantees. A library can refuse to loan an item without giving us a reason. But that usually doesn't happen.
  • You will be charged for the return Postage at the time you pick up your book. It's a great bargain for most loans—about $2.25 to $2.65. Heavier books can cost more. It depends on the weight of the package—not the distance it is shipped.
  • It is not an overnight thing A loan can take as much as two weeks to get here, although it usually arrives much sooner. We have no control over the postal service. Anyway if you need a book tomorrow ILL is not going to be able to help.
  • You need to have some information about the item—title, author, subject—anything that will help us identify the correct item when we search.
  • Most libraries have items they will never loan out. These include genealogical materials, all audiovisuals, and items that are new within the last year. If you want a newly published title you can request that we buy it for our collection.
  • You can pick up an ILL form at the front desk or call 704-878-5423 to request a loan.
  •  You must be a patron in good standing—fines paid up to date, etc. If you fail to return an ILL book, our library has to pay the lending library for a replacement.