What Is ILL?
Interlibrary Loan: Items not owned by the Mobile Public Library, or not available in the needed format, may be requested through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). We will ask to borrow the requested item from another library system on your behalf.
Note: this is not how you request a item already in the Mobile Public Library collection. We will happily send items from our circulating collection to your preferred Mobile Public Library location if you request a hold. Learn more about placing holds here.
How ILL Works
- We can request books, audiobooks, music CDs, movies, magazine & journal articles, and census & military records on microfilm.
- The Local History and Genealogy library has a non-circulating collection of fiction books by authors of local interest. If you wish to check out one of these titles please request it here, through Interlibrary Loan.
- Anyone with a library card and no late fees may request an ILL.
- No more than five ILL items are allowed to be checked out at one time.
- Filling ILL requests can take anywhere from one week to several weeks depending on multiple factors.
- There is a $2 postage and handling fee for each ILL we obtain for you, due at check out, along with any fees charged by the lending library. These fees are still due even if you fail to pick up the item. We will check with you before agreeing to any lending library fees.
- Loan periods and renewals are set by the lending libraries and are out of Mobile Public Library's control.
- Submit a request for each item you require separately. Requests can also be placed at any location's reference desk. Leave a message for the ILL Department at (251) 340-1418 or email mainill@mplonline.org for help with your request.
- If you wish to know where we will likely request your item, you can use FirstSearch and WorldCat From OCLC to search other libraries' collections.
