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What type of material can I request through ILL?

Customers with a valid Queens Library card can request books and photocopies of articles (up to 30 pages) through ILL. We do not borrow or lend CDs, DVDs, videos, audiocassettes, films, microfiche, microfilm, entire journals or magazines.

When searching the Internet, OCLC or other library catalogs, several libraries are listed as owning a particular title and yet Queens Library is unable to request the item/book. What is the reason for this?

There are several reasons for this:

  • That particular library does not participate in ILL (such as the research collections of NYPL).
  • The book is a part of a reference or archival collection and will not be lent out.
  • The library charges a fee for lending. However, Queens Library will borrow the book if the customer is willing to pay.
  • At the time that the request was made the book was already checked out by the lending library's customer.
  • The book is missing or lost.
I returned another institution’s book to Queens Library in error. What happens to the book?

If the book was received in the ILL unit, it will be returned to the lending institution. Not all of these books are forwarded to the ILL unit. There are also instances when the book is not found by Queens Library staff, so there are no guarantees. You are responsible for any fines and fees the owning library charges.


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