Interlibrary loan (also known as ILL) service is a system that libraries nationwide participate in. It allows Benbrook cardholders (resident or non-resident) to borrow items from a larger network and obtain items that are not owned by BPL or one of our MetroShare partners. Another library will loan BPL materials, and we will loan it to you. This allows you to get your hands on harder to find materials.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Resident Adult or non-resident Adult Benbrook cardholders.
It's a free service that is offered. However, any fees assigned by the lending library for lost or damaged materials will be charged to the borrowing patron's account.
Benbrook resident adult cardholders can have up to ten active ILL requests at any given time. Benbrook non-resident adult cardholders can have up to five active ILL requests at any given time.
*A request is considered active from the date it is placed until 24-48 hours after the item is returned to Benbrook Public Library
This service typically takes about one week for an item to be delivered, but delivery time varies.
We will generally try to accommodate renewals for a period of two weeks, but because borrowing periods are dictated by the libraries that lend to us, renewals may sometimes not be possible.
Items released less than one year ago are generally not able to be borrowed via ILL, as most libraries will not lend new materials. If you are interested in borrowing a new item we or one of MetroShare partners don’t have, contact us about a purchase request by email at reference@benbrooklibrary.org.
If you owe a fine of $5.00 or greater and your library card is blocked, you will be unable to request an interlibrary loan.
Yes, however, DVDs and other media types can sometimes be harder to find than traditional books.
For our complete ILL policy, click here.