Interlibrary Loan
We share materials and resources with library systems across the U.S. and internationally. If there is an item that you want that is not in our collection, please tell us. We will help you request an Interlibrary Loan (ILL).
Request an Interlibrary Loan
If you have a Seattle Public Library card and would like to borrow an item from another library system, you can make a request by submitting the form below.
* Required
Using Interlibrary Loan
Interlibrary Loans often require shipping and other expenses.
To cover those expenses, we charge an ILL fee, which is:
- $5 for each item you borrow
- $1 per day for an overdue item with a maximum of $15
You can pay your fees with cash or check at any Library branch. You can also pay online at pay.spl.org.
There are many items we can get for you from other library systems.
We can request:
- books
- audio books
- music scores
- journals and newspapers
There are some items that we cannot get through an Interlibrary Loan.
We cannot request an ILL for:
- Items we already own and are available at the Library
- Items published in the last 12 months
- DVDs
- Videos
- Music CDs
- E-books and other digital media
If you would like an item that we cannot get through an ILL, please Ask Us. We may be able to help you find it in other ways.
We will notify you when your ILL item is ready to check out.
We receive most items within three weeks. Sometimes it takes a little longer. We do not send out notifications about items that we cannot get for you through an ILL.
Interlibrary loans are different from borrowing items from our Library collection.
It is free to borrow items that we own and keep in our collection. If you borrow an item through an Interlibrary Loan, though, there is a $5 fee. This is our policy on ILL:
- You can borrow an item for 21 days.
- There are no renewals.
- You can request up to 5 Interlibrary Loan items each week.
- You can request an Interlibrary Loan if your account balance with us is less than $15.
We can make requests for Interlibrary Loans for Seattle Public Library cardholders.
If you do not have a Seattle Public Library card because you live outside our service area, please speak with someone at your local library about an Interlibrary Loan.
Should I request an Interlibrary Loan or Suggest a Title?
Request an Interlibrary Loan for titles published more than five years ago, out of print materials, journal articles and microfilm that we don't have.
Suggest a Title is the best option for newer titles that are available for us to add to our collection.
Photocopy Request
If you would like to request a photocopy of Library materials, please use our photocopy request form.
Interlibrary Loan for Libraries
For libraries that would like to borrow materials from The Seattle Public Library through Interlibrary Loan (ILL), our Interlibrary Loan Department can help you.
If you have a question or need help, Ask Us or call 206-386-4636.