The Interlibrary Loan Service locates and borrows requested materials not owned by the EBRP Library. We can borrow books, journal articles and other materials, although sometimes it is difficult to find a willing lender for non-print media. The cost of this service is usually free; however, sometimes lenders charge a fee for photocopies of articles.
Submit an Interlibrary Loan Request online or talk to a staff member at any Library branch to assist you.
Your request will be processed and the material, if available, should arrive in about 2-3 weeks. The loan period will be determined by the lending library. The assigned due date will be listed on the pink label attached to the book. Interlibrary loans may only be renewed one time if allowed by the lending library. Items marked "No Renewal" will not be renewed by the lender.
We do not process ILL requests for out-of-parish patrons.
The following materials are NOT available through Interlibrary Loan:
You may also Request a Purchase of any items that may be permanently added to the collection.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) locates and obtains materials that are not available in the East Baton Rouge Parish Library's print, microform or multimedia collections. We get these materials from other library systems.
ILL services are available to any patron who is a resident of East Baton Rouge Parish and has a valid East Baton Rouge Parish Library card.
You can get almost anything through Interlibrary Loan but some things are harder to locate and borrow. Dissertations and theses, rare books, and genealogical materials are sometimes unavailable or can take longer for us to find a willing lender. DVDs, videotapes, audiotapes and CDs can only be borrowed from the Louisiana State Library.
Materials that are available in the East Baton Rouge Parish Libraries should not be requested through ILL. However, you can request items that are lost or missing.
ILL requests are limited to eight (8) "in-process" at a time. We do not process ILL requests for out-of-parish patrons. For books, in-process status begins when a request is made and lasts until you return the borrowed item to the library. For photocopies, the transaction is complete when you pick up the copies.
The following materials cannot be requested through Interlibrary Loan:
Requests are processed in the order in which they are received. If your ILL request form is not completely filled out, your request will be delayed while we contact you for the missing information. How does Interlibrary Loan find the material?
We use the Loan Shark and OCLC online databases, which containing the holdings of nearly 9,000 libraries to locate and request most materials.
Your materials will usually arrive within 2-3 weeks. Items that are very recently published, unusual, or in a format other than a book or photocopy can take longer. ILL offices around the US usually don't operate during weekends and holiday periods, so at those times there can be delays.
Materials that are available from libraries in the State of Louisiana can arrive in less than 2 weeks. If you have special needs requiring fast delivery, talk to the staff about your situation and make sure your deadline is included on the request forms. We will try to meet your deadline; however, when your deadline is reached, we will stop trying to locate your material and let you know the situation. There may be an extra charge for fast delivery. Contact the ILL Office for more information about extra charges.
Feel free to contact the ILL office to ask about the status of your request. If your material has not arrived and you have not heard from us within two weeks of placing your request, call us at (225) 231-3750.
The East Baton Rouge Parish Library pays for postage charges for ILL materials; however, there are some charges that the Library cannot pay for, like extra charges for fast delivery or for the costs of purchasing dissertations or other entire works. Any extra charges or purchase costs will be your responsibility if you decide you want those materials.
Be sure to let the staff member know if you are willing to accept charges and the amount you are willing to pay. If your actual charges are more than the amount you approved, we will contact you before we order to let you know what the charges will be and give you a chance to cancel the order. The amount of charges is determined by the delivery service (for fast delivery) or by the library or document supplier (for dissertations or other entire works), not by the East Baton Rouge Parish Library. If you choose to accept charges, your library account will be charged when the materials arrive.
Photocopies are usually yours to keep.
The lending library sets the loan period for books. This loan period can vary according to the lending library and its needs. We can sometimes request ONE single renewal of no more than three weeks. The lending library decides whether or not to allow the renewal. Items marked "No Renewal" will not be renewed by the lender.
The books we borrow through Interlibrary Loan are the property of other libraries. We respect those other libraries and their materials and appreciate their continued service. We also respect the due dates they have given for their books.
If an item is not marked "No Renewal," and it has not already been renewed once, contact us to request a renewal. We'll contact the lending library to ask for the renewal. You will get a new due date that is three weeks after the original due date unless we contact you to tell you differently. If the lending library cannot renew the item, you must return the item immediately.
Some items cannot be renewed:
To request a renewal, call us at 225-231-3750.