Interlibrary Loan

Inter-Library Loan is a great service that helps the Independence Public Library offer more resources to you. We don't always have every title or topic that you are searching for, but we can offer access to these books or materials through another library in Iowa or in the United States.

How To Request A Book

Call, e-mail, or stop in and talk to one of the library staff to use the inter-library loan service.  You must have a valid Independence Public Library card in good standing to use the Interlibrary loan service.

Guidelines

Here are some brief guidelines:

• The time it takes to receive the item varies greatly by whether it arrives on van mail or whether it is delivered through postal delivery.  It takes 1 - 3 weeks to acquire an item.
• You will usually be able to keep the item for 2 weeks, and sometimes it is also possible to extend the checkout period.
• Books that have been published in the last six months are typically not available through interlibrary loan.
• If you would like to do your own searching for materials, make sure to check the Independence Public Library's catalog first. If we don't have an item, you can search by going to the Locator, which is maintained by the State Library of Iowa. Print or write down the items you would like to receive, and we will do our best to get them for you.
• The user will pay for lost/damaged books according to the price given to us by the lending library.