An interlibrary loan is a service offered by research libraries. In the course of your research, you will frequently find a book or article (using a search tool) that you need desperately, only to discover that it is not available at your library. Interlibrary loans provide a means for you to access sources from faraway libraries.
With the help of a reference librarian, you fill out a request for an interlibrary loan. As part of this request, you promise to take care of any resource that you receive and return it on a specific date. A library official sends this request to a library that does hold the resource you need.
The loaning library sends a photocopy of the article you need, or sends the actual book that you need, to your local library. Your local library will contact you to let you know that an item has arrived for you.
