Interlibrary loan is the borrowing of items (e.g. books, articles) that we do not own from a library that does own it.
Anything can be requested except archival materials, rare books, and bound or unbound journals. However, each lending library decides what materials they will lend. For example, many libraries do not lend new books or DVDs for 6 months to a year.
When using a library database, you may select the link to "request item." Enter your contact information and then submit the request. The library will receive your request and process it.
If you have a citation, you may fill out a form at the front desk or email Susan Abrahams with the information.
Contact Susan Abrahams as soon as possible if you need to cancel a request.
It is a free service for members of the Peru State College community.
If you are a distance student and request a physical item that needs to be mailed to you, you will have the cost of paying to return the item to the Peru State Library.
Patrons who aren't a Peru State College student, alumnus, or employee may also use this service for a fee of $6 per item to cover mailing and processing.
Articles may take 2-3 business days.
Physical items may take 7-14 days to arrive depending on the location of the lending library and the U.S. Postal Service.
Physical items may not be requested during the last two weeks of each semester because they may not arrive before the end of the semester.
Lending libraries determine the due date of their physical items. If you need an item beyond the due date, contact us so we may request a renewal for it, which may or may not be approved by the lending library. Try to use the item within the initial checkout period to avoid the possibility of a renewal being denied.
Physical items can be picked up at the front desk and returned there or at the outside dropbox.
We will mail physical items requested through interlibrary loan and those that we own to our patrons. The receiver of the item is responsible for the item if lost in the mail and for paying to ship it back to us.
An alternative is to use your local library to request physical items. This will not only save you shipping costs but will also get the item to you sooner by eliminating the delivery time between the Peru State College Library and you.