Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service is provided by all branches of Albany Public Library for materials that member libraries of the Upper Hudson Library System do not own. Any customer in good standing (fines below $2.00 and no restrictive use notes) may use this service. Customers may only have 5 ILL items checked out at any time, but the ILL Librarian reserves the right to manage customer requests in light of workflow constraints.
APL will borrow/acquire:
- books
- photocopies of journal articles less than 50 pages
- microfilm
- microfiche
The ILL Librarian will have the discretion to determine if any materials are for In Library Use Only.
APL will not borrow/acquire:
- books less than 6 months old
- audiovisual materials such as audiobooks, music CDs, VHS tapes and DVDs
There are no renewals of ILL materials. Each customer must wait a minimum of three months from the date of return of any ILL item before re-requesting the same ILL item.
The lending period of materials is set by the lending library, not APL, so customers will not be able to borrow material for the same loan periods as comparable UHLS-owned items. If a Reference copy of a requested item is available locally, the item will not be requested and the customer will be directed to the local owning library.
Students, especially at local colleges, are encouraged to first use their institution’s ILL services. If a student wants to use our ILL services they should be aware that they will not be able to borrow the material, if acquired, for the length of the semester.
ILL is not a rush delivery service for books. The minimum wait period for materials is two weeks, and it is sometimes over a month. Customers will be notified by phone unless they request a mailed card, so it is essential that they provide a phone number that is able to receive and record messages.
Abuse of the privileges afforded by ILL service may result in the suspension and/or termination of a customer’s ILL privileges at the discretion of the ILL Librarian.
Libraries outside of the UHLS may also request items through ILL.
APL will lend only:
- books older than 6 months old
- photocopies (free of charge for 50 pages or less, $.10/page in excess of 50 pages)
Contact: Chris Sagaas, Interlibrary Loan Librarian, at 427-4323.