Last revised 07.01.20
Who can use interlibrary loan?
- Residents of Multnomah County.
- Patrons who pay taxes on real or personal property in Multnomah County.
- Patrons who purchase a non-resident library card.
- Library staff and volunteers.
What we borrow and can’t borrow
We will try to borrow the following materials from libraries located in the United States or Canada:
- Books
- Audiobooks on CDs
- Microfilm
- Copies of articles
- Non-Fiction video recordings
The library is unable to borrow:
- Items published in the current calendar year.
- Ebooks and downloadable audio.
- Musical recordings, software, video games or fictional video recordings (DVDs/BluRays) in any format.
- Items owned by Multnomah County Library
- Books printed before 1800. We will try to borrow these materials in reprint or microform, if available.
- Bound periodicals. We will request photocopies or microform.
Charges
The library always attempts to borrow from libraries who lend free of charge. However:
- The library will pay up to $10 per request.
- If the cost of borrowing is more than $10, the library will not continue with the interlibrary loan request until the patron agrees to pay the remaining charges.
Overdue and Damaged Material
- No late fees will be charged for overdue material.
- Items that are 30 days overdue or returned with significant damage will result in a $50 minimum charge.
- Patrons with overdue interlibrary loan items may not check out additional items through interlibrary loan.
- Interlibrary loan materials can only be checked out on the library card of the person who requested them.
- Patrons may request one renewal of interlibrary loan materials, but renewals are not guaranteed and must be requested before the due date. Contact the interlibrary loan office (illmcl@multcolib.org) to request a renewal.
- There is a limit of five active interlibrary loan requests.
- For help and frequently asked questions see our help page.
If you have questions about these policies, please contact us.
