Interlibrary Loan Service (ILL)

All card holders may request books or copies of periodical articles not owned by the Library via the interlibrary loan (ILL) program. Most interlibrary loans are free, but a small fee will be charged for photocopies or for items which must be borrowed from an out-of-state library. For more information about interlibrary loans in Illinois, please see the ILLINET Interlibrary Loan Code at the Secretary of State’s Web site.

To request an interlibrary loan, contact the Public Services or Youth Services desks (834-1164). Card holders may also place their own ILL requests through the WorldCat database. WorldCat lists the holdings of most libraries in the U.S. and is available though the library’s First Search electronic resource. A library card number and PIN is required to access FirstSearch.

How to place an Interlibrary Loan Request using FirstSearch

  1. Open FirstSearch WorldCat (in a new window).
  2. Login with your library card number and PIN.
  3. Search for your item (books, movies, music, and more).

    FirstSearch screenshot

  4. Select your item from the search list. An item detail page will open.

    FirstSearch screenshot

    FirstSearch screenshot

  5. In the “Get This Item” section, you will find a link entitled “Libraries worldwide that own item.” Clicking this link will show you a list of all libraries that own your item. Illinois libraries will be listed first.

    FirstSearch screenshot

  6. Go back to the item page. Click on “Borrow this item from another library (Interlibrary Loan)”. On the request page, enter your first and last names, phone number, email address, and 14-digit library card number (in Patron ID field). The Max Cost field is used to enter the maximum amount of money you are willing to pay to have this item shipped. Villa Park Library does not charge for this service but out of state libraries will typically charge $2 to $5 per item for shipping. If you do not wish us to search libraries outside of Illinois, please put a zero in this field. You may also add additional comments below.

    FirstSearch screenshot

  7. Click Submit to send your request to the Library’s ILL staff.

A staff member will try to obtain your item from one of the participating libraries. The first attempts
will be from Illinois libraries. If an Illinois library cannot fulfill the request, and you have entered an amount in the Max Cost field, staff will try to request your item from an out-of-state library. Although there are non-U.S. libraries in the system, library staff will not request an item from a library outside the country. The library will contact you when your item has arrived. If no library is willing to send the item, or there are questions about your request, ILL staff will contact you.