Interlibrary Loan

If you wish to borrow an item not owned by the Westmont Public Library, you may be able to obtain it through Interlibrary Loan. The library belongs to the Suburban Library System (SLS), which includes 77 libraries in the Chicago suburbs. As such, we can obtain materials from most of these locations in a relatively short time.

Please Note: If the materials you desire are available within the Suburban Library System, you do not require the services of the library. You can request the items on your home computer using the SWAN online catalog. Click here to learn more about this.

A few guidelines on Interlibrary Loan at the Westmont Public Library:

• You need a current Westmont Public Library card in good standing.

• The process usually takes 2 to 7 working days for materials coming from within the Suburban Library System. The library cannot guarantee how quickly materials will arrive.

• Books are the primary format borrowed, but audiovisual items (music CD's, audio tapes, books-on-tape, DVD's and videos) may also be requested. 

• While there is usually no charge to borrow materials from within SLS and the state of Illinois, the library passes on to its patrons the charge that we are assessed for obtaining out of state materials. This fee is $3.

• Materials that need to be requested from outside SLS take longer to obtain, especially those from outside the state. It is not unusual for it to take several weeks to obtain materials from out of state.

• ILL materials are subject to the loan periods, fines, rules and restrictions of the owning library and the Suburban Library System.

• A periodical request is usually received as a photocopy of the article. Many periodical titles are now available full-text on General Reference Center, the library's periodical database.

• Very new materials generally may not be borrowed from other libraries. Thus, the request for a new item is treated as a suggestion to purchase.

You can send us your interlibrary loan request electronically by using our Ask a Librarian service. To get to the online request form, click on the previous link. Please include as much information about the title as possible, including title, author, publisher and date of publication.

More information about this service can be obtained at the Reference Desk or by calling (630) 969-5625, ext. 4.