What type of material can I request through Interlibrary Loan?

Customers with a valid Queens Public Library card can request books and photocopies of articles (up to 30 pages) through Interlibrary Loan. We do not borrow or lend CDs, DVDs, videos, audiocassettes, films, microfiche, microfilm, entire journals, or magazines.

When searching the Internet, OCLC, or other library catalogs, several libraries are listed as owning a particular title and yet Queens Public Library is unable to request the item/book. What is the reason for this?

There are several reasons for this:

  • That particular library does not participate in Interlibrary Loan (such as the research collections of the New York Public Library).
  • The book is part of a reference or archival collection and will not be lent out.
  • The library charges a fee for lending. However, Queens Public Library will borrow the book if the customer is willing to pay.
  • At the time that the request was made, the book was already checked out by the lending library's customer.
  • The book is missing or lost.