InterLibrary Loan

How It Works

Materials from the collections of other public, academic, and special libraries throughout the nation which are not in Mesquite Public Library System's collection can be borrowed for you through Interlibrary Loan. You can make a request in person at the information desk, by telephone by calling the Mesquite Main Library at 972-216-6227 or the Mesquite North Branch Library at 972-681-0465, or by email to the interlibrary loan librarian.

Requirements for InterLibrary Loan Items

  • The patron must have a library card for at least 3 months before they can request an InterLibrary Loan.
  • The patron must not have any replacement/damage fees over $5 nor any lost books on their account.
  • The patron cannot have an expired library card.

Your Request

We will need your name, your library card number, and a valid phone number so we can notify you when your item comes in. We will also need as much information as you can provide about the item, including title, author, publication date and ISBN if possible. The more complete your information, the greater the chances that we will be able to locate the item. 

Most requests take about 10 days to two weeks to fill, although some items may take much longer. If you have not heard from us and it’s been two weeks or more since you made your request, please feel free to contact us and we will check on the status of your request. We are not always able to fill the request, either because the item cannot be located, or because the owning library is not able to lend it. 

Fees

There is a $2.50 postage fee per item. The fee is paid when you check out the item at the checkout desk. The item will be checked out to you for an amount of time specified by the lending library. If needed, renewals may be possible if the lending library agrees to extend your due date. You will be responsible for any overdue fines incurred for late items. 

Limitations

Interlibrary loans are limited to items that are not part of the Mesquite Public Library System collection. Current bestsellers are not available through ILL. We will submit requests for audio-visual materials but they are generally more difficult to get since some libraries limit lending of A/V materials. Genealogical materials, including microfilm reels, are also more difficult to get. 

For further help with interlibrary loans, please talk with one of the reference librarians.