Okay – you came to the library looking for something specific. You REALLY want it, but we don’t have it. Don’t despair. You may have up to three options depending on what type of material you want.
- If the item (books, audiobooks, or movies) was released in the past year, submit a materials request form. These are available at the circulation desk and throughout the library. You can also make a request using the Ask A Librarian form. If using the online form, make sure to include title of item, author (if applicable), ISBN (if available), and date of release.
- If the item (books and audiobooks only) is owned by another library in the Evergreen Indiana consortium and was added to the catalog over 6 months ago, you can reserve it using My Account. This item will be sent to Hagerstown Library or whatever Evergreen Indiana library you specify for pick up.
- If the item is not available through Evergreen Indiana, you may request it through traditional interlibrary loan (ILL). This is done by visiting the library and placing your request with our ILL staff.
Some commonly asked questions
Who may request materials?
Any Hagerstown Library cardholder (resident, reciprocal borrower, student, non-Resident) may fill out a materials request form. We will decide if the material is appropriate to add to our collection. The biggest determining factor for this decision is cost. We try our hardest to get the materials our patrons want insomuch as we can afford them.
Who may use Interlibrary Loan?
Both Evergreen Indiana and traditional interlibrary loan services are available to all Hagerstown Jefferson Township Library resident cardholders with fines less than $10.
What can I request through Interlibrary Loan?
- Books, recordings, microfilm which are not owned by HJTL
- Photocopies of articles
What cannot be requested through Interlibrary Loan?
- AV materials (audio- or videotapes)
- Reference books
- Materials held in special collections, such as rare books or manuscripts
- Entire issues of periodicals
- Most genealogy sources
Is there a charge for Interlibrary Loan?
Materials obtained through Evergreen Indiana never have a fee associated with them. If an item is obtained through traditional ILL, there may be a postage fee associated with items coming from a state other than Indiana.
How long does it take?
An item requested through Evergreen Indiana generally takes a week to arrive once available. An item requested through traditional ILL generally takes 2-3 weeks to arrive depending on how widely available it is and the location of the library sending it.
Where will the items I request be delivered?
Items requested through Evergreen Indiana can be picked up at any library that is a member of the consortium provided that library is specified when the request is made. If another location is not specified, materials can be picked up at the Hagerstown Library circulation desk.
Items requested through traditional ILL are available for pickup at the library.
Articles may be delivered to your email address or picked up at the library.
How many items may I request?
You may request up to 15 items through Evergreen Indiana.
You may have up to three active traditional ILL requests at a time. A request is considered active from the time it is received by the ILL staff until a borrow item is received back by the owning library.
How long can I use Interlibrary Loan materials?
The length of the loan is set by the lending library, not ourselves, and will vary accordingly. The due date is noted on each item.
Can I renew my Interlibrary Loan materials?
Renewals are generally available for items requested through Evergreen Indiana in accordance to circulation policies.
Renewals are not standard procedure for traditional ILLs, but may be possible. Borrowers must contact us before the due date and we then contact the lending library for a renewal date. When we hear back from the lending library we will inform the borrower if the loan was extended.
How do I place a request?
You may place your Evergreen Indiana request through My Account online. Traditional ILL requests must be made at the Hagerstown Library circulation desk.
Lost Items
Our library is responsible for the safety of materials borrowed from other libraries and our privilege of borrowing from them is jeopardized if anything is lost. We may suspend Interlibrary Loan borrowing privileges of any patron who does not return the ILL materials we have obtained for them.
Can I speak to someone for further assistance?
For assistance from library staff, you may bring all citation details with you to the library. For further information about interlibrary loan policies, please contact us at 765-489-5632.
