Interlibrary loan (ILL)

Use the Receive Transit Wizard to check in Interlibrary Loan (ILL) items. These items are not checked in with IMMS.

July 2025

Questions? Patrons can contact us. Staff can contact ILL at 503-988-0488 or illmcl@multcolib.org.

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What is ILL?

The Interlibrary Loan (ILL) service provides access to materials not owned by Multnomah County Library. Patrons may request material and ILL staff will attempt to borrow it from other libraries throughout the United States and Canada. 

  • There is no guarantee that all requested material will be found or, if found, will be available for loan.
  • More information on borrowing restrictions can be found on our policy page.

Patrons who wish to use Interlibrary Loan need to create an Interlibrary Loan account, with staff assistance, if needed.

  • All requests are made through this account.

Who is eligible for ILL?

ILL service is available to these user profiles:

  • Multnomah County
    • 0_MULT
    • 1_MULT_Y
  • Administration/Staff
    • ADM
    • ADM_MYMCL
  • Accommodation
    • A_5_ITEM
    • A_6_WEEK
  • LOS Patrons
    • LOS
    • LOS_LOBBY
  • One year fee Cards
    • PAID_A
    • PAID_Y
  • Taxpayer Cards
    • TAX
    • TAX_Y

Reciprocal patrons are encouraged to use the ILL service of their home library system.

Library Connect patrons must have a 21168 account number to create an ILL account. 

Educator accounts may not be used for Interlibrary Loan items.

Staff will use an administrative account (patron profile ADM) if it is for professional development and/or a work assignment that is part of your job expectations. These ILLS will be checked out for the loan period given by the lending library. MCL staff may request current year items from the State Library of Oregon's professional Library & Information Science Collection, which is an LSTA-funded collection intended to support Oregon's libraries. To search for these items, see State Library Catalog.

Library staff and volunteers who do not live in Multnomah County and wish to register for an ILL account must have an account with a patron profile of 0_MULT.  See Staff and volunteer library cards. Verify patron library card is set to patron profile 0_MULT. If not, update the user profile and add a History field that this is a staff person or volunteer.

ILL fees

The library always attempts to borrow from libraries who lend items at no cost. However:

  • The library will pay up to $10 per request.
  • If the cost of borrowing is more than $10, the library will not continue with the interlibrary loan request until the patron agrees to pay the remaining fees. If the patron agrees, these fees will be added to their Symphony account. 

Patron ILL accounts are blocked if their balance is over $50.00.

Bills for lost, damaged or stolen items: 

  • ILL items are considered lost after 30 days overdue.
    • A minimum fee of $50.00 will be added to the patron's account for each ILL item.
    • If the replacement item cost is above $50.00, an additional replacement fee will be updated according to the lending library's invoice.

If a patron reports lost, damaged or stolen ILL items or is asking to have ILL fees cleared/waived, please call the Contact Center at 503.988.5123.

Updating ILL Accounts: Replacement Library Card or Password Change

While logged into their ILL account, patrons can update their personal information by clicking on the Update Profile button.

Patrons may reset their password online if they have a valid email in their ILL account.

If a patron replaces their library card: 

  • The patron must create a new Interlibrary Loan account.
    • Their new and old accounts will be merged by the Interlibrary Loan office. There is no need to alert the ILL office about the change.

Patrons and staff may call or email the Contact Center to reset a patron’s password.

How to check in/out an ILL item

  • When ILL items arrive at your library, use the Receive Transit Wizard to fill the ILL hold. ILLs are not checked in with IMMS. Then, put the item on your ILL hold shelf. The patron will receive a hold pick up notice the following day.
  • Important: Items must be checked out on the account of the person who requested the item. If another person picks up an ILL, they must have the library card of the ILL patron with them to check out on the ILL patron's account.
  • The due date is determined by the owning library and must be manually entered. The due date is printed on the white sticker on the front of the ILL item. Patrons that usually have longer loan periods --  LOS, Educators and Accommodation 6_Weeks -- must also use the due date on the ILL item.
  • Interlibrary Loans (ILLs) cannot be put into hold lockers because the due date must be manually changed by staff. 

Modifying The Due Date:

  1. Using the Check Out wizard, check the item out to the patron's account.
  2. Under the Current User Checkouts:
    1. Right-click on the item in question.
    2. Select Modify Due Date.
    3. Click the Due Date gadget.
    4. Choose the date that is printed on the ILL sticker, no matter the patron's usual loan period.
    5. Click OK.
    6. Click Modify User Due Dates button.
  3. The item should show the new due date. Click Close.
    1. If the due date falls on a holiday.
      • Please change the due date to the day after the holiday. There is no need to notify the ILL office for this change.
    2. If the due date is less than one week away.
      • If the due date printed on the white sticker is shorter than one week, contact the Interlibrary Loan office immediately at 503.988.0488.

In-Library Use Only material

If material arrives at your location marked with a yellow In-Library Use Only band, it cannot be checked out and taken out of the library by the patron. Please follow these steps as soon as the material arrives at your location:

  1. Contact the patron by phone. Let them know that their item has arrived.
    • The user key and phone number should be written on the yellow book band.
    • If the name or phone number is not written on the band, you can access the patron's Symphony account by scanning the lower barcode located on the white sticker into Symphony. This is the patron's card number.
    • If the patron is not available by telephone and there is no way to leave a message, you may email, text, or mail a letter to the patron alerting them to their Interlibrary Loan hold item. You may also place a Comment in the patron's Symphony account.
  2. In-Library Use Only ILL materials are to be held at the desk or at the designated place for ILL holds at your location.

When the patron arrives to use the material

  1. Check out the item on the patron's library account. Modify the due date to the open hours of your branch for the date only.
  2. Let the patron know that the item cannot leave the building and that they must return it to the desk when they are finished.
  3. Ask the patron to return the item to the desk by the end of the day. At the end of the day, the item will be considered lost and a $50 charge will be added to their account.

When the patron returns the material

  1. Check in the item.
  2. Ask the patron if they are done with the item or if they will be back to use it again.
    • If the patron needs the item again, place the item back on the ILL holds shelf.
    • If the patron is finished with the item, place it in an orange ILL bag and send it back to the ILL office.
  3. The In-Library Use ILL item must be returned to the ILL department on the due date listed on the white sticker.

Renewals

Patrons may request up to one renewal unless noted otherwise on the information band.

  • Renewals can be requested when there are 14 days left on the loan period.
  • Items that are due in less than 3 days cannot be renewed.
  • Items that are overdue cannot be renewed.
  • Renewals are not guaranteed and the renewal date is subject to the lending library discretion.

Patrons can request renewals in their ILL account, if the renewal button can be clicked, or patrons or staff can call 503.988.5123 or email libhelp@multcolib.org.

Returning ILL material

  1. Check in the item.
  2. Place the item in an orange ILL bag and flip the address card over so the ILL side shows.
  3. Place orange ILL bags in the outgoing interoffice mail area.
    • If this area is not large enough in your branch, please set aside another area for these items.
    • Label the space and communicate it to your delivery driver.

Requesting ILL bags

  • If your location runs out of orange ILL bags, you may send ILL items back through Interoffice mail to 635/OPS/ILL.
  • ILL Orange bags can be ordered through the Library Supplies and Special Orders form.

Branch transfers/change pick up location of ILL material

If a patron requests the transfer of an ILL item from one branch to another, please follow these steps:

  1. Ask the patron if they need to update their home library in their ILL account. Both their Symphony and ILL accounts must be updated separately.
  2. Open the Check Out wizard.
  3. In the User ID field, enter the patron’s card number.
  4. Right-click on the title in question.
  5. Click Remove Hold.
  6. Close patron record.
  7. Open the Place Hold wizard.
  8. Scan User ID from ILL label.
  9. Scan TN barcode from side of ILL label.
  10. Click Pickup at and select the correct location.
  11. Click Place Hold.
  12. Click Pickup at and select the correct location and click OK.
  13. Write the new pickup location on the white sticker. Include a note to notify staff about the item status, such as "Sending from BMT, patron now wants to pick up at HWD."
  14. Interoffice mail the item to the new pickup location.
  15. Contact the ILL department at ext 80488 or illmcl@multcolib.org to notify ILL of the change. Include:
    1. Your library location.
    2. Patron's name or library card number.
    3. New pickup location.
    4. Any patron contact information updates.

Extending ILL holdshelf time

  • ILL items are held on the hold shelf for one week (7 days).
  • You may extend the pickup time for ILL material up for an additional week.
  • Let the patron know that the due date will not change and they may have less time with the item.

Expired holds

  • ILL items will appear on expired holds lists.
  • Return expired ILL material to the ILL office in an orange ILL bag.
  • If you cannot find an expired item, please contact ILL at ext 80488 or illmcl@multcolib.org.

Lost, stolen or damaged ILL items

If a patron reports a lost, damaged or stolen item, please contact ILL immediately at ext 80488. 

  • Do not mark ILL items as lost.
  • ILL staff will update the patron's library account with the appropriate fees. 

If an item is returned damaged, check the item in. 

  • Place a note on the item that describes the nature of the damage and send the item through Interoffice mail to the ILL office at 635/OPS/ILL

Requests to clear ILL fees

If a patron asks us to clear fees related to ILL material, staff and patrons can call the Contact Center for assistance.

If the request to clear the fees is approved, the Contact Center will follow their normal procedure for clearing fees.

ILL request fees that were approved by the patron will not be cleared in most situations.

Claims returned ILL items

Do not set ILL items to Claims Returned. 

  • ILL items may only be marked as claims returned by Contact Center staff, the ILL lead worker, or the Cataloging Administrator.
  • Call the Contact Center at ext. 85123 or email the patron and item information to libhelp@multcolib.org.
  • Do not contact ILL directly for help with ILL claims returned items.

How to cancel an ILL request

Requests that have not shipped can be canceled by patrons and staff. These will be under the “In Process” portion of the patron’s ILL account and will have a “Cancel Request” option in blue.

If there is no cancel option, the item is on its way to Multnomah County Library. Email the TN to illmcl@multco.us and ILL staff will handle the cancellation.

The patron may not be able to immediately place another request while the cancellation is being processed, if they are at their limit of 2 requests.

Contact for details
illmcl@multcolib.org
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