Interlibrary Loan is a way to request books, microfilm, articles and other material not owned by the DC Public Library. The service is available to DC Public Library customers with current library cards in good standing.
Customers assume cost of postage, insurance and handling charges. If the lending library charges a borrowing fee, that must be paid by the requesting customer. Materials cannot be requested from the Library of Congress.
Requests may be made for any items not owned by District of Columbia Public Library with the following exceptions:
- No TV series or feature films
- No items published or released within the past 6 months to one year. (To suggest a new title for the library to purchase, please visit our Suggest a Title form. Suggestions there are reviewed and acted upon weekly.)
- No Playaways or digital materials such as eBooks and Audiobooks
Lending libraries will also generally restrict loans of textbooks, genealogy material and reference books.
You may place an Interlibrary Loan request in person at any DC Public Library neighborhood library.
Your DC Public Library card also grants reciprocal privileges at the following neighboring public library systems. We can obtain interlibrary loans from them but you can also visit them to get a library card and borrow materials:
- Alexandria
- Arlington
- Fairfax County
- Falls Church
- Loudoun County
- Montgomery County
- Prince George's County
- Prince William County
