Get Help

Canada Post Strike

Interlibrary Loans may experience delays due to the
rotating strike by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.

Full Name*
VIRL Card Number*
Email

Please provide an email address if you'd like to have a receipt of your request.
Phone Number
I use the library in:*
Item Format*
Author/Artist*
Title*
Publication Date (if known)
Publisher
ISBN
Additional Information

Search Illume for material held by other BC library systems.

Please note: The preferred browser for accessing Illume is Chrome. Firefox and MS Edge also work, Internet Explorer does not.

Can’t find what you’re looking for in our catalogue? Browse other library systems in BC and elsewhere in Canada through Interlibrary Loan (ILL).

Newer items with a publication date within the last two years are NOT available to request with this service.

How to place an ILL request

Check to see if the item is available in another BC Library system by using lllume catalogue. This will search many library systems for the item you are looking for.
Ensure the item was not published in the last two years.
Request the item using the form below.

How long will an ILL request take?

Interlibrary loans take from 3 to 8 weeks or longer to be filled.

What can be requested?

Materials that were published more than two years ago are available through ILL and include:

Books
Copies of articles from magazines, newspapers or conference proceedings
Photocopies of specific information from non-circulating books
Microfilm of census, newspaper or archival material
Audiobooks may be requested for the visually impaired

There is no limit on the number of ILLs you can have in a year; however, you may only have 10 active ILL requests at a time. This is consistent with BC Library interlibrary loan practice.

Materials NOT available through ILL include:

Audiovisual materials (CDs, audio tapes, CDROMs, videocassettes, DVDs)
Non-circulating/reference materials
Books published in the current or previous year
Items priced under $15
Magazines, except photocopies of specific articles
Rare, old or fragile books
Computer software and computer games
eBooks or other electronic resources

What is the loan period for ILLs?

Loan periods are set by the lending library and are two or three weeks. Please return materials promptly.
Renewals are not allowed and items may not be re-requested for a three month period
Lending libraries may place restrictions on the use of their materials, for example, “Library use only”

What are the charges when using ILL?

There is no charge for using the service
We have no late fees for adult materials
We do not have late fees for children’s or young adult materials