Interlibrary Loan Policy

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) allows participating libraries to share resources outside of the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative, PPLC. Materials borrowed from libraries outside PPLC do not fall under the same borrowing guidelines as locally owned materials. Availability, due dates, and lending conditions vary depending on lending library rules.  Not all items are possible to obtain. 

Placing a Request

  • Five ILL requests per calendar month are free to any PPLC library card holder.
  • Requests for materials and status of requests are handled at the Answers Desk by calling (727) 724-1525 x 4112 or via email shplref@cityofsafetyharbor.com.  
  • Patrons must have a valid PPLC library card.
  • Requests cannot be placed for titles published in the current year.
  • Items in the PPLC catalog (owned by a PPLC library) regardless of current availability status, cannot be requested via ILL.
  • International requests are not permitted.
  • Allow 2-4 weeks for ILL items to arrive. SHPL cannot predict when an item will arrive. 
  • ILL items must be picked up and returned at SHPL only.

Due Dates

  • Each lending library determines the loan period of an item and date due.
  • SHPL is unable to guarantee the length of the check-out period for an ILL request.
  • Due dates are stated on the front sticker of each ILL.

Renewals

  • Renewal may be requested by calling (727) 724-1525 x 4112 or via email shplref@cityofsafetyharbor.com.
  • Renewal is at the discretion of the lending library and not always possible. Please allow a few days before the due date for the lending library’s decision to avoid late fines.
  • On occasion, an item may be recalled before the original due date.

Fees

  • Five ILL requests per calendar month are free to any PPLC library card holder. 
  • Unused monthly requests cannot be carried over to the next month. Additional requests cannot be made in place of ILL requests not fulfilled.
  • It is the responsibility of the patron to keep track of and record ILL requests and to understand assessed charges.
  • ILL items that are not picked up within 7 days of notification will be assessed a $5.00 charge.


Updated January 2019