What are Interlibrary Loans?

The Kingston Frontenac Public Library endeavours to provide a robust collection of materials to our community. However, there will be times when an item is not available, is out of print, or doesn’t fit within our collection policy guidelines. If that’s the case for a title you want, we can try to borrow the item on your behalf from another Canadian library through our Interlibrary Loans (ILLO) service.

How do I request an Interlibrary Loan?

Search KFPL's catalogue first. If we have the title you are looking for, place a reservation in our catalogue. If you want an item that is less than 12 months old and we don't have it, suggest a purchase. You are now ready to place an ILLO request if the item is not in KFPL’s collection and is over 12 months old. 

Visit a Branch

Visit or call any branch of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library and ask a staff member to submit a request on your behalf. A member of the ILLO team will contact you if there are any issues with your request or if we are unable to locate the item.

Submitting Your Own Interlibrary Loan Requests

Self-serve interlibrary loan allows patrons to search and request items from other Ontario public library systems. Being registered for a self-serve account means you can request 3 items per month and track your requests. If you are interested in being registered for this service, please click on the ‘Request an Account’ link below. We’ll set you up with a user name and password.

Instructions for Placing ILLO Requests

How the Interlibrary Loan Service Works

What costs are involved?

The service is free to all patrons. We do not charge overdue fees, but lost or damaged materials will be charged to the patron at the rate decided by the lending library.

What much can I borrow?

Patrons submitting their own interlibrary loan requests with their own self-serve account or receiving assistance from a staff member may have 3 requests per month.

What can't I borrow?

We will not borrow mass market paperbacks, board books, magazines or easy readers/first chapter books.

How long can I borrow an item?

• The item usually arrives within 4 to 6 weeks.
• We’ll call or e-mail you when it is ready to be picked up from the branch of your choice.
• The loan period is usually about 3 weeks. It is set by the library that lends us the item. DVDs may have shorter loan periods.