Interlibrary Loan Policy
Eligibility
The Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Service is available to anyone with a valid Halifax Public Libraries borrower's card.
Borrowers with "no proof of address" cards are not eligible to use the ILL service.
Borrowers who habitually return items overdue or fail to follow requirements (including not paying fines, photocopy charges, failure to pick up, or not paying replacement/damage costs) may incur the suspension of ILL privileges.
The ILL Librarian or his/her supervisor has sole authority to suspend or reinstate privileges.
Requests from Halifax Public Libraries Borrowers
The following materials are available through the ILL service:
- Books from other lending libraries in Nova Scotia, across Canada, and the USA
- Archival materials on microform
- Articles from magazines and journals
- Talking books for persons who are visually impaired
- National Film Board of Canada (NFB) videos and DVDs
- Videos and DVDs from the Special Needs Parenting Collection
The following materials are not available through the ILL service:
- Books published within the last three (3) to six (6) months
- Materials outside of North America
- Magazines and journals
- Books on tape or CD
- Music CDs
- All DVDs except those in the NFB and Special Needs Parenting collections
- e-Books
Borrowers can have a maximum of five (5) active requests at any one time.
Use of Materials
Materials may be picked up at any Halifax Public Libraries outlets. Some materials may only be available for use within the library.
Microform materials will be available only at the Alderney Gate and Spring Garden Road Libraries where microform readers are available. Microform materials are available for in-house use only.
ILL materials do not qualify for vacation, institutional, overnight, or special loan periods.
Materials must be picked up within seven (7) business days.
Renewals of materials may be possible, depending on the lending library’s loan policies.
Fines and Fees
Halifax Public Libraries does not charge for interlibrary loans. Any charges levied by the lending libraries will be passed on to the borrower.
Charges for ILL materials must be paid at the time of pickup.
Borrowers are responsible for all ILL materials charged to their library card, including proper care and control of items in their possession even when in use within the library. If materials are lost or damaged, the borrower is responsible for all repair or replacement costs in accordance with the policies of the lending library.
Fines for overdue ILL material will be $2.00 per day to a maximum of $10 per item.
Fine free borrowers using the ILL service will not be charged overdue fines. However, fine free borrowers are still responsible for paying any charges levied by the lending libraries including borrowing, repair, and replacement costs.
