- A library has to own the item
- The library has to be willing to lend the item
- The library has to be able to find the item on its shelves
- The library has to prepare and ship the item
Libraries have different response rates for the above actions. Some will process the request the same day they receive it; others, if they are a small system or have a large number of requests, will take longer to respond.
In South Carolina, most libraries participate in the interagency mail system, which transfers items from library to library within a week. Outside of South Carolina, most libraries ship items to us via library mail, which is inexpensive but can be V E R Y slow. Our average turnaround time, from placing the request to receiving the item, is 10-11 days. Transferring the item from the Main branch to other branches can take 2-3 days.
Unfortunately, rush service is not available. For those who need items right away, there are other non-library venues, such as Amazon's next-day delivery service. And yes, that is not free. If speed is a priority, interlibrary loan may not be a good choice.
If you are willing to wait a bit, interlibrary loan can be a great way to view items from all across the country.
