Interlibrary Loan

Our Mission

The Automation and Technical Services Department is responsible for optimizing interlibrary loan services for the libraries and residents of our three county service area.

How Interlibrary Loan Operates

Interlibrary loan operates at several levels – between public libraries in Clinton, Essex and Franklin Counties, between all types of libraries in the northern New York region, between most libraries in New York State, and between libraries throughout our country and occasionally other countries.

All residents of our three counties are entitled to a library card and interlibrary loan services. With a library card, people are able to request interlibrary loan from any of the 30 member libraries through our public catalog.  Library staff members are able to place requests for their patrons through the Horizon staff software also.

If an item is not available in our 3-county public library system, library staff are able to search for it and request it for the patron through the Northern New York Library Network’s interlibrary loan system DueNorth.   The site is searchable by the public, but to request items a staff login is needed.

There are ways that library staff can also go beyond the northern New York region to find unusual items.  Some libraries have this capability through a service called OCLC, and others send manual requests by email to the CEFLS staff.  Contact a member of the Automation and Technical Services Department if you are in need of training or information about interlibrary loan.

How Interlibrary Loan Delivery Works

Our CEFLS delivery drivers brings most items requested within our system within 2 weeks, and often more quickly.  A statewide delivery system called Empire Delivery, which is subsidized by the Northern New York Library Network, transports books and other materials between many libraries around the state.  Finally, some items are sent and returned by U.S. postal mail.

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