Interlibrary Loan

We offer Interlibrary Loan to our Merrill library card holders. If you do not find the items you want in our shared system, V-CAT, you can ask us to get them through the statewide interlibrary loan system WISCAT, or if you are a Merrill library card holder, you may initiate your requests yourself.

To have the librarians request an interlibrary loan for you, come to the Adult Reference Desk on the 3rd level, or call 715-536-7191 and ask for the Adult Reference Desk.

ASAP

All Interlibrary loan requests are done on an ASAP basis. ASAP means as soon as possible. This varies from about 7 days if it is checked in at the loaning library to however long the material is checked out for at the owning library. If others have asked for the material before you, you might be put on a request list, just as you would be here. ILL’s usually come to us through the courier delivery system. We will notify you when your ILL arrives by phone, mail or e-mail.

HOW TO REQUEST INTERLIBRARY LOANS

Before you make your request, be sure to check the library’s online catalog (VCAT) first! If the item is available in VCAT, please request it there. Please contact the library at (715) 536-7191 with any questions.

THERE ARE TWO OPTIONS:

1) Come to the 3rd floor Adult Reference Desk, or call the desk at 715-536-7191.
2) Request the item through WISCAT.

Search VCAT, our system catalog. Be sure to search under the “Search All Libraries” tab or you may not see the item you want.

DEADLINES

If you have a deadline, a date after which you cannot use the material, please let us know. In that case the ILL system will not place the item on hold. Instead it will check with all the loaning libraries on the chance that a library can send it before your deadline date. If it cannot be supplied by your deadline, you will be notified and the request will be considered finished. It is best to have a backup plan if you have a very short deadline.

NON-MERRILL CARD HOLDERS

Wherever you live, go to your local library, or if you are a student, to your college library to request library materials from outside your area. They will tell you what information they need, and following interlibrary loan procedure will request the items you want.