Interlibrary Loan

For Toronto Public Library users: requesting material from another library system

What types of material can be requested?

Interlibrary Loan will obtain books, microfilms, photocopies and other library material not owned by or missing from the Toronto Public Library collections. A circulating copy of a book or other material may be requested on interlibrary loan if the copy in Toronto Public Library's collection is for use in library (reference) only.

All library materials may be requested on interlibrary loan, subject to the availability and interlibrary loan policies of the lending libraries. Generally, audio-visual materials, such as DVDs/videos and cassettes/CDs, are not available for interlibrary loan.

How do I make an interlibrary loan request?

You can submit an interlibrary loan request at any Toronto Public Library branch or by printing this form (PDF version)and taking it into a branch. You will need a valid TPL library card.

How much does it cost?

The service is free unless the library lending the material charges for the loan. In that case, the fee charged by the lending library will be passed along to the customer. Lost or damaged materials will be charged to the customer at the rate charged by the lending library. For more details, ask at your local branch.

For other libraries: requesting material from Toronto Public Library

For libraries requesting materials from Toronto Public Library, the library's Interlibrary Loan Policies are listed on the Library and Archives Canada site.