Interlibrary Loan

Fill out an Interlibrary Loan Request

Some restrictions apply to this service. Please place your request well before your deadline as the process can last from two to four weeks. The item must have a published date of at least six months prior to the date of the interlibrary loan request. Go to Amazon to see when an item was published and to record the ISBN Number. Fill out the Interlibrary Loan Request here.

Interlibrary Loan Service

Interlibrary Loan, a service of the Roanoke County Public Library, allows you to borrow books, magazine articles, audiobooks and other material from libraries outside the valley. You can request items that have been released for six months or more.

The library will only request materials that are not owned by a public library in the valley. Roanoke Valley Libraries include Roanoke County, Roanoke City, Salem City, and Botetourt County. This includes reference and Virginia Room material. You are welcome to ask staff to assist you in determining if a valley library has items. Allow at least two weeks for us to receive the item.

Interlibrary Loan Fees

There is a $3 charge per interlibrary loan to pay for postage. This fee will be collected when the item is picked up. If the item comes in and you do not pick it up, you will still be charged the $3 fee to cover postage. Occasionally, additional charges due to shipping are required from the loaning library. In those instances, postage is $6.

Requests for articles from magazines and newspapers are free as long as no shipping charge is involved. Check with the interlibrary loan department for more information 540-777-8782. Allow at least two weeks for us to receive the item.

Interlibrary Loan

To ensure that your interlibrary loan request is processed in a timely manner, please read the following steps carefully.

Search for an Item

It is easy to use WorldCat search to locate items in local libraries and elsewhere. This search allows you to see if the item you are seeking is available in a library in the Roanoke Valley or outside the area, and whether or not it can be easily obtained through interlibrary loan.

Pay at the Time of Pick Up

The library will contact you when your request as been filled. The $3 postage fee plus any additional fees from the sending library must be paid at the time of pickup.The due date will be printed and placed on the front cover of the material. If renewal is possible, please call 540-777-8782 to renew by the specified renewal date.

Return Material to the Pick Up Library

Material must be returned to the library from which it was picked up. When returned, the material must be handed to a staff member either at the drive-thru window or in the building.

Interlibrary Loan Policies:

  • We only request items for interlibrary loan that are not owned by a Roanoke Valley public library. 
  • You can request items that have been released for six months or more.
  • Please return an interlibrary loan to a staff person at the library where you checked it out.
  • We do not interlibrary loan textbooks.

Questions? Call 540-777-8782 to speak to our Reference department.