What is Interlibrary loan?
Interlibrary Loan (ILL) works with other libraries to provide items that are not available in Manhattan Public Library’s catalog to MPL patrons. Most items are borrowed from other Kansas libraries, but if the item can’t be found in-state, ILL can extend the search nationwide. ILL will not accept requests for items that the library owns, items that are very new or very popular, items that have not been published/released yet, excessively expensive/rare items, or textbooks. ILL will make every attempt to fill your request, but certain items may not be available regardless of our efforts and we cannot guarantee every request will be filled.
You can reach the Interlibrary Loan Department at ill@mhklibrary.org or (785)320-5369.
Register for Interlibrary loan
To use the service, patrons must first register with the automated ILL system. This allows patrons to place ILL requests anywhere, anytime. To register, call the Adult Services Department at 785-776-4741 ext 300 or come to the Reference desk. All Manhattan Public Library cardholders, except for non-resident patrons, can use ILL.
FAQs
There is no fee to borrow items from other Kansas libraries. Out-of-state libraries may charge a fee to borrow. We will not borrow an item from charging libraries unless you agree to pay the borrowing fee, which will be charged to your library card account. The fee remains until paid, whether you pick up the item or not.
Patrons can have no more than 10 active ILL requests at any time. Requests are considered active from the time they are submitted until the items are returned to the lending library. Patrons are limited to one book kit per library card.
Generally, an in-state request will take 1 to 2 weeks to arrive. It may take longer. Out-of-state requests can take 4 or more weeks. If you have questions about the status of your ILL, please contact the Interlibrary Loan Department at 785-320-5369 or ill@mhklibrary.org.
Not all requests can be filled for a variety of reasons. If the item you requested is unavailable you will be notified via your preferred contact information.
You will be notified when your request is ready to pick up. It will automatically be checked out on your library card and will be held at the Check Out Desk for the period of the loan.
The lending library determines the length of an ILL’s loan period and whether or not the item will be renewed. Items that cannot be renewed will be marked as such. To renew an ILL, please contact the Interlibrary Loan Department at 785-320-5369 or ill@mhklibrary.org at least 3 days before the item is due.
Manhattan Public Library must remain in good standing with other lending libraries by honoring their due dates and rules in order to remain in the interlibrary loan circuit and provide items to our patrons.
Patrons who return ILLs without the identifying band will be charged $5 for vinyl bands and $2 for paper bands. These charges will be waived when the band is returned.
If an ILL is lost or damaged, you will be charged a replacement cost determined by the lending library, plus a $5.00 processing fee.
Remember, you must be registered with the ILL system in order to log in and place ILL requests. Internet Explorer is not supported by the ILL system and it will not display or function properly in that browser. Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Opera are all supported.
- Go to the Kansas Library Catalog or click the ‘Log Into the ILL System’ button below. This will take you to the KLC main page.
- Click on the Login button in the upper right-hand corner. You must be logged in to place a request. You will be presented with a login screen.
- Enter your Manhattan Public Library card number (usually the last 7 numbers) and password (usually the last 4 numbers of your phone number). Click ‘Submit’ or press Enter.
*If you would like the system to remember your username and password, click the ‘remember me?’ box. We do not recommend this for public computers. If you are using a public computer, please remember to log out of the ILL system when finished.
Basic Search
After you have logged in, click on the search bar and begin typing. In this example, we will look for the first Harry Potter book (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone). You can type in all or part of the title or item you are looking for. The catalog will also provide suggested searches. If you see what you’re looking for, you can click it to auto-fill the search box. Then, either press the “Enter” key on your keyboard or click the magnifying glass icon.
Changing Search Indexes
The default search is Title. If you wish to search by author or some other heading, you will need to change the search index. To do this, click on the drop-down menu to the left of the search box and select the new index. All Headings is the most versatile index- it will search every field for your search terms. However, results can be a little overwhelming. For more specific results, Title works best.
Now Searching...
After you have submitted your search term, the library will start a system-wide search for your item. For the best results, please wait until thenumber of “search resources remaining” in the right-hand corner has reached zero and disappeared. This indicates that the search is complete.
Filtering Your Results
Once the search has completed and your results are available, you can filter further to exactly what you’re searching for. On the left side of the screen, you can filter your results by Format, Author, Title, Subject, Date, Publisher, Awards, and Reading Program. For detailed explanations of these filters, contact the ILL department. By default, the Format filter is open, and will likely be the most helpful filter. Click on any filter to explore further options.
Choosing a Format
To quickly filter your results to the format you need- such as book, DVD, Blu-Ray, etc- check the box next to the format you’re looking for. You can also simply scroll through the results without filtering and choose a result in that format. If you filter your results, give the search time to run again. You can remove a filter by clicking on the box again, or clicking the X next to the filter word along the top of the results. You can apply multiple filters- for example you can filter your search to include DVD and Blu-Ray.
Choosing a result
For the best results, we recommend choosing a result with a large number next to its format type. If you need a specific edition of an item, you may need to look at cover art and chose a different result. Please make sure that your result has at least (1) next to it. In general, the higher the number, the better! Within the results, click the word of the format you want. This will take you to another list of owning libraries and catalogs. You may choose specific editions from here if you like by scrolling through the results.
Requesting the Item
When you find what you’re looking for, click the hand-pushing-a-button icon under Request to bring up the request form. Verify that all of your information is correct, then click the Submit button. A popup box verifying that your request has been submitted will appear. Click OK. You will be taken back to the list of results. Once submitted, you will be notified either by email or phone when your request arrives.
The ILL system requires you to be logged in prior to searching for items. To login, click the “Please Login” link located on the top right section of the ILL header.
Book Discussion Group Kits for Interlibrary Loan
Book clubs may request book kits containing multiple copies of the same title through interlibrary loan. Titles must be chosen from the list of kits provided below and are subject to availability. There are currently over 800 titles to choose from, including classics and newer titles, with more added periodically. ILL will not supplement kits that do not have enough copies for a group. Due to the average length of time to check availability and receive kits, when placing a request we require at least two weeks’ notice before your club will need the book, and ask that you have a backup title just in case your first choice is not available. Kits needed sooner than two weeks are not guaranteed to arrive on time. Book kits cannot be requested online through the KLC/ILL system. After choosing a title, please contact the Interlibrary Loan Department at 785-320-5369 to request a book kit. Patrons are limited to one book kit per library card.
The list of kits can be found here: PDF list of Titles and Authors (updated 4/11/2023).