The mission of the Schenectady County Public Library is to satisfy our community's educational, informational, cultural and recreational needs by providing free and open access to a comprehensive range of materials, services and programs.

Interlibrary Loan

Interlibrary loan service (ILL) is provided by the Schenectady County Public Library and its branches for materials that member libraries in the Mohawk Valley and Southern Adirondack Library Systems do not own. This service operates in accordance with local (Capital District Library Council, MVLS, SALS) and national (American Library Association) guidelines.

In conjunction with CDLC, SCPL can request materials from the Capital District and beyond. Most of these loans are free. Occasionally, a lending library may charge for materials to be lent. These charges are passed along to the patron.

Who Can Use ILL:

ILL is available to Schenectady County residents with valid SCPL cards that are in good standing.


What We Can Request:

What We Cannot Request:

The Cost:

Some libraries may charge a lending or copying fee, generally between $10-$30. Patrons will be notified of a lending or copying fee before processing a request.


Additional Details:

Patrons are limited to five simultaneous ILL requests.
Microfilm requested through ILL is in-library use only. Lending libraries may place similar restrictions on other materials as well.
ILL is not a rush delivery service for materials. Requests can take several weeks to fulfill.
The lending library determines the loan period, but renewals may be possible. Patrons requesting renewals must contact SCPL 5 days before the item is due.
Lending libraries may issue a recall on an item during the loan period. Recalled items must be returned to SCPL immediately.
A 3-month waiting period is required for re-requesting an item. This applies whether or not the original request was fulfilled.