All locations will be closed on Friday, February 7 for Staff Development Day. To contact Vital Statistics for birth and death certificates, please call (214) 670-3248.
About Interlibrary Loans at Dallas Public Library
Welcome to the Interlibrary Loan (ILL) division of the Dallas Public Library. Please take a moment to read this page before submitting your request.
Interlibrary Loan through the Dallas Public Library is available to residents of the City of Dallas (and Town of Addison) with a Dallas Public Library card and account that is in good standing. You must present your library card to pick up Interlibrary Loan materials. Non-residents should contact the public library in their town of residence to ask about available services.
Important Considerations:A $3.00 per item Delivery Fee will be added to customer accounts for materials acquired through Interlibrary Loan. This can be paid online or in person with check or money order. No cash is accepted.
Customers will be limited to five active ILL requests.
Some items, including DVDs and Music CDs, may not be borrowed.
New books are generally not available through interlibrary loan until at least 6 months after the publication date. For new books, consider trying our Customer Request Program.
Items owned by Dallas Public Library, even if they are for reference only, may not be requested using this service and any requests placed for such items will be cancelled. Please check the Dallas Public Library Catalog before requesting materials through Interlibrary Loan.
Although Interlibrary Loan provides access to journal articles, books, microfilm, musical scores, and other materials that are not available from the Dallas Public Library system, availability may be limited. Not all libraries will lend their material. To learn more about this service, please see below for Frequently Asked Questions.
Please allow 4-6 weeks for most items to be delivered to your designated pickup library.
Quick Reference Guide for Search and Interlibrary Loan
Using the Texas Armadillo Network for Interlibrary Loan:Go to the Texas Armadillo Network.
Login to your account using your 14-digit Dallas Public Library card number and your Dallas Public Library account password.
Search for the title you want to request.
Click on the Book link or the Cover to see if the title matches what you are searching for.
Check the “Where To Find It” list of libraries who own this item. If Dallas Public Library owns the item, please do not request it using this method.
Click on “Request This Item”.
Fill out the required fields including choosing a pickup location and entering your email address. See How will I be notified? for more information on email.
Click on “Submit” to place your request.
Viewing the status of your ILL requests:Go to the Texas Armadillo Network and login with your Dallas Public Library card number and account password.
Click on “Your Account" in the upper right corner and choose “Items From Other Libraries”.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is available?
You may request books or journal articles not owned by the Dallas Public Library. Check the Dallas Public Library catalog to see if we own a title before placing a request.
What is not available?
Before requesting any material through Interlibrary Loan, you must check the Dallas Public Library Catalog to make sure that the material is not owned by the Dallas Public Library System. We cannot request items through Interlibrary Loan that are owned by Dallas Public Library, even if our copy is for reference use only (non-circulating).
These items cannot be borrowed:
DVDs
Blu-ray DVDs
CDs
Audio books
Digital books
New books – for at least the first 6 months
Complete issues of magazines, periodicals or newspapers -- libraries will photocopy articles
Rare books
Items we already own that are currently checked out or on hold
Items in Special Collections
Genealogical materials -- libraries will photocopy index or family names
Reference books
Why am I getting a message that my account is blocked?
There is a problem with your Dallas Public Library card.
Your library card has expired
You have overdue items
You owe more than $5.00 in fines or fees
Please login to your Dallas Public Library account, or visit any Dallas Public Library location, to resolve the problem.
How do I request something that is not available in the Texas Armadillo Network catalog?
Search WorldCat or other library catalogs to determine if the title may be available from libraries outside of Texas.
Email ILLWEB@dallas.gov with the following information:
Dallas Public Library card number
Pickup location
Email address
Information about the title you are requesting, including any of the following:
Author
Title
Edition or Publication Year
ISBN, ISSN, OCLC number, or other identifying numbers
For journals or newspapers: Journal title, Article title, Date, Volume, Issue, and page numbers
For microfilm: Owning library and reel number
Please allow extra time for processing email requests. Availability may be limited for titles that are not listed in the Texas Armadillo Network catalog.
How long will it take for a requested book to arrive?
Usually four to six weeks, but the length of time varies for each item. If you no longer need a requested item, please email ILLWEB@dallas.gov or call 214-670-1741 and leave a message to cancel your request, be sure to include your account information and request number.
What will it cost?
Delivery Fee: : The Dallas Public Library charges a fee of $3.00 for each completed Interlibrary Loan. This fee will be added to your account and can be paid online in your account or at any Dallas Public Library location with check or money order. No cash is accepted. Please wait to pay the fee until you pick up the requested material, the delivery fee will be waived if the incorrect item is received.
Additional Fees: Many libraries lend books or provide photocopies free of charge, while others may assess a fee. If a lending library charges a fee, you will be asked to pay those charges. Lending library fees are usually $15.00 to $30.00 per loan and will be paid to the lending library.
The Interlibrary Loan system will search for a loan from a lending library that does not charge a lending fee. If the item you requested is only available for a fee, ILL staff will email you with your options. If you want to expedite the process and accept a loan from the first available lending library, please include the amount you are willing to pay in the Max Cost field when submitting your request.
What if I no longer want the material that I requested?
If you no longer need a requested item, please email ILLWEB@dallas.gov or call 214-670-1741 and leave a message to cancel your request, be sure to include your account information and request number. If the request has already been sent to your pickup location, or you do not pick it up, the $3.00 delivery fee will still apply.
How will I be notified?
You will receive notification via email when your request is processed, or if there are any problems with your request. Please make sure you can receive email from no-reply-iga01@librarycard.com (for alerts and messages from the Interlibrary Loan system) and ILLWEB@dallas.gov (for messages directly from ILL staff, and for all replies to ILL staff) so important notices do not get sent to your junk folder.
When your request is available for pick up, you will be notified just like you get notified for all other holds. Please login to your account, or visit any Dallas Public Library location, to make certain your contact information and notification settings are correct. For requests to be picked up at the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, there may be a delay between the time the notice is sent and when the item is available for pick up, please allow one business day or call 214-670-1740 to verify that your request is being held at the circulation desk.
Where do I pick the materials up?
Pick up your requests at the Dallas Public Library location you selected when you placed your request.
How long can I keep the material?
The due date is determined by the lending library and it can vary from 7-28 days. To maximize use of the item you requested, check it out at your earliest opportunity. The Due Date will be printed on the label attached to the requested item. Photocopies of journal articles are usually yours to keep.
Can I renew the ILL materials I have out?
Not as a rule, but if you give us at least 7 days before your original due date, we can ask the lending library if they can extend your loan. Please contact us at ILLWEB@dallas.gov and be sure to include your account information and request number. You can view the status of your requests in the Texas Armadillo Network. There is no guarantee the lending library will approve the extension, so please be prepared to turn in your items on time.
What happens if I lose or damage a book?
The lending library will request that you pay for the damage/loss and could charge a processing fee. Note that your Dallas Public Library borrowing privileges will be suspended until all fees/fines are paid.
Where do I return the materials?
Borrowed ILL materials can be returned inside at any Dallas Public Library location. Please do not remove the strap/label from the item or place in the book drop. Please visit Locations/Hours to see when your nearest library location is open.
Questions?
Please email ILLWEB@dallas.gov or call 214-670-1741 and leave a message. Be sure to include your library account information and request number (if available).