Interlibrary Loans

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Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is a borrowing privilege for Winding Rivers Library System (WRLS) library card holders. This service allows customers to borrow materials or copies of articles that are not available through our library catalog or online resources. La Crosse Public Library offers ILL service through WISCAT. Requests can be made by patrons or by staff. When requesting materials through ILL:

  • You may not request any materials that are owned by a WRLS library.
  • Individuals are limited to five requests per month.
  • Items take 1-6 weeks to arrive but could take longer.
  • Your ILL will be sent to the La Crosse Public Library, Main Street location. If you need it sent to another WRLS library, that library will need to place the ILL for you.
  • We cannot request materials that have been in publication for less than 6 months for books, and 12 months for DVDs and CDs.
  • Due to rising costs and shipping delays, we will only request materials from libraries in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
  • The lending library determines the loan period for all interlibrary loan materials. We won't know the loan period until we receive the book.
  • To renew an item, leave a voicemail for the Resource Management Department at 608-789-5134 or email iloan@lacrosselibrary.org at least 2-3 business days before the item is due. Renewals are granted at the discretion of the lending library.
  • You will not be able to pick up ILL materials if your fines are $10.00 or more, or if you have overdue ILL materials.
  • The cost of replacing any damaged or lost ILL item is determined by the lending library and will be charged by the borrower.
  • We are unable to request textbooks. Why? We have not had a great experience with borrowing textbooks--an unusual number of those we've borrowed in the past have either been kept far beyond the due date or never returned. This jeopardizes our ability to borrow from other libraries. Textbooks are also high-demand items and difficult to obtain.

Self-Service ILL

  • Check our catalog to make sure we don't already have the item. (We cannot borrow items by ILL if we own something).
  • If you cannot find what you are looking for, fill in the interlibrary loan form below or log into your WISCAT account and submit your ILL request.
  • The more information you include, the easier it will be to find exactly what you want. Your contact information (phone or email) is mandatory.
  • Or, leave a voicemail at 608-789-5134 with your name, contact information, and the item(s) you’d like to interlibrary loan.

Interlibrary Loan Quick Form

Before requesting an Interlibrary Loan (ILL), please take a moment to check the WRLS catalog and confirm that we don't already have the item in our system. (We cannot borrow an item via ILL if we already own the item). Please use a separate form for each title. Thank you!

Book, DVD, Audiobook, etc.
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