interlibrary loan

American  

noun

1. a system by which one library obtains a work for a user by borrowing it from another library.

2. a loan made by this system.

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interlibrary loan British  

/ ˌɪntəˈlaɪbrərɪ /

noun

1. a system by which libraries borrow publications from other libraries

2. 1. an instance of such borrowing

   2. a publication so borrowed

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Etymology

Origin of interlibrary loan

First recorded in 1925–30; inter- + library

Example Sentences

I ordered a copy of the book via interlibrary loan recently and realized that I should have read it sooner.

From Slate • Aug. 17, 2018

To do that, biologists often request specimens through a kind of interlibrary loan.

From Science Magazine • May 11, 2017

Think of a virtual, turbo-charged interlibrary loan system.

From Washington Post • Apr. 23, 2015

Genis’s father brought armfuls when he visited; some were ordered from print catalogues or interlibrary loan; others came from prison libraries, which Genis describes as typically “about fifteen thousand titles, heavy on James Patterson.”

From The New Yorker • Jul. 8, 2014

Libraries submitting many interlibrary loan requests often number the requests consecutively each month.

From LILRC Interlibrary Loan Manual: January, 1976 by Long Island Library Resources Council (N.Y.)