“…I discovered the interlibrary loan, which means that if your library doesn’t have the book, they will find it for you. And that was power!” – Neil Gaiman

book-heartInterlibrary Loan (ILL) is a service that allows Cedar Mill and Bethany patrons to obtain materials not available through Washington County libraries. We borrow from libraries all over the United States. We reciprocate by lending our materials to libraries outside of the Washington County Library System.

Please note: There is a limit of five active requests per person. Items currently checked out to you do not count toward the limit of five.

To Request an item…

  • Search WorldCat and submit your request directly from the WorldCAT record, or
  • Fill out our online form, or
  • Ask a staff member in the library or by phone (503) 644-0043.

To Renew an item…

Please request a renewal 3 days before your due date.

Renewals are not guaranteed. We do not know if a renewal will be granted or denied until after it is requested. Be prepared to return the item on short notice. ILL items cannot be renewed from your online account. To renew, do one of the following:

Frequently Asked Questions

There is no definite answer to this question. ILLs generally take 2 to 6 weeks to arrive. However, they may arrive sooner or later. If the material you need is time sensitive, Interlibrary Loan may not be the best option.

The loan period is determined by the lending library. Typical due dates range from one week to two months. Renewals can be requested for most materials. (See the next section for information on how to renew your ILL.)

A lending library can request the immediate return of its material at any time.

Please request a renewal 3 days before your due date.

Renewals are not guaranteed. We do not know if a renewal will be granted or denied until after it is requested. Be prepared to return the item on short notice. ILL items cannot be renewed from your online account. To renew, do one of the following:

  • Check your account online. A request with the status Received is available for pickup.
  • Email: CML-ILL@wccls.org
  • Call the ILL office: (503) 644-0043 x133

Please remember, items generally take 2 to 6 weeks to arrive.

There is no charge for most ILL requests. If a lending library charges a fee not covered by the library or county, we proceed only with your approval.

You can borrow books, videos, DVDs, CDs, microfilm, musical scores, and newspaper or journal articles. We cannot borrow console video games (Wii, PlayStation, Xbox, etc.) at this time.

It is not possible to borrow items owned by WCCLS unless the item is in in-repair, lost, missing, unavailable or withdrawn status for two or more weeks.

It is not possible to borrow items published within the last six months. However, you can submit a Purchase Suggestion instead.

There is a county wide limit of 5 active ILL requests. Requests in returned or received status do not count toward the limit.

Your account must be in good standing to request an item by ILL (fines under $19.99, no long overdue items).

If the request shows as “active” on your account there is a good chance the item is in-transit. For this reason, we ask that you be sure you want the requested item and can allow 2 to 6 weeks for its arrival.

If you must cancel a request, please contact the ILL office by phone or email: (503) 644-0043 x133 or CML-ILL@wccls.org. Please do not cancel requests on your online account.

Hold requests are manually added to accounts by staff. At most it will take one week for the hold request to show on your account.

Please return items only to the library from which they were borrowed.

Adding notes or comments regarding your request can get you what you want, sooner. Some helpful information includes whether you are looking for a specific edition, or if any edition will work. If you are requesting genealogy material add the names and dates of the entries in which you are interested. For article requests from magazines or journals provide a citation as complete as possible.

Interlibrary Loan relies on the generosity of lending libraries. Returning or requesting renewals by the due date is therefore essential. If an ILL is overdue by one week $100.01 will be charged to the borrower’s account. If the item is returned promptly in the same condition in which it was checked out, the charge can be waived. If the item is not returned, the borrower is responsible for paying replacement and processing fees charged by the lender.