Self Learning Strategies

Use Interlibrary loans to freely extend your reading access

One of the most powerful but least-used tools that we modern Americans have at our disposal is the Inter-Library Loan.

If your local library does not carry a book, you can request the book through their interlibrary loan program. They will search other libraries in the country for you, and when they find that book in Florida or Texas they request the loan from that library. When it arrives, they notify you your request is in.

Most libraries have limits on interlibrary loans, like a few at a time, or if you fail to pick it up you pay a fine, or they won't fulfill requests until your own fines are paid up.

Still, it's an excellent way to use America's library system as your own local library.

I like to poke around Amazone.com for interesting-looking books. Most of the time my local library does not have it. I simply enter the book title, author, year published, and ISBN number and they do the work.

Interlibrary loans are often abbreviated as ILL.

posted by Ideas2NoEnd @ 3:03 PM