For interlibrary loan to work, a library on a consortium or other library service group has to own the required material.

Public libraries may-or may not be able to-find copies of items. The way these consortiums and library service organizations work depend on the amount of money available in the district. Depending on the state and county, all public libraries in one county decide to organize together for resource sharing (ILL). If this is the ONLY organization they join regarding the amount of money available, there are some items they will not be able to get.

Other libraries IN ADDITION to the public library system joins ANOTHER system like a state or city university system. Or a state system covering up several counties. Some join three or four groups of libraries.

Why? It takes money to do all these things. Records regarding who places the order and which library is sending the material, and preparing it for return. That is placing it on an envelope, and PAYING postage if the material is to be sent through the US mail. YES we do get a rebate, but postage for mailing library books IS NOT free. In other cases, the consortium or library services organization sets up a messenger service. All these things look free to you as a library user, but it is NOT free. Who pays for those services? YOU the taxpayer. Public libraries charge a tax levy for this, and other types of libraries do charge in some way or other. Academic libraries use money collected when you register.

How do I know this? I have been an academic librarian for twelve years, and now a school library teacher for four. And supervised the Circulation and Interlibray Loan Departments at a two-year college for two years...