Interlibrary Loans & Placing Holds

The Crete Public Library strives to provide users with a broad range of materials to meet their informational, educational, and recreational needs and interests. When an item is unavailable at the Crete Public Library due to being checked out, patrons can request to be notified when it is available again. Patrons can even place holds on items that have not yet been released so that they can get their favorite author’s newest book faster. When the Crete Public Library does not own an item, patrons can request that item from another library (“interlibrary loan”). As a member of the SWAN library consortium, the Crete Public Library is easily able to borrow materials from any of the 100 SWAN member libraries.

  • As with any item checked out at the Library, interlibrary loan items are subject to the Crete Public Library’s lending policies, and patrons are responsible for fees for lost or damaged items.
  • Renewal requests for any interlibrary loan item are at the discretion of the Library that owns the item.
  • Some items may be unavailable for interlibrary loan, especially new or high demand items.
  • The Crete Public Library will generally not request college textbooks as they are often on reserve at their home library and are not available for semester-long checkout.

For more information, please view our Reference Services & Resource Sharing Policy (PDF, 283 kb).

Placing Holds

Patrons can place holds in the following ways:

  • Directly through the SWAN shared online catalog with their library card number and PIN. Your PIN is usually the last four digits of the phone number on record. Contact the Library if that does not work.
  • By downloading the SWAN Libraries + app from the app store for your smart device.
  • In person at the Information Desk.
  • By phone at 708-672-8017.
Patrons can pick up materials requested from SWAN libraries at the Crete Public Library or any other SWAN library. When placing the hold online, patrons will be prompted to select a pick up location.

Interlibrary Loans: Outside SWAN

If an item is not available through the SWAN consortium, Crete Public Library staff can search for items outside of SWAN. There is generally no fee for items borrowed from libraries in Illinois, including university libraries. There is a $3 fee for items from out-of-state libraries.

Requests for items from non-SWAN libraries are only available to Crete Public Library cardholders. Patrons of other libraries must make requests for these items from their home library.

Patrons interested in finding items that are not available through the SWAN consortium can try searching for items here:

  • I-Share: Includes the resources of 90 Illinois libraries that belong to the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLI).
  • WorldCat Discovery: Access to the holdings of more than 72,000 libraries worldwide.
While anyone is welcome to search these resources, only Crete Public Library staff can place holds via I-Share. Patrons can request items directly via WorldCat Discovery, then staff will review and finalize those requests. Please contact the Information Desk for more details. Be sure to have the correct author/title information handy.

Hold Notification & Pick Up

Many holds arrive within a week, though new items, high-demand materials, or items from non-SWAN libraries may take longer. Patrons are encouraged to allow sufficient time for the location and delivery of requested items, particularly those for book clubs or school assignments.

Patrons will be notified by email, text, or phone when items are available for pick up. To make changes to how you are notified, please call the Library at 708-672-8017. Patrons will have seven (7) business days to pick up their hold items.