Interlibrary Loan Services

Marina is a free, statewide interlibrary loan system for requesting materials your library does not own from other public library systems in Maryland. You can request materials through Marina and have these materials delivered to the MCPL branch of your choice.

First, make sure your title is not owned by MCPL and is not in one of the categories below (What Cannot Be Requested). If all copies of the title that you want are currently checked out, please place a hold request. If the title is not owned by MCPL, you can expand your search using Marina.

On This Page

What Cannot Be Requested:

  • Items owned by MCPL
  • Items published within the past 12 months
  • Items that have not yet been published
  • eBooks, eAudiobooks or other eResources

Requests for these items will be cancelled.

Contact Interlibrary Loan (ILL Services)

By phone at 240-777-0046 (Please have your library card number ready) or by using the form below.

Fill out my online form.

Didn’t Find What You Need?

If you didn’t find the item you were looking for in Marina, you can place an Interlibrary Loan request that goes out to different types of libraries throughout the country. We call these items “OCLC Loans.” If a library can fulfill your request, it will arrive at your selected pickup library just like a regular hold. There is no charge for requesting an OCLC loan but the lending library may charge a fee to loan an item. If that is the case, staff will contact you prior to moving forward with the request. The borrowing library also sets the lending period, so the checkout time can range from a few days to a few weeks. OCLC Loans cannot be renewed.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the cost?
    • There is no cost for requesting or borrowing Marina items.
    • Lending libraries may charge a fee to borrow materials. If this is the case, staff will contact you prior to moving forward with the request.
  • Can my items be renewed?
    • Marina items can be renewed twice unless the item is recalled by the lending library.
    • OCLC items cannot be renewed. Their lending period is set by the lender and cannot be changed.
  • What if my items are damaged or lost?
    • Notify ILL staff noting whether your item is damaged or lost. ILL staff will contact the lender to obtain the replacement fee and will apply the fee to your account.
  • Why is there a paper band on my item?
    • Marina items have a white band around them. OCLC items have a pink band. Please do not remove the bands. These help the library identify your loan and make sure it’s processed correctly.
  • For help with finding or requesting items, please contact Ask-a-Librarian or your local branch.