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Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

Learn how to request articles and books that Central Penn does not own

Access PA

Central Penn College's Library participates in Access PA, which is a statewide catalog containing the collections of over 2,000 Pennsylvania institutions including public libraries, school libraries, and academic (college and university) libraries.  It currently contains over 8 million items.  It is coordinated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and the Office of Commonwealth Libraries. 

In exchange for lending our materials to those libraries, we can borrow materials from most of the other libraries in the state--that includes Penn State and Temple University's libraries, among others, and includes public libraries which tend to have larger collections of 'fun' reading.

Search the Access PA catalog via the link above to find books for both educational and personal use.  See below for how to request that we borrow those books for you.

Book Requests

Use the Book and Article Request Form to request books you find somewhere other than the library's Online Catalog, such as in Access PA, Amazon, or elsewhere. 

  • These books can be for fun reading (e.g. novels) or for class/research purposes.
  • This process can take a week or more, so please plan accordingly if you have a paper/project deadline.
  • We will notify you by email when the book is received at the library.
    • If you are a Summerdale student, you will pick up the book from the library.
    • If you are a Lancaster student, you wil pick up the book from the Lancaster Center (check with the Center Director and/or Receptionist).
    • If you are an online student, we will mail the book to you.
  • Due dates for Interlibrary Loan books are determined by the lending library, starting at 3-4 weeks. 
    • Due dates will be provided in the email notifying you the book is available.
    • Renewals (longer due dates) are often possible, but you must request a renewal before the stated due date.

Please provide as much information as possible about the book on the form.  You can provide an email address other than your school address if you prefer.

Here is an example of the Book section of the form, filled out with the needed information. In this example, "Other Library" is chosen, and "Amazon" listed for 'Which Library?'