Interlibrary Loan: Expanding Access in Carceral Settings

Interlibrary loan (ILL) service makes it possible for library patrons to access materials from libraries across the state by placing requests for materials not found in their own library’s collection. It exponentially increases the amount of materials that people everywhere in Colorado can borrow, making it a vital service for growing equitable access to stories and information. 

In the Public Library Annual Report (PLAR) we ask libraries to report how many interlibrary loans (ILLs) they both provided to other libraries and received from other libraries. In 2022 and 2023 public libraries reported receiving more ILL’s than they provided, but in 2024, public libraries reported providing slightly more ILLs than they received. The number of ILLs public libraries provide can differ from the number they receive because ILLs can be exchanged between different types of libraries. For example, academic libraries may lend materials of their choosing to public libraries or public libraries may do the same for institutional libraries. In fact, recent data shows that there were almost ten times more ILL requests per capita in Colorado state prison libraries than Colorado public libraries. 

This post will highlight the latest data gathered on ILL in prison libraries. While this service is popular with prison library users, it is less well-known outside of prison libraries that this service is provided to people who are incarcerated. Much of the data we have to share is qualitative and was gathered while conducting focus groups for the PRISM study. Prison library staff also report monthly whether ILL was available at their facility and how many requests were received…

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