Public Library

Anyone who has more than a passing interest in using public domain resources in their business has run across the problem of finding a particular out of print book that is in the public domain.

You may have searched your favorite places looking for a used copy – eBay, AbeBooks, Alibris, Amazon – all to no avail. You may have checked all the public domain download sites – like the Million Book Project, Archive.org or Project Gutenberg to name a few – and come up empty on that particular book you really need for your project.

You might have scoured the local used bookstores, antique shops and even the local public library card catalog to find a copy.

All to no avail…. The book just cannot be found by the resources you have available.

Unfortunately most people will throw up their hands in frustration and give up at this point – assuming a miracle will have to occur to find the book.

Well there is a miracle in your local library that most people don’t know about. Heck, it seems like most people don’t even make any use of this valuable resource any more – which is a shame but all a part of the internet lifestyle.

Your local library has access to books all over the country through a system called the Interlibrary Loan Program. It works a little differently in every library so you will want to talk with your library’s reference desk to find out the exact procedure you need to follow to have them find a book for you. And it is not always quick – sometimes taking a few months before a copy makes its way into your hands. But for that book you absolutely need for a great project, it is sometimes the only way to go.

Generally you will need to know the exact title of the book, the author and its publication date – all information you should have already discovered from your copyright search to find the book. Some libraries will let you place a request right online – and even search the interlibrary network before making the request. Most, however, will require you to go in and fill out a form to start the process.

Once you receive the book, you generally get to keep it the same amount of time as a book you check out of the library locally. And it would of course be expected to be returned in the same condition as it was when you received it – which means take care when you photocopy the pages or hand it off to someone to transcribe.

The only two times you will not be able to find a book through the Interlibrary Loan Program is if the book is not in the library system or if the only copies in the system are considered “rare” or “reference” books. But chances are the books you choose to work with will not fall under these categories. They are most likely collecting dust in the main stacks.

One last thought… sometimes you find a public domain book that you want and found a place to purchase it but it costs hundreds of dollars. The Interlibrary Loan Program is a great way to have access to a copy of one of these really expensive out of print books long enough for you to extract the information you need from it.