General Information

The Maryland Interlibrary Loan Organization is a cooperative network of public, academic, school and special libraries throughout the state of Maryland. Through close cooperation, customers are provided with access to the books, magazines, newspapers and other resources of over 700 libraries in the state. Interlibrary Loan requests may be requested at the Reference Desk at any department or branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library. Books should be picked up at the Circulation Desk. There are no renewals on loaned materials. Most libraries in Maryland do not charge to lend materials in state. On receipt of materials, customers will be contacted by phone. If two calls cannot reach the customer, a postcard is sent at a 50 cent charge, payable on receipt of the materials.

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Customers can also request materials from outside of the Maryland network. This service requires that customers be willing to pay a minimum of $5.00 per book request and $10.00 per serial request to recover associated shipping costs. Serials (magazines, newspapers, etc.) will arrive as a photocopy of the original.

Library cards from other Maryland public library system can be used, but need to be validated for use at the Enoch Pratt Free Library. Customers must be free of fines to be eligible for interlibrary loan service.

The broad mission of MILO is to operate a resource-sharing network among Maryland Libraries. This provides access for the people of Maryland, via their local library system, to materials and services regardless of where they may live, or where needed resources may be located within Maryland.

MILO serves approximately 700 individual library agencies with the help of 117 in-state referral agencies, which share their resources with libraries in the network.

MILO's basic services to participating network libraries includes interlibrary loan of print materials: books, pamphlets, maps, musical scores, government documents, etc., the provision of periodical and journal articles in photocopy, and the processing of information, reference and subject requests. Materials not available from the Enoch Pratt Free Library's collection are automatically referred to locations on behalf of borrowing libraries to participating lenders in the network.

MILO also acts as a hub for six library delivery systems tying together public, academic and school libraries throughout the state.