Alternatives to Interlibrary Loan

Abstract

I approach the subject of interlibrary loans of rare materials with considerable misgivings, since I come from that ivory tower of institutions prohibited from lending anything to anyone. The Huntington Library, just outside Los Angeles in San Marino, is a “private, free research library, art gallery, museum, and botanical garden, containing objects of artistic, historic, scientific or literary interest.”

These words come from the indenture of 8 February 1926, in which Henry Huntington outlined the responsibilities and goals of the institution which bears his name. In the portion of the indenture titled “The Nature of the Huntington,” the document continues, . . .