Non-Resident Borrowing
Library service is not limited to where you live. Through agreements between its 18 members, InterLINK makes it possible for you to use any of the 82 library locations across the Lower Mainland, Sea to Sky corridor, and Sunshine Coast without charge.
Acknowledging that our region is connected and customers want to borrow and return materials where and when it is convenient, InterLINK supports non-resident borrowing across member libraries.
Quick Facts
- Access resources at any 82 InterLINK library branch locations
- Borrow items from and return them to any location
- Use 1 library card for the entire InterLINK system
Service Details
Learn more about non-resident borrowing and what it means for patrons and our member libraries.
For Patrons
Our non-resident borrowing services allow you to borrow and return materials from any public library location within the InterLINK region with your library card.
You are eligible to use this service if you live in a community served by InterLINK. To borrow items, you must have a valid library card from any InterLINK library.
Have questions? Check out our FAQs below.
For Member Libraries
InterLINK facilitates member libraries’ agreement to share materials. We assist in returning non-resident borrowing materials to the appropriate library and collect circulation statistics that help shape the direction of our libraries.
Are you an InterLINK member library? Use our online form to submit your non-resident borrowing statistics. These statistics play an important role in determining operations and budgeting decisions.
Impact
British Columbians are always on the go. Whether it’s visiting family in another city, road tripping to a favourite camping spot, or exploring small towns in the mountains, library patrons want library services when and where they need them. InterLINK is here to help.
In 2025, InterLINK libraries circulated over 2.6 million books between member libraries in southwestern BC, serving over 60% of BC’s entire population. By working together and sharing resources, InterLINK member libraries expand the reach of their collections and improve access for all patrons for minimal cost.
Non-Resident Borrowers: Meet Naveet
Non-resident borrowers have different reasons for using InterLINK’s services. Here’s just one example of how our member libraries support library patrons across communities.
Most days Naveet feels like she lives in her car. She lives in Surrey, works in Langley, and regularly drives to Richmond for her kids’ soccer games, spending a significant part of her week in all three cities. Naveet loves reading the latest popular fiction and her kids can’t get enough graphic novels. Given their busy schedules across multiple cities, they find it hard to fit in a visit to their local library as a family.
Non-resident borrowing allows Naveet to pick up a couple books during her lunch break from a library in Langley, return the books at Richmond Public Library after her kid’s soccer practice, and pop into a Surrey library to see what’s new when she goes grocery shopping on the weekend. Through InterLINK, Naveet easily borrows and returns books from multiple libraries while keeping up with her busy schedule!
Frequently Asked Questions
Non-resident Borrowing FAQs
Browse answers to common questions about InterLINK’s non-resident borrowing service.
Our non-resident borrowing services allow patrons to borrow and return materials from any library location within the InterLINK region with their library card.
You are eligible to use this service if you live in a community served by InterLINK.
To borrow items, you must have a valid library card from any InterLINK library. If you already have a library card from your home library system, you will register it at any of the other InterLINK libraries when you go to borrow an item. If you don’t already have a library card, the library you’re borrowing from can issue you one.
Please note, you may also need to show a piece of ID when registering your card. Most local library websites provide information on their registration process and list acceptable ID.
No. There is no cost to use this service.
InterLINK is funded by member libraries and a grant from the provincial government.
You can choose to use any one of these cards at all lnterLINK libraries. Most people choose to use the card from their home town/city.
The number of items and the length of time you can borrow them varies between libraries. You will need to follow the policies of the lending library.
Unfortunately, licensing restrictions generally restrict ebook lending to residents who live in that library’s jurisdiction. Please check directly with your home library and/or the library whose collection you are interested in using, for more information, as some of the smaller libraries participate in the same shared collection.
You may return your materials to any InterLINK library, but they are not cleared from your record until they reach the lending library. InterLINK operates a delivery system moving materials among the 18 member libraries.
Please note, InterLINK’s delivery system is only able to transport books. Make sure you return all other items, as indicated, to the library you borrowed them from.
If you can’t visit other libraries directly, you may ask for materials to be sent from one library to another. This is called an interlibrary loan. You will arrange this with the library where you wish to pick up the materials.
If you are a resident of the InterLINK area, you have extensive borrowing privileges at all 18 InterLINK member libraries.
Libraries outside of InterLINK that participate in BC OneCARD will have restrictions on the number or type of items you may borrow if visiting. If you do not live in an area that is part of InterLINK, you may have more limited access to InterLINK member library collections than someone who is a resident.
Please use our online form to submit your non-resident borrowing statistics.
Get in Touch
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