We are open by appointment and providing remote reference services while the Perelman Building remains closed. Please email library@philamuseum.org or archives@philamuseum.org to schedule an appointment.
Philadelphia Museum of Art borrowers can use our interlibrary loan (ILL) services to access materials not available in the Library & Archives' collections.
Physical items are made available for pickup on the hold carts on the Lower Level of the Perelman building. Electronic requests are emailed directly to patrons.
Please note that, while we process ILL requests daily, the pandemic continues to affect the staffing and shipping schedules of research institutions nationwide, including our own. Some requests may be delayed.
Questions? Contact us at ill@philamuseum.org.
Start your search for print books with E-ZBorrow.
PALCI has recently updated their request portal. The new page is at https://ezborrow.reshare.indexdata.com.
For new requests, follow the below instructions:
Please note that some features in E-ZBorrow are not available and/or still under development, including OpenAthens authentication and patron-accessible borrowing histories. If you have any feedback or suggestions, please contact us at ill@philamuseum.org.
If you can't find the book you're searching for in E-ZBorrow, search for the title in WorldCat. Once you find the correct record, click on the "Request Item through Interlibrary Loan" button and fill in your contact information and provide any special instructions if needed. There are no individual accounts set up in WorldCat Discovery, so you can ignore the "Staff sign in" / "Sign in" links. To track your loans, please email ill@philamuseum.org.
While many libraries choose not to circulate these materials via ILL, feel free to place requests for DVDs, microfilm, and other non-print media. However, please note that we are not set up to borrow or lend ebooks at this time.
PMA users can also request digital delivery of mircofilm reels from the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art. Please email ILL staff at ill@philamuseum.org with the reel numbers, and they will place the request on your behalf.
If you can't find the article you're looking for in Gold Rush, or if you need a chapter scan instead, search in WorldCat for the journal or book that contains the needed article or chapter--do not search for the article or chapter itself. Once you find the correct record, click on the "Request Item through Interlibrary Loan" button and fill in your citation and contact information. There are no individual accounts set up in WorldCat Discovery, so you can ignore the "Staff sign in" / "Sign in" links. To track your loans, please email ill@philamuseum.org.
The PMA is responsible for replacing lost or damaged interlibrary loan items. Depending on the owning library's policy, we either pay a flat fee or purchase a new copy of the book.
If a staff member in your department loses or damages an ILL item, you'll need to provided us with a charge line to cover the cost.
