How can I use BorrowDirect at Penn Libraries?

Dear Benny,
I am new to the University and also its library system. What are the different ways to go about borrowing books? Can you explain the difference between BorrowDirect and E-ZBorrow?
Sincerely,
Brooke the bookworm

Dear Bookworm Brooke,
Penn’s library system is fantastic for all readers, and its exceptional staff makes borrowing very convenient. It offers fiction, non-fiction, literature, textbooks, and biographies, in a wide variety of languages, and also DVDs and CDs.

The best way to start a search for an item in Penn’s library system is to visit the library homepage. You can do a title or subject search to either get exactly what you are looking for or browse the library’s available titles. Once you find the item you’re searching for, depending on whether it is available or not, you can grab it from the stacks, request to have it delivered to the library of your choice, or, if it is not available, request it from another partner library system with one of a trio of resource sharing options: BorrowDirect, E-ZBorrow, or InterLibrary Loan (ILL).

BorrowDirect allows users to request books from 12 large academic research libraries. E-ZBorrow offers requests from more than 60 academic libraries in Pennsylvania and nearby states. Delivery is in three to five days. ILL includes additional libraries, as well as public, so those requests sometimes take longer to arrive.

BorrowDirect and EZBorrow loan periods are six weeks, with one six-week renewal. ILL loan periods vary according to the lending library. The most common fee patrons encounter is the $1 a day late fee for BorrowDirect and EZBorrow. There is no daily late fee for overdue Penn books, but once a book has been declared lost (overdue 28 days), there is a $95 fee.

You can track your BorrowDirect, E-ZBorrow, and ILL requests by logging into your library account and clicking on the “Requests” tab. If you ever have any questions about your account or if you need further assistance borrowing books, feel free to contact the Libraries staff through email, phone, or chat services.

Got a question for Benny? Send it via email to current @pobox.upenn.edu or via regular mail to the Current, 3901 Walnut St., Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19104.