Borrowing

Borrow items found on Trove by identifying and contacting the organisation that holds them.

Borrow items

  1. While in the Trove work or item record, select the Borrow, Locate or Get button underneath the item image thumbnail/s. This will generate a list of libraries and/or organisations that hold the item. 
  2. If more than one organisation holds an item, you can filter the list by state by selecting the corresponding button.
  3. Select an organisation to view the item in their catalogue or information on where they are located and how to contact them.
  4. Each organisation will have their own options for accessing the item. You may need to contact the organisation directly for information on how to borrow the item.

Borrowing conditions

There may be restrictions on who can borrow an item, depending on the item and the organisation that holds it. 

If an item is held by an organisation you are unable to visit, your local library may be able to arrange an inter-library loan.


Accuracy of library holdings

Trove works and records show which Australian libraries hold an item, based on the information that the library provided. However, this information is not always accurate.

When a library removes items from its collection, there is sometimes a delay reporting this information to Trove. So the library may be incorrectly displayed as holding the item.


Items not held in Australian libraries

Sometimes Trove receives records from libraries like the Library of Congress and the British Library for cataloguing purposes. While we could delete these records from Trove, we feel that we’re providing a service by letting people know that the items do exist somewhere.  

If you find a record in Trove which has the message “No known library holdings in Australia”, there are other sites you can search to locate a copy. You can try searching WorldCat, the Library of Congress or the British Library.