Interlibrary Loan Policy
Interlibrary loan (ILL) is a process by which a library requests materials from, or supplies materials to, another library. The purpose of interlibrary loan is to obtain materials for a valid Handley Regional Library (HRL) card holder that are not available in the HRL system.
Interlibrary Loan is a service that should be offered by Handley Regional Library. The standard fee for Interlibrary Loan is charged as a postage-recovery charge. Although the fee is solely to recover postage costs, in effect, it also serves as a deterrent from misuse of the system, such as placing a very large number of requests or requesting items and never using them. The fee is not intended to be cost-recovery of library labor. Cost-recovery of additional charges from other libraries will be charged to Interlibrary Loan borrowers.
Handley Regional Library recognizes that interlibrary loan is a mutual relationship and will supply materials to other libraries as freely as it requests materials. The Library also recognizes that interlibrary loan is an adjunct to, not a substitute for, HRL collection development. The Library will follow all generally accepted rules of Interlibrary Loan administration.
Interlibrary Loan Guidelines
Responsibilities of the Handley Regional Library as a Borrowing Library
The following are the recognized responsibilities of the Handley Regional Library when requesting materials from another library.
- Patron ILL requests will be processed in a timely manner.
- HRL will avoid sending the burden of its requests to a few libraries.
- HRL’s requests will comply with U.S. copyright law and its accompanying guidelines.
- HRL will assume responsibility for borrowed materials from the time they leave the lending library until they have been returned and received by the lending library. If damage or loss occurs, HRL will assume responsibility for compensation or replacement, in accordance with the policies of the lending library.
- HRL will assume responsibility for honoring due dates and enforcing all restrictions specified by the lending library.
Responsibilities of the Handley Regional Library as a Lending Library
The following are the recognized responsibilities of the Handley Regional Library when supplying requested materials to another library:
- ILL requests from other libraries will be processed in a timely manner.
- HRL will state any conditions and/or restrictions on use of the materials loaned and specify any special return packaging or shipping requirements.
- HRL will state the due date or duration of the loan on the request form or on the material.
- HRL will package loaned items to prevent damage in shipping.
- HRL will notify the requesting library promptly when unable to fill a request, and if possible, state the reason the request cannot be filled.
- HRL will respond promptly to requests for renewals.
- HRL may recall materials loaned to other libraries at any time.
- HRL may suspend service to any requesting library that fails to comply with the provision of this policy.
ILL fees and fines
- The patron is responsible for all fees/fines related to the ILL transaction:
- The Handley Regional Library will charge a standard fee, which on average should cover postage charges, for each item successfully obtained through interlibrary loan. Payment is due when the material is picked up.
- If applicable, the fee will include any additional charges billed by the lending library.
- Once an item has been shipped by the lending library, the fee is still the responsibility of the patron even if the patron never picks up the material or tries to cancel the request. If necessary, the fee will be charged to the patron’s library account.
- The ILL fee will not be charged if HRL is unable to obtain the requested material.
- A late fee will be charged to patrons for items not returned by the due date.
- For items not returned, a processing fee will be added to any replacement charges billed by the lending library.
Notice: The following contains a warning concerning copyright restrictions that may exist on the materials you wish to borrow. Please read carefully before filling out the form: The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyright material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any other purpose than private study, scholarship, or research.”
If the user makes a request for, and later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use”, that user may be liable for copyright infringement. The fair use doctrine takes into account the purpose of the copying and the amount and extent copied. The Library reserves the right to refuse an order for copies if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order will involve violation of the copyright law.
Approved by Handley Regional Library Board July 2010