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Library Policy #29: Policy on Interlibrary Loan Borrowing for Students, Faculty, and Staff

0.0 CONTENTS


1.0 Scope

This policy establishes guidelines for interlibrary borrowing of materials not available at the Addlestone Library. This policy does not cover the Marine Resources Library, College Relations and Media Communications, or the Avery Research Center.

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2.0 Purpose

Students, faculty and staff have access to a wide variety of information which may not be available in the Robert Scott Small Library. Traditionally libraries across the United States and internationally will copy journal articles and lend books when the Addlestone Library is willing to assume responsibility for their safe return. Within the guidelines of this policy, the library staff will request books, articles, microforms, and other library materials in accordance with established Interlibrary Loan Codes.

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3.0 Operation

3.1 The Interlibrary Loan Department staff, under the Reference Department of the Public Services division, has the overall responsibility for maintaining the system for interlibrary borrowing.

3.2 The department accepts borrowing requests on printed and electronic forms. Where indicated, copyright compliance statements must be signed by the patron.

3.3 Normally, the Addlestone Library Interlibrary Loan Department will submit requests within forty-eight hours (excluding weekends and holidays) if potential suppliers are available. Requests for materials found in the Addlestone Library collection will be returned to the patron, except in the case of faculty and staff requests, which will be filled through Campus Delivery (see Pol. 28). Interlibrary loan requests may take from three days to three weeks or more depending upon availability and location. Lending and photocopying are at the discretion of the lending library; not all materials are available through interlibrary loan.

3.4 Once interlibrary loan materials are received, undergraduates and graduates will be notified by the Interlibrary Loan staff via telephone, electronic mail, campus mail or U.S. mail. Requesters pick up materials at the Reference Desk whenever the desk is staffed. Articles will be sent to faculty and staff via campus mail; books will normally be delivered to faculty and staff by the Interlibrary Loan staff.

3.5 Patrons are responsible for picking up and returning (if applicable) their materials to the Interlibrary Loan office or the Reference desk. Faculty and staff who have had items delivered to their offices are required to return their own materials to the Reference Desk or the Interlibrary Loan office on or before the due date. ILL is unable to offer Federal Express delivery to a home address and we do not fax to home fax numbers.

3.6 The due date for books and other original materials will be clearly written on all items. Renewal requests must be made to the ILL office five days before the due date. Renewal requests will not be accepted for overdue materials. Patrons will be contacted regarding overdue materials on a weekly basis.

3.7 Failure to return Interlibrary Loan materials can result in suspended library privileges, blocked registration, and/or a letter to the appropriate dean. As a last resort, the matter will be turned over to the College's collection agency.

3.8 Payments for damaged materials, lost materials, or delinquent materials will be taken by ILL staff. The Interlibrary Loan staff is responsible for billing their own patrons.

3.9 Addlestone Library will assume the cost of all normal Interlibrary Loan charges levied by the lending institution.

3.10 Interlibrary Loan book requests received between December 10 and January 2 are normally held until the library reopens in the beginning of January. Requests for items held in local consortia libraries may be submitted during this period. Article requests may be placed but will be subject to review.

3.11 Interlibrary Loan requests will be processed in the order received. Exceptions to this require a written explanation stating the specific reason for the exception and the approval of the Head of Reference Services. When graduate students, faculty, and staff submit more than five requests in one day, those requests will be integrated into the workflow at a rate of five per day.

3.12 When a patron's request exceeds copyright compliance (more than five articles from the same issue of a journal, for example), the patron is responsible for any copyright charges exceeding $50.00. Payments will be taken by the ILL staff.

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4.0 Eligibility and Benefits

4.1 Services to Undergraduates

4.1.1 Undergraduates may have up to five outstanding interlibrary loan requests at any one time.

4.1.2 During the last three weeks of the semester, only Charleston Academic Library Consortia requests will be submitted for undergraduates, except with the written permission of their instructor.

4.1.3 The following materials will not normally be requested for undergraduates:

- pre-1900 books or rare materials (when no microform or reprint is available)
- dissertations
- materials only available out of the United States
- audio-visual materials
- reference books

4.1.4 Upon request, exceptions to 4.1.4 may be made for undergraduates who are writing senior papers or honors theses and have the written permission of their instructor.

4.1.5 Addlestone Library will pay for lending and copy charges and normal shipping charges for undergraduates. The following charges will be passed on to the student:

  • Fees for lost or damaged materials
  • Fees for delinquent returns

4.1.6 Students with delinquent books and/or fines exceeding $3.00 are not eligible for interlibrary loan services.


4.2 Services to Graduates

4.2.1 Graduate students may have up to ten outstanding interlibrary loan requests at any one time.

4.2.2 Graduate students with delinquent books and/or fines exceeding $3.00 are not eligible for interlibrary loan services.

4.2.3 Addlestone Library will pay for lending and copying charges and normal shipping charges for graduates. The following charges will be passed on to the graduate student:

  • Fees for lost or damaged materials
  • Fees for delinquent returns

4.3 Services to Faculty and Staff

4.3.1 Faculty and staff may use interlibrary loan without restriction, within the following guidelines:

  1. Faculty and staff are responsible for any fees relating to lost or damaged items.
  2. Faculty and staff are subject to the same copyright restrictions as other patrons, i.e., they are responsible for any copyright charges exceeding $50.00 (see 3.12).
  3. Campus Delivery requests and Interlibrary Loan requests may be held until overdue Interlibrary Loan materials are returned.

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Sponsored : Alis Whitt 1/3/96
Reviewed : Librarians 2/15/96
Revised : David Cohen, Alis Whitt 2/20/96
Approved: Dean of Libraries 2/21/96
Approved: Administrative Group 2/21/96

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Mailing Address: 66 George Street, Charleston, South Carolina, 29424